People say “You are the sum of the 5 people closest to you,” all the time. While that has always resonated with me, it never really caused me to make a change. But a variation of this concept has, and the variation is proximity. Here’s where I saw proximity truly impact my choices.
It Was a Cheat Day
I was with a group of colleagues recently. We just worked out, and we were going to go to a hip restaurant. Because I knew the menu, I decided it was going to be a cheat day. Heck, it was the weekend! Now, I’m not super into it into fitness, but the guys with me definitely were. Regardless, I was going to enjoy my cheat day by getting a burger, fries, and all of that.
Burger or Salad
I was the fourth person in line, and the every person in front of me within the group was ordering salad with a protein on top and the dressing on the side. What do you think I ordered? Not the burger! I ordered the salad with a protein on top and dressing on the side. Now you many of you may hear that and say, “Oh yeah, and you’re just trying to fit in.” Maybe there’s a little bit of peer pressure, but to me that resonated as the principle of proximity. In the context of what we had just been doing and how I wanted to perceive myself as someone who makes healthy choices, I ordered a salad.
Who Is Around You?
I’ve heard Craig Groeschel recently say this: “What I think about myself is what I choose to do.” So if I started beginning to see myself as someone who is fit in my 40s, as someone who is getting fitter, then my nutrition is part of that. So I allowed the people around me to influence my choices because they are far more fit than I am. So what in the world does this have to do for you and your business? Just like I surrounded myself with people are have nailed fitness and nutrition, you can surround yourself with mentors and colleagues who have nailed business.
Get Around Experts
When I think about my just business bank account or businesses, certain podcasts have been helpful. And I listen to a lot of them! Books have been helpful as well, but without a doubt the thing that has impacted me the most is investing in relationships. These are people around you and mentors. You can call it coaching, but it’s really just getting in proximity of other people who are thinking bigger than me.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be in Mastermind groups, WhatsApp groups, and Zoom calls with some folks that are absolutely doing it at a much higher level than I ever have been. They’re expanding my thinking in ways that no book or podcast could. Because they’ve actually done the thing and they’re doing. And they’ve done the things that I want to do.
Proximity
And so being able to tap into that type of wealth of knowledge is helping to push me. It’s the proximity. You are the average of The Five People You spend the most time with. It’s key to ask who are the 2 – 5 closest friends that I spend the most time with, even if they have nothing to do with business.
If you’re wanting to be around someone who will help you improve, you need to think critically. Who do you know? Who do you look up to? If you want to grow your leadership, who do you think of when you imagine incredible leaders? Whether it’s on a zoom call, coaching program, or another avenue, you need to get around these people.
Grow Your Leadership
Bradley has many resources to grow your leadership in the area of vision and priorities. Check out a few of them:
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