Recently I sat down with a new friend I met for dinner. We talked about what it takes to achieve the goals you want to achieve in life. My friend is already a very accomplished marketing professional. And yet, there was lots more she wanted to do. One conclusion I kept coming back to in this talk is that a large amount of how successful you will be in life comes down to the people you spend time with.

Image remixed from Leremy

This is why:

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Jim Rohn

This quote is one of the most powerful ones that I keep reminding myself over and over again. I am the average of the five people I spend the most time with. Others around myself determine how I think, how I act, and ultimately how successful I will be.

This video from Jim Rohn is amazing. In short: Youll face many struggles along the way if you are seeking success and happiness. If you are the sower, your seeds will get picked up by the birds first and wont give a return. Then they will fall on shallow ground, leaving you with nothing again. Then they will fall on thorny ground and the sun will shine so hot that your small plant will die after the first day. No return either.

Then, one day, the seeds will fall on good ground and finally give you the expected return and success. The only way you can make sure that you will fight your way through this hardship is with the right people by your side.

It doesnt matter how smart you are. It doesnt matter how talented you are, which skills you have, where you are born, or which family you came from. All that counts if you want to be successful in life is the people you surround yourself with.

Its a notion so simple, yet so difficult to get started with. Something I tried to do very specifically is this exercise:

Its OK to end up with this:

Read more:
How The People Around You Affect Personal Success