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This time of year, many are establishing goals and plotting their course for the new year and the decade ahead. But in their quest for career growth, they may have ignored the one factor hiding in plain sight: how, where, and from whom they derive their energy.

Though it may seem inconsequential, your energy powers all that you do. When youve filled your tank with energy, that fuel helps propel you to leave your comfort zone and tackle new challenges. It gives you that extra boost to go after your dreams and persevere, even when the going gets tough.

Making career progress becomes exponentially more difficult when youre operating from a place of low energy. It negatively affects your mood, your drive, and can leave you feeling unmotivated and uninspired.

Knowing how, where, and from whom you obtain your energy can make the difference between a career that soars and one that stagnates. Heres how to identify your sources of positive energyand fix those that are notto create an environment of career success:

Tap into yourself-awarenessto home in on your feelings about where you spend your time, what youre doing, and with whom. Maybe youll notice that you seem to be more productive in a favorite coffee shop rather than in your cubicle. Or perhaps youll observe that you feel a sense of flow in creative activities but seem to dread repetitive or detail-oriented tasks. And you might be surprised to learn that you leave every conversation with a particular colleague feeling pumped up yet deflated after interacting with another. This can be especially important to note when youreempatheticand tend to absorb the energy of others.

We all have people, places, and activities that either bolster us or bog us down; its wise to get to know how each makes us feel.

Once youve gotten into the habit of payingattentionto the elements of your careerenvironment(which includes your friends, colleagues, location, patterns, and lifestyle), youll begin to see that they impact you far morefor better or for worsethan you realize.

Ask yourself these two questions to better assess if your career environment is helping you grow or holding you back:

Who is in my top five?

Jim Rohn famously said, Youre the average of the five people you spend time with.

Rohns assertion was rooted in the law of averages, which is the theory that the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes, and suggests that the five people youre around the most shape you.

Said another way, when youre trying to grow into the person you hope to be, its helpful to surround yourself with people who demonstrate those qualities you aspire to achieve.

Where do I hang out, and what do I do while there?

Its not just thewho, but also thewhat, that you surround yourself with that can either propel you forwardor hold you back.

Where are the top five places where you spend your time? For most, this includes an office and home base, as well as additional locales: commuting in your car or on the train; the gym or a bar; networking events or your sofa; walking through a park or surfing the internet.

Consider, too, your habits and lifestyle: are you intentionally placing yourself in situations and locations that spark growth? Or have you fallen (perhaps unconsciously, out of fear) into a stagnant comfort zone of the familiar but uninspiring?

Ideally, you want to surround yourself with those who inspire you, are passionate and enthusiastic, and are motivated, grateful, and open-minded. These people might include mentors from whom you can learn new skills, colleagues who cheer you on when you get discouraged, or friends who hold you accountable to your goals. Having positive, encouraging people who lift you up and support your dreams will dramatically improve your chances for career progress.

Conversely, if your environment contains negative people threatened by your choices, youll have a much harder time trying to make let alone maintainsignificant change. Make a point to eliminate (or significantly reduce the amount of time you spend with) energy vampires that suck the life right out of you, leaving you feeling empty and uninspired.

Likewise, no place or activity is inherently good or bad, but you should pay attention to how you feel while youre within those spots and doing those things, and note if that feeling changes when you leave them or stop doing them. Are you motivated or drained? If its the latter, and you want to make progress, somethings gotta give; itstime to make a change.

Real career growth happens when we understand whom and what energizes us and best supportswhat we want, and then align ourselves with those people and places that do.

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How To SpotAnd FixThe Most Overlooked Factor In Your Career Growth - Forbes