Life is hard. And, so is getting ahead. In a world where we’re always searching for answers, “how to lose more weight,” “how to make more money,” “how to be successful,” it often turns out that making a few small tweaks in our current strategy are all it would take to get on the right path. 

As I continue to grow in my career as a physician, entrepreneur, and coach, I realize that it’s the small course corrections in my method that seem to have the biggest impact. And while hard work is woven into any successful business person’s recipe, I’ve noticed another key ingredient that is also quietly present. 

Successful people intentionally surround themselves with people who are good for them. 

The people we associate ourselves with have the power to catapult our careers and empower us to achieve our goals. But, they can also have a stagnating effect of stunting our growth and, worse, holding us back or bringing us down.

Take a look at the company you keep. Do they challenge you and lift you up? Is the relationship mentally fulfilling or mentally tasking? Does it make you want to be better and do better?

The majority of your inner circle and peers should be in alignment with your goals and dreams, and a depiction of who you would like to become. 

“You are the average of the five adults you spend the most time with.” ~Jim Rohn

Surround yourself with positive people

“We are what we eat” ~Ludwig Feuerbach

A common trait between the successful (and happy) people I know is having a positive attitude. They view the world as an opportunity, and look at the struggle and hard work as a means to an end —knowing that by getting through it, they’ll come out stronger. 

Positive people lift you up instead of bring you down. 

As you learn new things in your life, the results are better when someone is cheering for you rather than highlighting your shortcomings. 

Focusing on what could go wrong or how hard it’ll be to complete the task only causes fear and immobility. Everything we do in life starts out difficult, but the more we do it the easier it is to make progress. 

We all have those people who see everything as a hurdle or can find the downside to any idea. Look at them closely. Those negative nellies aren’t growing or expanding their minds when it comes to change and possibility. They’re held back by their own beliefs and actions. 

Nay saying and pessimism are not key ingredients for growth and success. Surround yourself with people who root for you and want to see you succeed.

Positivity breeds possibility which leads to success.

Let go of relationships that don’t support your goals and future dreams

Sometimes we hold onto relationships that don’t do us any good —we keep them around because we feel like we should. If a relationship is more draining than it is supportive of your greater good, then, it’s ok to let it go.  Relationships like this hold people back from moving forward in life. A key to success is knowing when to cut bait or at least put much less energy into the effort.

This one adjustment of omitting relationships that feel like wasted energy can help you focus your positive energy in a direction of intellectual growth. You’ll find that letting go of dead weight relationships is refreshing and makes more time to surround yourself with people who elevate you.

“Surround yourself only with those who lift you higher” ~Oprah Winfrey

Surround yourself with people who are more successful than you

“Don’t join in an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.” ~ Jim Rohn

Successful people give themselves something to strive for. They hang out with people they want to be like. They challenge themselves to do better by being with people who are where they want to be.

Successful people aren’t your competition. They are your mentor. 

If you want to improve academically, it does you no good to hang with students who don’t study or aren’t driven to get good grades. You have to join the study clubs and surround yourself with the students you can learn from and who will spark thought-provoking conversations.

Sure, it feels safe to be the smartest or fastest person in the room, but if you stagnate at that level then that position becomes your ceiling of achievement. 

If you want to be a faster runner, you can’t always win the race. If you do, no one will be there to push you harder. You’ll never truly know how you measure up to what faster looks like. And you’re less likely to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

To improve their speed, runners need to run against faster runners. They need to train like fast runners, eat like fast runners and think like fast runners.

“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room” ~Confucius

Success unfolds when you step out of your comfort zones and surround yourself with people you want to be like, even if you feel slightly out of place. Successful people study from those who’ve done it before (instead of being threatened by them), and learn from their lessons.

Attend networking events or join groups

I recently attended an invite-only event for entrepreneurial businesswomen. I was honored to be included with 19 of the most goal-oriented, inspirational women you could imagine. It was an elaborate dinner event for like-minded females to meet, chat and potentially share insight, connections, and resources. While everyone from the group had very diverse backgrounds and business models, each woman had a pioneering story to tell. 

Instead of feeling in competition with each other, we were empowered. I left the evening with new ideas, new connections, and a clearer vision of future possibilities for the legacy I want to create.

Networking/mingling events (virtual or live) can introduce you to people and businesses you can either learn from, obtain resources from or provide a service to. These events expose you to business-building strategies and growth opportunities.

“Hard work gets you places but it’s the company you keep that takes your even further” ~Dr Eva B

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