Get around these five specific groups of people if you want to upgrade your results in 2023.
Download the beliefs, embody the character traits and act on the key actions you need to get the results you want this year by spending your time wisely.
“Who you spend time with is who you become.” — Tony Robbins
When we change the people we hang around with, we pick up new patterns.
Humans can be very impressionable. More than we’d like to think. And when we change the people we hang around, our results change with them.
How?
We end up adopting new patterns.
New patterns around what they think (beliefs), their way of being (traits), and how they act (actions).
When we know the results we want in a given quest, it’s time to find the people who’ve got those results in their life. Then it’s about getting close to them, so we’re able to learn from them and have our patterns changed.
Inspired by the Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman, there are five groups of people to follow. These people are all at different stages in their life, but they can help us adopt a new mental program.
A new program of beliefs, character traits in action, and key actions we need to execute on.
Let’s dive in…
1. Professors — provide the theoretical underpinnings
These are the academics in the field that we are specializing in. They’ve gone on to make a living my learning and teaching.
They’re the ones with the deep theoretical grounding that no one else in the industry has.
Over the years, they’ve been through the industry’s ups and downs. And they can explain the reasons better than anyone.
These people can often be authors too. Adding to the body of work in the field with their multi decades of experience.
And this can be a good easy place to find many great thinkers. Hunt down the people behind the most trusted books in the industry.
Reach out with a complimentary note to start a conversation. If possible, look to set up an interview around their book. Then ask for elaborations on certain aspects relevant to you.
2. Professionals — show you what to do
These are the people that are currently at the top of their game. They are busy building their careers by working in the trenches.
They’re dedicated to their craft and act as an inspiration to others in the industry.
Whether the hat they wear is a technical one or a creative one, the industry recognizes them often.
The best way to find these people is often through Linkedin.
Take time to research them, and have a unique compliment or a thank you to give to them in your reach-out message.
Share how they have inspired you or have taught you something from afar. If possible, aim to get a coffee date set up. Virtual ones work fine too.
3. Mentors — offer guidance and accountability
These are the people that have gone on to achieve a lot in their careers. They’ve put at least 20 years into their working lives and are in giving-back mode.
They are now sharing their advice with those that are willing to listen and act. This might be publicly and visibly through social media or their writings. Or it may be privately to a small select few.
But their mission now is clear. To pass the torch on.
They now get more pleasure in helping others act and succeed than they do in their own success.
Think about your career objectives 20 years from now.
Who is standing having achieved what you hope to achieve?
You may find them on Linkedin, their company websites, or on interview-based media. Make a list of these people.
Reach out with appreciation and admiration to start the conversation. Ask a very specific question that cannot be ‘googled’.
Ask for their perspective and give a reason why you asked them in particular.
But also, don’t expect a reply.
Be mindful that these people get a lot of requests. So don’t take it personally if yours isn’t responded to.
4. Peers — go with you on your journey
These are the people who are working alongside you. Whether in the same company or not, they share the same values as you do.
They’re driven by the same things. They can challenge you. Give honest feedback. And hold you accountable for the promises you said you’d keep.
They don’t get envious. They celebrate your wins like their own.
They don’t give you pity. They help you analyze what went wrong.
Such people are hard to find. But they’re out there.
In industry events, in online communities, and in small e-learning groups. These relationships can be cultivated over time. But we can speed the process up by sharing our vulnerabilities.
By being open, easy to approach and sincere, we can not only strengthen our bonds to similar minded folk. We speed that process up too.
Reach out to a potential peer with a compliment. And perhaps a piece of practical advice that can help them specifically. Or even ask for a specific piece of feedback on something you’re going through.
These are some value-driven ways to start a conversation. If they reciprocate, you’re on to a winner.
If not, no worries. Feel good that you helped someone, and go again.
5. Producers — create jobs, hire, build teams, generate opportunities
These are the people that are known for creating results. Be they financial or technological, they are never too far from the headlines for a new milestone.
These people are those in the industry who are capable self-promoters but also have the skills to back it all up. They operate with high energy and intentionality in all they do.
They are not satisfied unless results are being produced.
Look at companies in your field and seek out their top producers. Approach them with key questions to reach out to them with that show you’ve done your research. But don’t expect to them reply.
Again, like many, these people will be busy. They’ll often have gatekeepers to help protect their time too.
But if possible, try to get near these people. They make for great people to shadow, even for an afternoon.
There are clear differences in how they think and see the world, which shapes their actions. Actions that lead to big results.
So there you have it five different groups of people to think intentionally about.
Who are you closest to now?
How can you give more to the relationship and make it more valuable for them.
And equally, who are you furthest from right now?
What do you need to do to get on someone’s radar?
