"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn.
I think about this quote a lot. It makes me reflect on who I do spend the most time around and who I want to incorporate into my life. But how do we define these 5 people? Are they the people we physically spend the most time with? Are they the people we speak to the most online via Skype or other means? Is it the people in the office that we sit next to 5 days a week day in and day out? Or what about the people we are closest to?
It is an interesting concept and reflects a lot on how society works. You are raised in a low social economic area the chances are you are destine to head down the same path, if you were raised in a family who have been quite successful the chances are the connections you make through life will lead you down the same path.
I tried to work out who were the 5 people I spent the most time with physically and by pure hour ratio alone it would be my work colleagues in my office and my family.
The 5 people I speak to most online, I don’t speak to that many people online regularly enough to put them in this category however two people do come to mind. One is in the UK and the other is in Sydney.
And lastly the people who we are closest to, I am not sure about everyone else but I know a lot of the time I only see my best mates once every one or two weeks.
Despite the people who have the most influence in my life being my family and my closest friends, one of the friends being someone I have only ever met in person once. I only think two of these people would be in my 5 the other 3 are all work colleagues. This is if we are looking at the 5 people who I spend the most time with physically.
It makes sense as well. The lifestyle I have currently is a 9-5 job and catching up with one or two people on the weekends.
I think about a time where I was surrounded by people for a 3 months every single day. That was at Summer Camp, the 5 people would have been so different.
This brings me back to what influences the make up of those 5 people that you are the average of.
1. Your Lifestyle
If you are always working then of course your people occupying your 5 people are going to be predominantly people from the work place. If you are traveling you have a lot more flexibility in who those people could be.
2. Your Social Life
I know some people that catch up nearly every second day. If you want those people to be in your 5 then you have to make time for them.
3. Hobbies
You can change the people in your 5 by adopting new hobbies and spending a lot more time doing the things you enjoy. Being surrounded by people in this environment I think is the most beneficial
4. Actively Seeking
This one goes out to all the go getters out there. The people who want to surround themselves with people who have traits they admire. If you want to be successful you need to stop hanging around negative people and surround yourself with people who have reached success and have high goals and ambitions.
I know I have a lot of work to do on my own 5. I want my average to be exceptional. As much as I love the people in my 5 right now I am well and truly in my comfort zone and nothing great ever happened while you were in your comfort zone.
It comes back to networking and meeting new people who can help you grow into the person you want to become.
I know there are people that I would love to have in my 5 but I haven’t reached out to them for so long, they are doing incredible things and on a real journey.
I challenge you to think about your own 5. Are you hanging around the right people to take you where you want to go? Is the average of that 5 something you are comfortable with?
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