The #1 thing "Big Fish" don't realize...
This time of New Year is a tremendous opportunity to take a fresh look at the people you are choosing to surround yourself with and evaluate who it is you are spending the most time with. Often times top-performers find themselves settling into being comfortable always being the “smartest person in the room.” Are you the highest achiever of all your friends? Do you consistently outperform the people around you? Is it true that you are always the leader of the group that you are in?
“You are the average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with.” - Jim Rohn
Perhaps it’s time to expand your comfort zone and surround yourself with more abundant leaders who challenge the way you think, expand what is possible for you, and encourage you to explore your growth edge.
The #1 thing most "big fish" don't realize is they are only a big fish because they're looking from the perspective of a small pond. Is your pond really as big as your potential? A Koi fish can only reach it’s maximum potential size when it is given the right environment and enough space. Similarly, your level of potential growth this year and every year is determined by the environments you are in and the people you surround yourself with. However, unlike a fish you have a choice! You can change your environment, up-level your network, and create a scenario where growth is required. If you are used to being the big fish in your pond, now is the time to consider how you can expand your pond in 2019.
An incredibly impactful exercise you can use to evaluate your community is network mapping. Here’s a simple process to go about it:
Step 1:
Start by writing down the 25 people that you have spent the most time with over the course of the last 12 months. Keep in mind this activity will only serve you if you are truly honest with yourself and write the people you truly have spent the most time with, not the ones you wish you spent the most time with.
Step 2:
Mark each person with an A, B, or C.
A’s are people who are leading you, ahead of you on their growth journey, or you see as a mentor in some way. Just because someone is an elder to you, a parent, or was a teacher of yours does not automatically put them in this category. Most importantly, these should be people who challenge you to think bigger, expand your arena, and play at a higher level.
B’s are your peers, people who spend a similar amount of time focused on their growth, who are in similar places on their journey, and people who keep you on pace. These should be people you look to for stimulating conversation to keep you motivated, encourage your growth because of theirs, and you play the game of life with as a teammate.
C’s are people who you inspire with your growth journey. These people may be individuals that you coach or lead directly, or they may be friends and family members who closer to the beginning their growth journey. These are not typically people you would look to for guidance, although you understand that you can learn important from everyone in your life.
Step 3:
Now go ahead and map out the 3 categories, putting the groups together in a chart form clearly allowing yourself to see how many people you have in each. One way to do this is is to create a ladder, with yourself on the middle rung and put an X for each person on your list where they are in relation to their growth journey (A’s towards the top, B’s near you, and C’s closer to the bottom).
The purpose of this activity isn’t to judge other people, but rather take a clear look at what your network looks like. Do you have enough people ahead of you leading the way? Are you truly being a leader and guiding others on their path? Have you surrounded yourself with a good group of people to keep pace with?
If after taking a look at this it’s clear that you could use more leadership and true peers in your life we’d love to invite you to a conversation about joining the Abundant Community. Learn more here.
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