The Best Advice Your Parents Gave You?

I’m sure your parents shared their pearls of wisdom much like mine did, such as, “If you hang out with good kids, you'll be a good kid. If you hang out with yo-yos, you’ll be a yo-yo.” (..put your favorite in the comments below.)

This was usually followed quickly by the classic: “So, if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?”

(My favorite Dad classic: "Look at me when I'm speaking to you!" Quickly followed by, "And don’t give me that blank stare!" To this day, I'm still confused about what to do.)

BUT, WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW was this: A recent study by Hogan Assessments analyzed 58,000 hours of research across 11 companies to answer one key question: ?

How do the people around us influence our performance?

Results:

• If you sit within 25 feet of a high performer, your performance improves by 15%.
• If you sit within 25 feet of a low performer, your performance decreases by 30%.

Real Life $ Impact:?

If you’re in sales, and hitting your number makes you $75,000, associating yourself with high performers would increase your revenue by $11,250, giving you a grand total of 86,250.

Conversely, hanging with low performers gives you $22,500 less, leaving you with $52,500.

The Ouch Factor: Negative -$33,750. That’s how much money you DIDN'T make that you could have made just by changing your proximity!!

The Hard Truth:

Most people want you to stay at their level. If they’re struggling, they want you to struggle too. Misery loves company, right? You need to refrain from hanging out with them!

But secondly, just because you read an article and start sitting next to high-level performers doesn’t mean you wake up one day and, "Voilà- Instant Success!"

It’s not just about proximity; it’s about actively doing the work; developing new habits, being a better listener, coming to meetings more prepared, and, most importantly, believing that you truly deserve to be better.

Too often, self-doubt, low self-esteem, or a lack of self-respect hold people back, keeping them stuck at their current level. Just being around successful people isn’t enough—you have to take action.

But when you commit to it, the rewards are extraordinary!

Final Thoughts: Parents and Proximity

Take a moment to reflect—who are you surrounding yourself with? Are they lifting you up or holding you back?

The people in your proximity don’t just influence your power; they shape your potential.

And in regards to parents, maybe they're not as crazy as I once thought..even though I still don't know how they walked uphill both ways to school...and in the snow!

DON'T FORGET TO GIVE US YOUR Dad/Mom-isms! in the comments below!