Keep Your Eye on The Prize

“A person is known by the friends he keep”- this is a saying that assumes huge importance in our lives because they have a huge influence in our thinking, attitude and behavior. It may be hard for us to notice it, but we often become like the people we spend a lot of time with. It is necessary to keep ourselves surrounded by the right people; because they can help you stay motivated and help in achieving your goals.

Finding like-minded people

We all must have experienced this. In every office environment, there is a group of people who gather around the coffee machine or the photocopier machine to discuss about how bad their job and the company is. If you spend too much time around such people, sooner or later, you are bound to develop similar thoughts. If you hang out with people who are not bothered about career growth, you are going to end up just like them.

It all boils down to whom you turn for advice at every point. If you need a career advice, go to someone who has achieved success in their career. If what you are looking for is financial advice, what help would it do you to go to a broke?

Stay away from negative people

There is so much negativity in this world that it has become extremely rare to find people with a positive attitude. This is more so in an office environment where 2 out of 3 people are disgruntled and dissatisfied with their employer. They lament about the absence of career growth and the long hours and this sort of constant negativity seeps in to you and starts affecting your confidence.

The other groups of people to stay away from are the pessimists and the cynics. No matter what you try to do, they always have objections or negative comments about the endeavor. When your life is filled with people like those, it doesn’t take long for your confidence to drain out and you may no longer even feel the urge to try something new.

 Build up a strong network

If you know where exactly to be five years down the line, what you need is people who can help you reach there. These can be people who are already there or even others who emanate positivity. Want to be a writer? Build a network of budding writers or journalists who share the dream. Exchange notes and peer-review their work. Always remember that it is a two way street. You cannot expect positive people to be attracted to you if all you discuss is negative thoughts. Be ready to help them before you seek their help. But stay away from people who just want to use you for their selfish needs.

By choosing the right kind of people to fill your life with, you are taking that huge step towards success because when and if you falter, you know you have the right kind of people to fall on.