I often ask my players; do you want to work standing up or sitting down? Do you aspire to have a job or a career? Now, understand I am not saying either a job or working standing up is a bad thing. You can still make a positive impact on the lives of others. But we want our people to aspire to do great things.
What do you want out of life? Become wealthy, be able to travel the world, own a company, own a house in the mountains or a beach house, drive a nice car, or all the above. My follow-up question to their anticipated yes is, what is your plan, your strategy to develop the skills you need to live the life you want?
You will only be as good as the people you surround yourself with. You will be the average of the five friends you spend most of your time with. If those select five have high standards and goals, you are likely mixing with the right company.
Research has shown that when you build a team of high performers, that team can elevate to greater heights. A 2017 controlled study performed at Northwestern University validates this notion. An employee sitting within twenty-five feet of a high performer improved their production by 15 percent. But when an employee sat within twenty-five feet of a low performer, production fell 30 percent.
So, surround yourself with people who own a personal standard of excellence. People that exhibit enthusiasm and energy. People who strive for excellence. If you can do this consistently, success will become easier.