I met with a new potential member for one of my Mastermind Groups earlier this morning and we were discussing how the groups are really an informal board of advisers for the members. Who do you turn to for advice when you need help? Most entrepreneurs cannot ask their employees and their families are supportive but do not have the business background to provide suggestions.
This is where a Mastermind Group comes into play. Having a group of other business owners who are going through or have already gone through the challenges you are facing is the best way to solve your problem. Learn from the experiences of your peers to help you reach your goals much more quickly.
How often do you feel alone? How often do you have exciting news to share, and yet feel you have no one to share it with-either because the people around you wouldn't understand, or you're afraid they may burst your bubble?
I can't stress enough that it is key to find a MasterMind group. Find one or create your own.
You not only need others who are on the same path, on the 'same page' if you will, to share your successes (and struggles) with, but you also need to surround yourself with people who have been there and whom you can follow in their footsteps.
Just as you are what you eat, you also are what you surround yourself with. Surround yourself with disgruntled employees, and soon you'll be disgruntled. Surround yourself with depressed people, and soon you'll feel depressed. Surround yourself with overeaters, and soon you'll find yourself eating too much and gaining weight.
But surround yourself with successful, rich, happy, creative, and abundant people, and, well... you get the idea!
Reverse Mastermind? Okay, let me explain. The goal of being in a Mastermind group is to grow as a person. Groups with a specific purpose such as Entrepreneurs looking for ways to expand their business still incorporate personal development into their formula. They realize their business will only grow as fast as they do.
Different groups have different schedules for meetings whether it's once a week or once a month. What about the rest of the time? Personal development is an ongoing journey. Who are you surrounding yourself with on a daily basis? Who are you listening to?
As we grow we begin to see things differently. The people around us don't always understand what we're doing or why. Often times they try sabotage our growth. They aren't doing it on a conscience level but because they are stuck in a different mindset. It's very easy to lose our focus through the opinions of other people.
Often times we try to explain ourselves or get the other person to understand what it is we're trying to accomplish. Personal development is a choice that we cannot make for other people. The only thing we can do is distance ourselves from them. You may ask "How do I do that?"
You don't have to cut yourself off from everyone you know. We get comfortable being around certain people even though we know they are not on the same path. The thing is something begins to happen as we grow. Our internal change begins to grow outward. People can feel the difference when they're around you. For some that difference is unsettling.
You will begin to notice a "drifting apart" happening. That is a normal progression. Don't try to change it. There will be some people that you have to be around like family, just be aware of the time you spend with them. Keep your mindset in the right place. As you continue to grow you will start to attract like-minded people. People who are drawn to the positive energy you put out. I'm not talking about some strange mystical occurrence. Like Attracts Like. It's that simple.
Your weekly or monthly meetings are a great way to hone your focus. Re-energize yourself. Life is full of challenges. Your Mastermind can give you the energy to meet these challenges head on. Don't wait for your meetings to pursue your goals. Take action every day. Leverage what you learn and apply it to your everyday life.
Khiem is the blogger behind Kiss n' Tale. His most recent post was on How to be Happy and Change your Life. In it he has 8 strategies including:
Spend more time doing what you want and what you like.
Relax! Concentrate on what you can control, not on the things you can't control.
Love yourself.
Show some self-respect.
Act on opportunities that present themselves to you.
Be grateful.
Do more, think less.
And my favourite, in at # 8 is:
Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Whether they are friends, family, lovers or mentors, find people who can help you develop and expand your horizons. Humans are a social specie. We like to exist for people and through people. Be independent in your desires and wants, but become interdependent in executing and achieving your goals. If you've read "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, create your Master Mind Group.
Taye Adamo writes a blog called "WinnersGarden." The post she most recently put up dealt with The Importance of People In Your Journey To Success.
Your achievement or success this year 2007 would be determined by the kind of people you hang out with. What do they do? What do they belief in? What do they confess with their mouths? Are they negative or positive thinkers? Is their belief ingrained in impossibilities? Are they a bunch of mediocre? Are they inconsistently consistent in their thinking and actions? Who are their friends? What goals do they set for themselves? Do they belief in their own abilities? What are their philosophies of life? what do they wear? And so on.
Brian Tracy once said that: "you cannot scratch with turkey and fly with eagles"; you cannot relate with mediocre, uninspired and unfocused people and expect yourself to be different from them. It is either you associate with people that can lift you up or you go out with those that would drag you into mud.
This has important implications for your Mastermind Group. You can have the best system and structure in the world but if you don't have the right people in the group, it won't be a success. You need to surround yourself with people who empower you, compliment your areas of expertise and fill in the gaps you are missing, can help you step outside your comfort zone to accomplish the goals you set out, and can keep you accountable for actually doing what you say you are going to do.
Alexis Neely writes a blog on family wealth planning. A recent post of hers discusses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will support your goals and initiatives.
She writes:
When I started making changes in my thinking from negative, limited thinking to positive, abundant thinking, I too changed the people around me. And, when I wanted to make more money, again I found people who were making the kind of money I wanted to make and spent more time with them.
She also brings up the story of Mark Victor Hansen, author of the famous Chicken Soup For the Soul series:
I heard a story about Mark Victor Hansen, I believe. He was making about $2mm a year and had hit a ceiling. He was talking with someone who told him - look at the people around you. And, each of them was making around $2mm/year. Mark joined a mastermind group with people doing what he wanted - making $20mm a year and fairly quickly he broke through the barrier he had previously been experiencing. So, look around at the people in your life and consciously spend more time with people who have what you want.
One of the main benefits of being in a Mastermind Group is surrounding yourself with like-minded people who can help you achieve your goals and get you to where you want to be. If you're joining a group or starting your own make sure to carefully select the members so that they will be complimentary to your success.
Getting the right people is something that we take very seriously in our groups. We use a 3 stage screening process to make sure that the member is qualified and will be a good fit for the group. Make sure that you screen your fellow members and that they will be able add to your success and you to theirs.
EvanCarmichael.com is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. Evan also runs a series of successful Mastermind Groups in Toronto for entrepreneurs.
