Success mentor Jim Rohn famously stated that we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with. As an entrepreneur, who you associate with matters just as much, if not more than what you have to offer through your business. Who you surround yourself with determines your mindset and the quality of your products and services.
The problem is that many entrepreneurs step out of their comfort zones and the people around them haven’t done the same. Therefore, those who don’t understand the unique challenges of entrepreneurship often question or criticize the sanity of their decisions.
That’s why it’s so important to engage with a community of like-minded people who get you. Designing, launching, and growing a business is extremely challenging. You don’t need naysayers to make it even more difficult.
How do you navigate the challenges with your current relationships while also upgrading your inner circle who will support and encourage you on your entrepreneurial journey?
Take the following three action steps:
1 – Assess Your Current Relationships
Author and success coach Darren Hardy once taught that we need to place our relationships into three categories: 1) spend more time with, 2) spend less time with, and 3) spend no time with. Being truthful about your relationships is vital to your mental and emotional health as you tackle the challenges of being an entrepreneur. Some people will cheer you on and recharge your batteries. Some will support you, but not know how to truly relate to you. Some will flat-out oppose your decisions and discourage you. Do the difficult work of assessing your relationships and make wise decisions of who you allow closest to you. Your success depends on it.
2 – Identify Your Dream Team of Peers and Advisors
Once you’ve categorized your relationships, it’s time to envision what a “dream team” of peers and advisors would look like. This team will be supportive, cheer you on, and pick you up when you fall. Failure is inevitable on the entrepreneurial journey, so you need people who have been there and done that to come alongside you. Who are the people who get the journey you’re on? Who is positive and encouraging? Who is willing to say the hard things to you to help you get a reality check when needed so you can improve and advance? These are your “3 AM people” who will answer your call whenever you need help.
3 – Guard Your Time
Now that you’ve done the work in steps one and two, it’s time to study your calendar and ensure that you give the right people your time and protect your time from being wasted by those who aren’t fully on your side. While it’s difficult to say “no” to people you’ve known for a long time, it’s imperative to make sure you block time for your vital work and supportive relationships. There are people who multiply your time because they are encouraging and helpful. Then there are those who waste your time. As hard as it may feel, you must begin to say no more often so you can give your best time, energy, and attention to the business activities that matter most to get your business off the ground and scale to the next level to best serve your clients and customers..
Relationships are tricky. Entrepreneurial relationships can be even trickier. If you want to experience high levels of success in your business, you must learn to make difficult decisions so you can give your best time, energy, and attention to the clients and customers you are called to serve. Your inner circle matters too much to let it form haphazardly. Do the three steps listed above and watch how your life and business can exponentially improve.
If you need to up-level your inner circle, check out the Design Launch Grow business coaching program where like-minded entrepreneurs learn and grow together for the sake of advancing their businesses. If you would like help building a business around your message that generates consistent income month after month, then check out Design Launch Grow today!