Most people think that achieving success or having a great life comes from making a few big decisions. The kind that completely alters your trajectory in life. Sometimes that's true, but those are the outliers.
Your success and happiness in life are ultimately dictated by the small things you do every day. Those tiny habits have a far more significant influence on your life than anything else.
For example, if you choose to go out for drinks after work a few nights a week with your co-workers, you're eventually going to end up gaining unwanted weight. Even if you only have a couple of drinks, that small habit will cause those calories to add up over time.
The same rule applies if you stay up an extra hour each night to watch that new Netflix show. Sleep deprivation will add up over time and decrease your energy and performance during the day.
You could also have excellent habits like reading an hour each night or going to the gym after work. These compound too, and over time will result in a better life.
Building positive habits can be easy or nearly impossible (there's not much in-between). Most people think you need willpower and have to tough it out for X number of days for it to stick. That method rarely works and will make it almost impossible to form positive habits.
In many cases, it reinforces negative habits.
The key is changing your environment to make those good habits almost automatic. And one of the most significant areas people miss is choosing who they spend time with.
The type of people you spend your time with will ultimately dictate the success you achieve.
Is your network filled with people who have unhealthy, nonproductive habits? Or is your network filled with other people who want to achieve the same kind of success you do?
Your network is your net worth has reached cliche status in the business world but for a good reason. It's 100% true and can mean the difference between success and failure.
You rarely see successful people spending a lot of time with others who haven't achieved the same level of success or are at least striving for it. This is because people have to either lower or raise their standards to those they spend the most time with because of a psychological and social tendency.
We humans want and feel the need for social acceptance. Suppose you are constantly and drastically outperforming everyone in your social circle. In that case, you will subconsciously take your foot off the gas so that you can still fit in and so that you will not be perceived as that annoying successful person who ‘isn't like us anymore.' You want acceptance. We all do. There is nothing wrong with that. Just make sure you're being pulled up instead of dragged down.
If you're ready to upgrade your network and your social circle, I'd like to invite you to the National Nurses in Business Association conference coming up in September, where I will be presenting “The 4 Principles for Creating 7-Figure Courses on Autopilot.”
I know that's a few months away, but their early bird pricing ends in July.
There's a ton of great speakers, and it's a great way to expand your network and fill it with other high-achieving individuals.
Check out the agenda here. This conference is happening September 25-26, 2021. If you're reading this after that date and are interested in attending click the logo at the top to see when the next conference is being held.
-Jason Duprat, MBA, MSA, CRNA