Human beings are social animals. This means that, like it or not, we are all products of our environment and, by extension, our social circle. A growth mindset is a key ingredient for building a freedom practice, but you could be hurting your chances of success by surrounding yourself with the wrong people.
When I first started my journey, I was mostly friends with people who’d encourage me to blow off work in favour of watching TV and gossiping with them all afternoon. I’d spend my evenings down the pub instead of working on my business because that’s what all of my friends did, too.
I’m not blaming them – far from it. The fault was mine, because I had not created the right environment for growth. As a result, I was flailing.
Think about it: how likely is it that Bill Gates’ closest friends spend their evenings discussing soap operas in their local watering hole?
If you want to create a freedom practice, then you need to surround yourself with the right kinds of people. In order to be part of the 1%, you need to keep their company.
So how do you go about connecting with your fellow practice owners and entrepreneurs? Where do you find those extraordinary people who will inspire you and show you the way?
Facebook Groups
I’ve talked before about how Facebook groups are a brilliant way to build a community and find clients, but they’re also ideal for finding fellow entrepreneurs to connect with. You’re not limited by location either – you can find new business buddies from all over the world. Online friends can be just as valuable as real-life ones; after all, we’re all working and running our businesses remotely these days. Why shouldn’t we be making friends, too?
Find an Accountability Buddy
Having a designated accountability buddy can be hugely beneficial to your growth mindset. I recommend scheduling in a weekly accountability session as I do with my buddy, Matt – and have done for years.
At 9am each Friday morning, Matt and I speak to vent, bounce ideas off of one another and offer motivation and guidance. He has helped me to work through problems and offered new perspectives at times when I was feeling stuck.
Whether your accountability buddy is a virtual or a real-life friend doesn’t matter. There’s so much value in having someone there to listen to you, encourage you and share their own wisdom.
Join a Coaching Program
Coaching, mastermind and mentorship programs are some of the best places to meet like-minded practice owners, many of whom may be light years ahead of you on their journey and thus lead you by example.
I pay £24,000 per year to belong to a coaching program, despite the fact that I spend very little time on the course material itself. However, I believe that the fee is totally worth it because this program connects me to successful entrepreneurs who are quite literally making millions, and I am continually learning from them.
Attend Networking Events
Naturally, networking events and conferences are a great way to meet fellow practice owners and connect with them. If you like to travel, retreats also offer a fantastic opportunity to bond with like-minded entrepreneurs and learn from one another.
There are plenty of virtual events happening right now too, which are often more cost-effective and convenient; and there’s less risk involved that covid will disrupt your plans. There are a wealth of virtual events on offer right now, so take advantage and try to get involved.
Summary
Uplevelling your social circle is a big step towards creating the optimum environment for growth. Without like-minded people to support you, growing your practice becomes extremely difficult. When your friends and family are constantly questioning you and chipping away at your motivation, growing your practice feels like paddling upstream and it’s a struggle even just to stay still. Having a community of peers around you to support you makes a huge difference to your mindset and can hugely speed up your journey, so don’t be afraid to take the plunge and start networking, be it virtually or in-person. It’s time to set yourself up for success.
