Make This List

Yesterday out on the farm, as Bally the Dog and I trudged through the broken down cornstalks in a recently harvested field, I was re-listening to a CD from Nido Qubein who taught a unique marketing lesson using the story of the Koi fish.

As you might know, a Koi fish grows in proportion to its environment. If you keep it in a pail of water, it grows to be only a few inches long.

But if you let loose in the wild it can grow up to 2 feet.

Are you like the Koi fish who has been kept in a pail?

Is your environment stifling your growth?

Are you remaining in your comfort zone, protecting yourself from any risk, and fearing failure?

Or are you taking massive action, hanging around people that are better than you (and that will encourage you to “play up a level”, or at least taking baby steps to a better future?

I hope you’re putting yourself in an environment where you can grow. And that means taking action.

On the same CD, Qubein suggested you do this exercise:

“Make a list of the 10 people you spend the most time with and your top 5 goals and top 5 values.”

“Compare the lists. Are the people you spend the most time with congruent with your values and goals? If not, you might be held back by this association.”

You need to spend more time with positive people and in a positive environment.

And he’s not the only one who believes this. Marketing expert Perry Marshall once wrote, “How much money you make during the next 2-5 years will probably be the average of all the people you are associating with RIGHT NOW.”

So what’s that number?

Who are you associating with?

How successful are they?

Is it time to raise the power of your peer group?”

Those are powerful questions you must ask yourself today.

Take stock of the people you hang around with at work and in your spare time and even at work or seminars.

Are they helping or hindering you from reaching your goals?

Should you be attending seminars, networking, and masterminding with others who share the same ambition as you?

I know I should be because you can’t find a lot of like-minded business folks out here on the farm.

So that’s what I do, traveling all over the United States and even around the world. Sure, it’s a road less traveled, but that, my friend, has made all the difference.

If you want to soar with eagles you can’t hang around turkeys.

Answer those questions, make the list and start growing.

Take action today,

Craig Ballantyne

PS – If you want personal coaching for…

…your business then you need to join me and my coaching partner, Bedros Keuilian, at our next 1-Day Mastermind.

Watch this free video here for more details