Six Figure Women

Friends! We search, connect and count them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and other social media sites. The Internet has given us so many friends we just might consider ourselves more popular than the head football cheerleader in high school!

But have you considered how your everyday words, deeds, opinions and actions are being observed by your colleagues, clients, friends and even children? This means you really need to be aware that what you are doing is being watched, scrutinized and heard by people you care about and influence every day?

Maya Angelou said, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time!” So what are you doing to build and transmit your ambition, integrity, ethics, intelligence, passion, dedication and professionalism the first time and all the times that follow?

Think about those you admire and consider as winners, leaders, respected thought leaders and high achievers. Attaining a position of respect, stature and success is not a simple matter of luck. Confucius said that “luck is the wisdom of taking advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself!” So using a well-thought-out process of selective associations and relationships can help you pave your own road to success and make others think you are just very lucky.

As you have grown and moved forward toward your own success, you may have noticed some friends and colleagues have not made that upward journey with you. This is perfectly normal, so know that distancing yourself from friends not aligned with your own ambitious growth does not mean you don’t care about them. It simply means your time and energy needs to be focused on what it is you want to achieve and to accomplish. Don’t forget that hanging around with people not aligned with your ambitions just may stall your growth and delay you from reaching the success you desire.

So what do we do to ensure we keep moving toward our goals and on that upwardly mobile track? We create circles of influence! Our circles are made of friends we admire and want to emulate—mentors, thought leaders, innovators, advisors, coaches and influencers!

You, too, can create your own circles to help you achieve your own personal goals. Circles can be created to include people who mentor you, people you mentor, people you know or even famous people who don’t know you! What is important is to choose people you want to inspire, influence and mentor you through their words, actions and deeds.

A circle of influence can also be referred to as a Circle of Five. So stop and take a serious look around you. Who do you see and who is there languishing in your own circle of influence? Be honest; are they blamers, complainers, cheaters, lazy, low achievers, etc.? Is that what you want in your life?

This is your time to break out of the norm and move toward the direction of your dreams and goals. Take stock of the five closest people around you and determine if they’re building you up or breaking you down.

The stages of growth personally and in business can be seen by the circles we run with. Not unlike the law of attraction, we often attract what we want, consciously and unconsciously, positive and negative.

Through the influence of those in our circles as we grow and expand our perspectives, we become aware of even greater opportunities, and that can lead to the formation of a new circle. Life and business are forever changing, and so will your circles of influence.

We’ve discovered that when we are in a circle of ambitious, forward-thinking, like-minded individuals; we expand our vision and grow at an even faster pace. And each time we are about to take a giant step forward, our circles will expand and grow with new professionals and mentors who inspire us.

So how do you get started? Write down five big ideas you have for you life. It could be a promotion, a financial goal, travel, writing a book, becoming healthier, less stressed or happier.

Now select five people to put in each of your circles. For example, let’s say you want to be financially secure. You could add a friend or colleague who is a savvy investor or great saver! You could also add Warren Buffett (we both have Warren Buffett in our money circle), Suze Orman or your uncle who always talks about money and investing and is happy to advise you.

If you put someone like Warren Buffett or Suze Orman in your circle, how are going to follow their wisdom? That’s easy; do some research and see what they have to say. When you see something inspiring, save it. See if there are books they have written. You can also set up a Google Alert; put in their name, and whenever there is news about them Google will send you notice.

Your circles can bring you high value, so be sure to let those you know personally that you value and appreciate their insight, wisdom, thoughtfulness or whatever it is they bring and contribute to enriching your life.

And if you would like to put us in a circle of influence, we would be honored.

If you have questions for us, please send us a message and we will be happy to respond.