Do You Spend Enough Time With The People Who Inspire You?

The popular business books encourage readers to prioritize networking to help improve bottom lines, to be connected, and to build and cultivate brand image. These books also strongly encourage readers to also develop relationship with a mentor within the company that can give the benefit of experience and knowledge of the company’s culture. Some even recognize that the key benefit of an internal mentor is to act as a sponsor. Others suggest an outside mentor because of their ability to bring a more unbiased third party perspective.

This is all great advice, but there is an important third leg to this stool.

You also need to carve out time to spend more with people that inspire you because they bring you joy, growth and motivation. You have the right to spend your limited time with those that will bring you the most joy and enthusiasm. In fact you owe it to yourself to be exceptionally ambitious and careful in how you allot

Time is our most precious asset and it diminishes every day, every hour, every minute. We can never reclaim it. We are powerfully affected by the people around us. The quality of our relationships is the single greatest determinant of our happiness.

So is it crass or wise to benchmark those you spend time with -your family and friends? If you are going to be serious, intentional about valuing and spending your time, you may want to set specific criteria to benchmark the group and journalise what they teach you, or inspire you to think about and act on.  For starters:

• When you are with them do you learn and feel better upon departure?
• Do you feel respected and true to your values?
• Do you feel valued, listened to, appreciated and respected when you're with them?
• Do they combine knowledge, experience, and a deep understanding of life and what is important? Do they have wisdom?
• Do they inspire you to greatness? Do you act differently as a result of your relationship with them?

Think of what you could be if you developed such a group. They could become your brain-trust of advisors and a team that you can rely on for advice and coaching. In the end, you will become more of who you want to be and you will in turn inspire others at the same time.

Start by looking to the people around you that you most admire and invite them to spend time with you. Form a book club or discussion group around an interest you are passionate about. Or invite them home for a meal. Most of us spend far too little time with people, books, and music that inspire and enlighten us and too few of us approach it with intent and discipline.

Are you doing what will make you a better more contributing and passionate person?

Follow @SchulichExecEd or email your thoughts and questions to editor@community.seec.schulich.yorku.ca to continue the conversation!

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