3 New Friends You Need to Make Today
Who are your friends? Are they a force for positivity in your life? Do they keep you accountable to your goals and help you move forward?
Want to listen? There's an audio version below
A few days ago, one of my new friends on Facebook made the comment that we should always surround ourselves with people who will help us get where we're going. Assuming we know where we want to go and what we want to achieve…
Who should our new friends be?
I don't talk to anyone from my old life. Meaning, I don't hear from, talk to, have lunch or hang out with anyone who I worked with in Corporate America.
Maybe I should. Maybe I'm making a mistake or missing out on opportunities… I don't know. Though I'm not, like, enemies, with those people, we're just not going the same places in life and we're not trying to achieve similar things.
And, maybe you've found yourself in the same boat.
Either you don't want to hang out with your current friends because they're not going where you're going, OR, perhaps, you know you'll need new friends to help you get where you want to go.
As the saying goes, today's problems won't be solved with yesterday's thinking, and the same goes for our friends. Not always, but sometimes. The same friends who helped us get where we are might not be the same friends who will help us achieve our new goals or reach higher levels of success.
Related: 7 Types of People Successful People Avoid
So, as I began thinking about my friend's comment on Facebook, I started thinking about what types of friends you and I need to start making if we want to do all the things we want to do in life.
And I came up with a short list.
3 Types of New Friends You Need to Make Today
1: Make Friends with Someone Who is Already Doing What You Want to Do
There have been times in my life when I thought I wanted to do something new. Like, start a new job, change careers, those types of things. But, after talking with someone who was already doing the job I wanted to do… well, I got a dose of reality and I changed my mind.
On the other hand, making friends with someone who is already doing what you want to do will show you the ins and outs of what it's like to do that job. Your new friend can show you the ropes, introduce you to new contacts, and help you get to where you're going.
Related: Why It's So Important to Surround Yourself with the Right Kinds People
2: Make Friends with Someone Who Wants to Do What You're Doing Now
One of the best ways to get better at what you're doing is to teach someone else how to do it. We learn through teaching, and by finding someone to mentor, we will improve our skills.
Plus, when you teach the next round of coaches, sales people, artists, players, etc., you have the opportunity to shape the hearts and minds of the next generation. That may sound a little sappy, but building up others is how you create a lasting legacy.
And coaching and mentoring as a business model is profitable.
3: Make Friends with Someone Who Can Help You Get to Do What You Want to Do
The person who can open the door for you might not be the same person on the other side of it. The friend who is doing what you want to do might see you as competition and might not want to help you get to do what you want to do.
Plus, the person who can open all sorts of doors for you and show you new opportunities might be doing something entirely different what you want to do.
Confused?
Let me give you an example.
One of my good friends, Jason Beaton, owns AirTight Marketing. He builds complex sales funnels and email marketing campaigns for companies around the world.
Jason and I have been friends for a long time, and every opportunity I get, I recommend his email marketing services to the companies I work with. I don't see Jason as competition because we don't do the same things. I try to open doors for him, but I don't build email marketing funnels and I'm not doing what he wants to do.
Related: 2 Reasons You're Not Achieving Your Goals
The person who can help you do what you want to do might be outside your industry, so don't be afraid to look around.
Summary
I'm not saying you need to turn your back on your friends. And I'm not saying you have to always be searching for new, better friends to replace your lazy, slacker current ones.
However, who you surround yourself with matters. Finding like-minded people you can learn from and collaborate with will have a seriously positive impact on your future.
Question: Who's a friend you need to replace?
