As I was listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear on my commute today he shared the following thought on the impacts of our relationships and society as it pertains to habit formation:
“We imitate the habits of three groups in particular: The close. The many. The powerful.”
He then goes on to suggest:
“One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.”
In that moment I realized the impact that this philosophy has had upon my own life. I intentionally surround myself with people that embody the qualities that I would like to be known for. I try to ensure that they hold me to a higher standard than I hold myself. I can’t say for sure how much of my personal success can be attributed to this philosophy, but I believe it would be significant.
Who you spend time with is who you become.
Further Reading
Peer Elevation by Tony Robbins
“The quality of a person’s life is most often a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group.”
The Social Proximity Effect by Tyler Tervooren
“The gist: You’ll mirror the habits of the people you spend the most time with. To build good habits, spend more time with people who already practice them.”
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