Want to truly evolve? Change your environment before you change your strategy. Because, deep down, the level of your performance is either pulled up or sabotaged by the environment around you.
Surround yourself with people who make you ashamed of staying average. This phrase is uncomfortable – and that’s the point. Being around people who operate at a higher level forces you to grow. People who execute fast, think big, demand consistency, challenge your excuses, and deliver results.
The opposite is also true.
If you only interact with those who complain, procrastinate, and live in the “I’ll deal with it later” mindset… you will normalize mediocrity.
You’ll find it acceptable to be tired, busy, and unproductive at the same time. You’ll confuse activity with progress.
What does this type of powerful environment cause?
- It exposes your own rationalizations.
- It makes you feel ashamed of self-sabotage.
- It shows you what’s truly possible and how much you’re falling behind.
It’s not about competing. It’s about belonging to an environment that doesn’t tolerate your average version.
Reflect for a moment:
- Take inventory of the five people you spend the most time with. Do they push you up or keep you stagnant?
- Look for spaces where you feel challenged, not comfortable. Social comfort is a trap for those who want to grow.
- Accept feedback that hurts but frees you. Growth doesn’t happen where everyone is applauding you.
Want to break free from the average? Hang out with those who won’t let you stay comfortable in it.
That’s it.
