With a new year comes new resolutions, goals, and ambitions, all involving some sort of self-reflection of where things are today and hope for what can change.
A Forbes Health/One Poll study of New Year’s resolutions for 2024 revealed that nearly 48% of U.S. adults are focused on improving their fitness, followed by improving their finance and mental health. Whether or not you believe in setting a New Year’s resolution or creating a vision board, it’s hard not to look at what has worked in the past for you as an indicator for what kind of “new year, new you” changes you’ll actually carry out.
And this lends itself towards the law of averages, which is a theory that the result of any future or unexpected situation will ultimately be based on the average of what has occurred. It’s based on the idea that frequency corresponds to probability, so the more often something happens (for example, let’s say you make more cold calls), the more likely the result will reflect this occurrence (in our example, more sales will likely result).
This concept also translates to people. As Jim Rohn — entrepreneur, speaker, author — famously said, “You're the average of the five people spend the most time with.” Our relationships greatly influence who we are, as our emotions, inspirations, and motivations absorb what is modeled in our environment. We tend to pick up and reflect the behaviors, thoughts, habits, skills, and mindsets of those we spend time with.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
-Jim Rohn
Reflections of your Top Five often come with evaluations of who these people actually are — are they challenging you, raising the bar, pushing you out of your comfort zone, or offering examples of future possibilities? When building a team, you typically don’t want to be the smartest person in the room for every subject or decision; and your Top Five is no exception. Being aware of and intentional about the people you spend time with, personally and professionally, is a critical step for personal growth. This is why it’s important to have mentors or advisors, be a part of peer groups and industry communities, and find other opportunities to continuously add rungs to your development ladder.
Think of your Top Five is often done through a self-oriented lens — “Who is in my inner or social circle? How do they help me grow?” Evaluating your Top Five is often more about “What’s in it for me?”
What if you shifted this focus to the support and service of others — “How am I contributing to someone else’s Top Five?” How could this change your self-view of the role you play, the impact you can make, and the value you add?
“At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about what you've done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It about what you've given back.”
Denzel Washington
By elevating your purview of self-development beyond yourself and your needs, you’ll uncover new opportunities for growth. It surpasses your own limitations and breaks barriers you’ve unintentionally set because you can suddenly see bigger opportunities that help you grow as you support others.
Your Top Five list is a great tool for reflection, self-awareness, and future visioning and planning. The process of going through this can also effectively align both your own ambition and support for others. To be a successful leader, you have to balance both.
Who are the Top 5 people you spend most of your time with? Who should you be spending more time with? What do you hope to accomplish this year? How can you be a better contributor in someone else’s Top 5?
LEADERSHIP
5 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Mindset 🧠
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Take 3 minutes to start the year off right by watching this video from Inc. Magazine. Hear five steps that Calm app founder Michael Acton Smith advises to follow in order to care of yourself and maintain a healthy, productive, and successful mindset.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The 10x Exercise 🔟
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As 2023 winds down and planning for the new year gets underway, it’s important to spend time working “on” the business and strategize about the future. Tech entrepreneur David Cummings shares his approach to looking at things from a longer horizon through a 10x exercise. Learn how to imagine your business at ten times its current scale across critical categories and how this helps to foresee growth needs that lie ahead.
INNOVATION
CES 2024 🤖
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Registration is open for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, which is taking place January 9-12, in Las Vegas. One of the most powerful tech events in the world, this is the place to be to connect, network, and learn more about the future of technology. CES showcases manufacturers, developers, and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more.
You can also stay tuned on social media and to the @CES YouTube channel for free content and timely updates to stay in the loop with the future of technology.
CULTURE
Speak-Up Culture Virtual Webinar 🗣️
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On January 17 at 11AM CT, Small Giants is partnering with author and speaker Stephen “Shed” Shedletzky to help you explore how to foster an environment where people feel it is both psychologically safe and worth it to speak up. In this free interactive webinar, uncover how creating such an environment is the responsibility of leaders at every level and how to actually do it. The bottom line, for everyone, is that organizations with speak-up cultures are more innovative, more engaged, and better-performing.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Free Business Advice From The Co-Founder of Netflix 🧑🏽💼
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The co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph, has a personal mission to help entrepreneurs around the world achieve their dreams. In this free live webinar on January 9 at 2PM ET, Marc will answer any business question you have — from big-picture problems to in-the-weeds details. This is an excellent opportunity to ask one of the most successful and innovative business leaders anything you want, so don't be shy and submit your question in advance.