We accumulate habits in life. There are many sources that are responsible for the habits we have but, by far, those we associate with on a regular basis have the most influence over the habits we adopt. In my Rich Habits research, I uncovered 12 sources of habits, the majority of which are association habits. The #1 source of these Habits By Association is our parents. Many of our adult habits were forged in childhood by adopting habits we were exposed to at home. Secondary influencers in their order of importance are: mentors, teachers, spouses ( or significant others), friends, our culture, our neighborhood, schoolmates, sports teams, school clubs and the Kardashians. I mean, celebrities, not Kardashians. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention there.
While there is not much we can do about the habits we pick up from our parents as children, there is a great deal we can do as adults. We can choose which habits we adopt or cast aside by changing who we associate with. Associating with the right people dramatically affect your habits. By right people, I am referring to success-minded individuals; upbeat, positive, goal-oriented people. These individuals represent only about 5-10% of the population, so you have to make an effort to find them. They can be found running charitable groups, business groups, religious groups, within mentor groups (Boys and Girls Club, iMentor etc), at the best companies (http://fortune.com/best-companies/), in trade organizations and in mastermind groups. You have to seek out those you want to associate, who have those good habits that are so critical to success in life.
About Thomas C. Corley
Speak Your Mind