The one mistake that’s holding you back from success
The Saturday Creative
November 16, 2024.
Read the online version here.
Many things determine whether you will be successful or not.
But there's 1 common mistake people make.
And this mistake stops them from having a life they're proud of.
That's why I wanted to write to you about it today.
Let's dive in.
The most important factor for any success
We humans have something called mirror neurons.
Simply put, this means that we mirror the people around us.
We literally mirror each other.
This is why it's crucial to be conscious about who you spend your time with.
As an example...
When you'd hang out with me, whether in person or via Zoom... your neurons will start to mirror mine.
You'll start to talk more like me.
You'll start to think more like me.
You'll start to behave more like me...
It sounds crazy, but this is a fact.
In the past, I didn't realize it, but when I had spent lots of time with a certain friend, my tone of voice had literally changed for a while.
Now, I like to think I'm a cool person to hang out with.
But I'm writing about this to you because you might be hanging out with the wrong kind of people.
What's the 'wrong kind of people'?
I'd define them as people who don't make you feel good about yourself, nor do they encourage or help you move towards a life you want.
Think about it...
Doesn't it make logical sense to spend time with people who make us feel good?
Who makes us better a person?
It does, right?
But... majority of people do not do this.
The majority of people continue hanging out with people who make them feel bad about themselves.
And this can be problematic.
Why?
Yes, because of our mirror neurons.
If you surround yourself with people who possess values, thinking and behaviours you're not proud of...
What kind of a person will you end up being?
Yes, just like them.
Now, I'm not saying you need to kick every person out of your life who doesn't make you feel great.
(If you want to though, go ahead.)
Sometimes, this is very hard to do... especially if they're a loved one.
(And sometimes, it might not be possible at this moment.)
There are people I love who don't share values similar to mine, but I've not kicked them out of my life, as I don't need to.
This is as long as I spend more time with people and ideas, that move me forward to being the person I want to be.
I'm typing this from San Francisco airport after having spent the last few days with like-minded people, and with some people who are way ahead of me with their career, knowledge, and experience.
And as a result, I feel incredible, and nothing seems out of reach... unlike home.
At home, if I talk of making a few grand from education... it is surprising or classified as 'amazing'.
And then I spend time with people who run 6 to 7-figure businesses... my mind goes to the next level... and 5-figures a month start to seem small numbers to me.
(I just hit my 1st 5-figure month by teaching photographers. And of this I'm insanely grateful and proud, don't get me wrong.)
Now, I know, I've not always been in this position where I've been able to be surrounded physically by so many amazing people...
And well, at home, I don't have these more (professionally) successful people around me... unfortunately.
But what I do, is 2 things:
1) I surround myself with better ideas
2) I have a mentor
Let's dive deeper.
Surround yourself with better ideas
"You're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with" - Jim Rohn
That's the famous quote that you might have heard before.
But when it's not possible to physically surround yourself with people... you can do so online.
Connect with people online.
Hop on calls with them.
Or chat with them.
Overall, surround yourself with better ideas.
Read books.
Listen to podcasts.
Consume Newsletters.
This is how you start to surround yourself with ideas that will move you forward.
The next step after that, which can bring you incredible growth forward is having a mentor.
Why do I have a mentor
Mentors speed up the process.
Mentors provide you with the knowledge and advice for your exact needs to help you propel yourself forward.
This is why I have a mentor myself.
Not only do I get the knowledge for my specific needs...
But I also get support and accountability.
It's relieving to know you can ask someone's opinion, feedback... or other advice when you need it the most.
When you're ready to invest in your future, I heavily suggest getting someone to guide you.
Not only will you get the things above...
But you'll surround yourself with the mentor's thoughts, ideas and behaviours.
Your mirror neurons will activate, and now you're mirroring things that will benefit your life.
Having a mentor in many cases is absolutely amazing.
But especially when:
1) You don't know where to improve
2) You don't know what you're doing wrong
3) You feel there must be a better way of doing things
4) You've tried a lot and not seen the results you're looking for
5) You feel you could benefit by having someone keep you accountable for doing things
6) You feel you don't have enough people surrounding yourself who support your dreams
7) You're tired of consuming lots of general information and want something personalized...
Getting a mentor might be the very thing that will change everything for you.
You might also want to know that I offer mentoring, and I've done so for quite a while now, but I do have limited capacity.
I help photographers build a strong social media presence to help them scale their businesses, make more impact with their photos, and make a living doing what they love.
If you want to inject yourself with my knowledge, get your neurons to mirror mine, get my personal support and advice... but also surround yourself with a supportive group of like-minded people...
Take this quiz to see if you qualify for my mentorship.
If you could be a good fit, you’ll be given the option to talk more with me at the end of the quiz.
Then we can see if we can find a spot for you either for December or January.
I'll now prep for my flight back to Finland...
I hope to be able to help you get to your goals more easily, and with less effort. :)
Best,
Hugo
P.S. If you're not sure how having a strong online presence and personal brand would benefit you... read this article.
