When it comes to unlocking your fullest potential, you need to step back and examine who you are now and who you want to be in the future. Unlocking your fullest potential is an ongoing, lifelong journey, where the goal or destination is always just out of reach. To paraphrase the quote attributed to Socrates, an unexamined life keeps one living life habitually. To unlock your fullest potential, you must put yourself under a microscope and look at some important areas with a critical eye.

To begin, take stock of who you hang out with. You are probably familiar with the quote by Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” While there is partial truth to this statement, there are other key elements to consider:

• How easily are you influenced and swayed by others?

• How resilient are you?

• Are you elevated or brought down by spending time with them?

• Are these individuals dream-stealers and nay-sayers squashing your vision and dreams, or do they support you especially when you are stuck?

• Are you and your group open-minded, exploring diverse topics, or are you and those you spend time with closed/fixed-minded and threatened by opposing perspectives and beliefs?