FIG. 33 Create a productivity-specific environment to support your ONE Thing.
Who you hang out with also has serious implications for your
health habits. Harvard professor Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis and
University of California, San Diego associate professor James H.
Fowler wrote the book on how our social networks unmistakably
impact our well-being. Their book, Connected: The Surprising Power
of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, connects the
dots between our relationships and drug use, sleeplessness, smoking,
drinking, eating, and even happiness. For instance, their 2007 study
on obesity revealed that if one of your close friends becomes obese,
you’re 57 percent more likely to do the same. Why? The people we
see tend to set our standard for what’s appropriate.
In time, you begin to think, act, and even look a little like those
you hang out with. But not only do their attitudes and health habits
influence you, their relative success does too. If the people you spend
your time with are high achievers, their achievements can influence
your own. A study featured in the psychology journal Social
Development shows that out of nearly 500 school-age participants
with reciprocal “best friend” relationships, “children who establish
and maintain relationships with high-achieving students experience
gains in their report card grades.” Further, those who have high-
achieving friends appear “to benefit with regard to their motivational
beliefs and academic performance.” Hanging out with people who
seek success will strengthen your motivation and positively push your
performance.
Your mother was right when she cautioned you to be careful of
the company you keep. The wrong people in your environment can
most certainly dissuade, deter, and distract you from the productivity
course you’ve set out on. But the opposite is also true. No one
succeeds alone and no one fails alone. Pay attention to the people
around you. Seek out those who will support your goals, and show the
door to anyone who won’t. The individuals in your life will influence