Strategic Friendships for Growth

The start of a year always feels like a new beginning, an opportunity to change the narrative and right some wrongs from the past year. It is also seen as the perfect opportunity to start afresh, dust your boots and forge ahead regardless of what happened previously.

In reality, it is another day, a normal transition just like every other one. It's significance is usually a thing of the mind.
Regardless, because of the psychological or sentimental value, a lot of important decisions are made around this period and it can't be taken for granted for many people.
These decisions could involve actions to take, activities to stop, skills to learn, business strategies to implement or even relationships to form or destroy as the case may be. Some even decide on diets to start or stop, drinks to take or stop taking, etc.

When I feel the need to end a friendship or association because of the negative value upon my life, emotions or work, I don't wait for a particular day or turning point like the start of new year to end such a relationship. I do it as soon as possible for my sanity and progress.
As a result, there is no one I would be cutting off at this point in time. Those that needed to be cut off have already been cut off as at when due.

On the other hand, after careful introspection, I am aware that I need to be more intentional in forming new friendships and associations.
This is because, I know that some relationships will be beneficial to me and my plans for the future. Collaborations that will foster progress and yield career and financial progress which is what I intend to achieve.

A change of network, if carefully navigated and with some element of luck will be hugely beneficial to me on various levels.
As a result I'm trying to be as selective as possible so as to to ensure that the next phase of my life is filled with the right friends/associates because by so doing, success becomes very probable and with little difficulty or struggle. If properly done, it would bring about a win win situation.

Before one can commence selection of friends for progress, it is important to identify strengths and weaknesses because by so doing, the qualities needed in the friends would be identified so as to pick individuals who will complement the weaknesses and produce a strong team. A team handpicked in this fashion would not only be efficient but also have no room for deficiencies.
With such a team, success would not come as a surprise, it would be expected.

This is something that everyone who wants to achieve growth should be intentional about. It is not one of those things that is left to chance.
Those around you play a significant role in your progress or lack of it, hence the importance of being very selective when it is time to choose.