Five years from now you will be the same as you are today except for two things: The people you meet and the books you read.

We are the sum total of our experiences from the beginning to just a moment ago. This is also the sum total of the knowledge we have and the people we associate with. If you read nothing but gossip and social media updates from random people, that is what you will know and absorb. If you read biographies about great people, personal development books, inspirational stories, then that is what you will know and absorb.

As for people, hang around thinkers and you will be a better thinker. Hang around winners and you will be a better winner.

Hang around a bunch of complaining and whining losers and you'll be a better complaining and whining loser.

What I really, really, like about regular personal assessment is that throughout a 5-year span there are many opportunities for growth, improvement, refinement, and achievement.

One example from my own story:

5 years ago, in the year 2012, I was a partner in a training business that wasn't growing and needed to be closed. I was hanging around people who settled for OK and I was personally struggling because I wanted more. I was slowly adding new people to my inner circle. Eventually, I dissolved the partnership and broke ties with that person, focused on moving forward and learning from those who were further along than I was and here I am today. Had I stayed with that partner in the training business I would still be struggling against an urge to be more, do more.

Where were you 5 years ago?

What were you doing?

Who were you hanging around?

Where are you today?

What are you doing?

Who are you hanging around?

Has anything changed? Does anything need to be changed?

this post originally appeared in The GROW Alliance Facebook group