Surround yourself with good people.

In working with business owners over the years I've learned that a lot of their success or failure has to do with the types of people they surround themselves with. This is not rocket science. A guy named Keith Ferrazzi wrote a book called "Never Eat Alone" and in it he describes the epiphany he came to as a kid while caddying at the local country club. The people who were really successful all hung out together. They did favors for each other, looked after one another's kids and traded business back and forth on a regular basis. Ferrazzi quickly learned that fun, fulfillment and accomplishment had much more to do with relationships than job titles, salary numbers or credentials.

I see business owners hanging out with the wrong people all the time. In my work with clients I get them to focus on three groups of people: employees, customers and family. Not surprisingly this is the biggest area where business owners get tripped up in their relationships.

Employees who do not share your enthusiasm, passion and drive act like an anchor that keeps your business from moving forward. As the captain of the boat you can throttle the engines all you want. You may even succeed in inching forward, but you'll never really go anywhere. Sadly, there's rarely more than one option here and most business owners avoid it like the plague. Sooner or later you're going to have to let go of that person. Of course there are times when the business owner is the anchor holding everyone else back. If this describes you we need to talk. Life is too short for you to be a drag on those around you.

Customers can also hurt your performance. I came to the realization in my first year in business that some of my customers, some of my highest PAYING customers, were killing my business. These people create headaches, they enjoy being demanding, they usually have an inferiority complex and you cringe when they call you on the phone. Again, life is too short. You need to let these people become your competitor's problem.

Last, your family can bring you down. But here's the thing, the family that is closest to you is rarely the problem. It's more often the case that you've been bringing them down for a long time and now that you want to change there's no reservoir of goodwill and they just don't believe your capable of becoming a happy, fulfilled and successful person overnight. If this describes your situation you've got a tough road ahead, but it's also the most rewarding journey you'll ever take. The process of winning over a spouse again and gaining that trust back is difficult, but if you stick it out and continue to plug away no matter what the circumstances the reward is very, very sweet. The same goes for rebuilding a relationship with your children. It takes time to earn that trust back, but with persistence it can be done.

Extended family and friends are often the most toxic area as far as relationships are concerned. When I first start working with people I find out that almost all of them have surrounded themselves with people who constantly bitch and moan, who refuse to take responsibility or be held accountable, who expect the world to cut them a deal, who give only when they know they'll get in return. I don't care if it's your brother-in-law, your best friend since grade school, or that person who "would do anything for you." You must distance yourself from these people. Until you do your life will be less than it could be. The simple fact is that these people will drag you down and you must cut them loose. Trust me, you will soon find that the world is full of people who want to surround themselves with people like you, people who want to accomplish great things and have the time of their life along the way.