Remember your private club house as a kid? All your friends would meet
there and you'd talk about all kinds of stuff going on in your lives.
You could talk about anything. Whether it was problems you were having
at school or about the big dreams you had for your life. You were safe
there. It was great wasn't it?
But now you're all grown up along with your old buddies. More than
likely they've all moved on to chase their own dreams. Wouldn't it be
great to have a grown-up clubhouse? Where you could surround yourself
with like-minded people? Who had similar goals and aspirations along
with the mutual obstacles of achieving success in your lives? Where
strong relationships are built and these people refuse to let you fail?
The possibilities would be staggering, wouldn't they? Well they do exist
and meet at predetermined times all over the world. They are called
Mastermind Groups.

There are many misconceptions as to what a “mastermind” is. It is not a
guru. It isn’t even one person. It is, however, a meeting of minds.
Plural. A small community of people, often with diverse backgrounds, who
meet on a schedule to help each other toward their individual goals.
The term was coined by Napoleon Hill in his classic book, “Think And
Grow Rich”. In it he states it is…
“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” and that
“No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third,
invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the
master mind].”
And he wasn’t alone in his thinking. Benjamin Franklin had such a group.
Countless others including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, J.R.R. Tolkien,
Donald Trump, and Bill Gates knew the extreme benefits of surrounding
themselves with people of the same mind and purpose. Noted author and
motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, says that “we are the average of the
five people we spend the most time with”. Now that is a sobering thought
isn’t it? Let that sink in. Are your five building you up or weighing
you down? Remember iron sharpens iron. I am positive that no one can
achieve true success without the benefit of others of like mind who are
as passionate as you are. I believe it’s simply impossible. Here are
just four life changing benefits of your mastermind group.
1.
Advice: Looking at
yourself objectively is almost impossible. You’ll receive fresh
perspective from different individuals in your group. It will be
unbiased, impartial, and unique because of the different skills and
experience of each member. After all they’re not in competition with
you. You are all part of a think-tank working toward the same objective.
2.
Networking: By
joining a mastermind, doors open for you that otherwise wouldn’t on your
own. Your group has connections in various industries which may expand
your own resources. There is always an opportunity to cross-promote one
another especially through social media. We all know how extremely
valuable and powerful this can be.
3.
Synergy: I know that
in my own mastermind I’m always excited before our meeting. There is an
aura of expectation and energy that’s difficult to explain. Just being
around friends who are as committed and passionate as I am in achieving
their goals is quite an experience. These are people who care about me.
I’m not alone in my endeavors any more. We challenge and support one
another. It’s almost humbling in a way.
4.
Accountability: Each
member in the group shares responsibility towards its success. Your
progress is measured by your actions. New knowledge is of no value if
you don’t act on it. You will be expected to implement what you have
learned in the group. The whole purpose is to bring back exciting
results to the next meeting. This is a great motivator and keeps
everyone in focus.
If you’re serious about achieving your goals, whatever they may be, why
would you want to go half way? It’s hard work as it is, much less trying
to go it alone. Your personality and will power will still be there
when you’re still broke, still overweight, still unknown, or whatever it
is you want to accomplish. And still alone. Everyone may like you and
believe in you. Your friends and family may be supportive, but honestly,
they can’t give you the right advice or the proper motivation. You must
afford every opportunity available to help you toward your goals. By
not doing so you’re just sabotaging your chances of success. I’m just
being honest with you. So are you ready to get started?

First, what is it you want to accomplish? What do you need help with? Is
it a professional or personal goal? More often than not they’re both
inclusive. Be specific. You might look for groups in your area to meet
with or virtual groups online. Which ever you’re comfortable with. I
feel online groups are a better way to start. If you do a search for
“mastermind groups” you’re going to get more information than you need.
Narrow your search to your specific niche. I warn you most of them are
costly. Some very costly. The reason why is because they work. But you
don’t want to go there yet. You need to get the feel of it all first.
Just read up on how they work.
One of my masterminds is on Facebook. It’s really a good way to get your
feet wet. People have groups, forums, and pages for anything
imaginable. Many are based on the mastermind principle. You simply need
to do some looking. Now beware of any open group. That’s just a
glorified chat room most likely. You want a closed group that must
accept you to join. Some require an application. Personally I like the
stricter ones. It means they’re serious. They have rules and should. It
keeps out spammers and those who aren’t committed to their own success
much less that that of the group. What’s great about Facebook groups is
you can join as many as you want and find the one that fits your needs.
Stick to the one that challenges you. You may even feel a little
uncomfortable. That’s good. Progress is uncomfortable. Success is
luxurious.
Well hopefully by now you’re seriously considering the idea. This was
really just a primer to get you started. The rest is up to you.
Masterminds will challenge you to be a bigger and better person. The one
you know is inside you.
Thanks for visiting and please share it wherever you can. If you have any questions are comments I’d be more than happy to help.