The 40 People Who Can Change Your Life

The 40 people who can change your life are, after your family and friends, the most important people in your life.

I first learned about the 40 important people who can change your life from Roy Elkins, the found of Broadjam.com and member of my MERLIN Mentor Team here in Madison.  The concept is simple, but very powerful.  Make a list of the 40 people who are likely to be able to change your life, either through business connections, investment, job opportunities or simply being there for you to help you get past a road block in your business plan.  Once every 4 months, email your 40 important people who can change your life and let them know what you are up to.  The goal is to keep the 40 people who can change your life up to date on what you are doing so that when you do need to ask for advice, money or other help, they will not only remember you, but know what you are doing.  Its much more likely that someone will be willing to respond to your request when you need it if they are familiar with you.

I just started doing this a few months ago and have already seen the results.  I set up a rotation so that I am always emailing 10 different people each month so that I always have someone different to connect with.  Its been a great way to stay connected with the people who might be able to help me out down the road and its been fun.  Many of these people have responded with articles or suggestions relating to my businesses that have been incredibly helpful.

I like the concept so much that I just started my own list of family and friends who I want to stay in contact with on a more regular basis.  I want to make sure that I stay up to date with friends from college who have moved away and my extended family who I probably only see a few times a year.

Try both of these ideas and see how it works for you.  I think both the 40 people who can change your life and a friends and family list are a great idea for anyone, but especially people who are interested in business.  Do you already do anything similar to this?  Do you think you will try it out?