Creating new relationships and continue developing (and not just maintaining) existing ones were always important to me . I liked to call them "my clusters".
Clusters are all about relationships .
I always had different circles of friends and networks. Starting from my high school cluster where I was fortunate to be part of an amazing class and til this day a few of my best friends are from high school.
As a professional handball player,,,,The handball field cluster which was my second home for many years , allowed me to meet amazing players and to create great relationships ..my close and extended family clusters ,,,,my inner and external clusters of friends from university ,,,,Coworkers from the different companies and from different continents that I was fortunate to work with.
By having all of those circles of friendships , I was able to create different networks and clusters that provided tons of opportunities ,great moments and added many colors to my life.
I believe that many of you have similar clusters of friends ,relationships and networks... and yes.. it is hard to maintain it and even more difficult is to expend them.
For those of you who feel that their clusters are small and maybe outdated , you can follow the 4Es process that I use to keep my clusters growing and relevant.
First , map out the people that you know and you interact with ,, and then,,,, follow the 4E's mapping process:Embrace ....Expand......Explore.....Erase .....
Embrace :
Embrace and keep very close to you each and everyone in your clusters that have a positive impact on your life ,and that you know he or she will be there for you when you need them.
How to maintain it?
Find those "idle" time to connect with your friends such as when you are driving or waiting in line .I normally like to create a specific time for each cluster where I meet with them on regular basis, for example Friday afternoon or Saturday night .
Expand:
Are you getting the benefits, the support , the love and friendship, new opportunities , good advise or what ever you wish to get from each cluster? if not, identify what is missing , what is important to you to get from each cluster and look to expand them.
How to do it:
Social media is a great source to expand your clusters .Joining to groups on linkedIn ,Meetups or facebook are just few examples. Joining to cycling team, gym classes, clubs that are relevant to your area of interest will allow you to meet new friends and to create new friendships.
Explore:
Don't stand on one spot.. your clusters define who you are and what you do.People in your clusters are those who you talk to and spend your time with.
It is not a matter of having more or larger clusters ,what matter is the quality of them and the added value that each of them brings to your life.
Try to explore new areas whether it's a new hobby, new workplace, new skill, new social platform, new businesses ,new goals etc... This will allow you to meet new people , to create new friendships which may lead to new cluster.... Each and every new cluster that you will add to your life will be translated to more memories, more support, more opportunities, more success and failures to learn from and most important ,it will allow you to move forward and develop yourself and those around you .
Erase :
I know it is not an easy thing to do, but the most important part of the process is to identify the people and clusters that are adding negativity to your life.. Those clusters that you have no interest to keep and maintain and that wasting you energy .... for those,,,, just say thank you and goodbye..
Clusters are all about relationships .
Clusters are integral part of your life journey and have a direct impact on the way you live, and I believe that investing a significant amount of time and efforts to build ,maintain and expand those clusters will make your journey much more colourful , interesting and meaningful.
As always, I will see you on your next Swell Venture and don't forget ,
Every Day Is Day One !
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