How Mastermind Groups Can Help You Live Your Best Life
If you’ve ever read a Napoleon Hill book, you know he believes and advocates whole-heartedly for mastermind groups. A mastermind by his definition is
A mind that is developed through the harmonious cooperation of two or more people who ally themselves for the purpose of accomplishing any given task.
In laymans terms, a mastermind group is the coming together of likeminded people to share ideas and spur growth. It helps to motivate each member of the group to complete difficult but prosperous tasks therefore accomplishing the most ambitious of goals. The group members hold each other accountable and give advice to members who may be having challenges.
Mastermind groups are usually reserved for people interested in growing a business. Whether they’re CEOs, stock-brokers, real estate agents or investors, authors, online entrepreneurs etc. However, I believe mastermind groups can be beneficial for lifestyle changes as well. If everyone in a group wants to lose weight, then a mastermind group offering support and encouragement and actionable tips that also helps to keep each other accountable can be of great help. A bigger group would be more of a support group, it’s important that a mastermind group remain small.
In this post you'll find:
What It Means to Be a Mastermind
It’s very important that each member of a mastermind group be of like-mind. It’s also very important that you’re all working toward the same definite goal such as running a successful business. Each member of the group should be on somewhat of the same level so that you have value to contribute to the group. Someone much farther along may not gain much value from a newcomer who should probably seek mentorship as well as joining mastermind groups with other newcomers on the same path.
All members need not be an authority on the same subject, but it should all compliment each other. For instance, in a business mastermind group, you could have an accountant, a marketing expert, even a psychologist who understands how people work could be a good fit. The common thread may be that all masterminds in the group are business owners, sharing their successes and getting help for their pitfalls.
All masterminds in the group should contribute equally and bring their best. If you’re all equally invested in each other’s success, it makes the group that much more successful.
How Do I Start a Mastemind Group?
At this point you may be thinking that a mastermind group is a super formal affair with structure and rules. While it can be, it doesn’t have to. I remember when I just read Napoleon Hill’s Think or Grow Rich, I suggested a group to my circle of lady friends. I thought it would be good idea for us to meet each Sunday for brunch in a new or favourite location to discuss our goals and ideas. We usually go out together and party all night long but I wanted our friendship to be about growth and success as well.
Since then, we have since fallen out with one of the ladies in what was a circle of three. Womp. However, my other friend and I still meet up ever so often as we’re both bloggers and social media marketers, to share ideas. We discuss strategies that are working and flesh out problems we’re having. We always leave these little meetups filled with ideas to implment and super-pumped to take action.
Look in your circle of friends for people who are on a similar trajectory as you and invite them out for a pow-wow. If it was successful, set a date to meet up again soon. It’s as simple as that. You could also connect with people online to start your own little group. I talk more about that below.
How to Find Mastermind Groups
If you’re more interested in finding an established mastermind group, social media may be your best bet. Mastermind groups are really more useful when capped at around 10 or so, so that everyone gets a chance to first share their wins, accomplished goals or steps taken towards it thus far, and then receive feedback. With this in mind, do a quick search on Facebook or Twitter for your interest. If you’re interested in weightloss support for example, find weightloss groups on Facebook and then ask the members if anyone has a mastermind group open to new members. If not, maybe you can find members of like-mind to join your own.
Maybe you’re already following a few people online who you consider a great fit for your group because of their content. This is a great time to connect with them and ask them if they’d like to be a part of a mastermind group.
Social media makes it easy for people of like-mind to support each other regardless of distance. Sometimes it can be hard to find people within our physical social circle who is as motivated as us in the task you’re trying to accomplish. Finding this can be done online and meetings can be subsequently held online via Skype or similar.
How to Run a Mastermind Group
If your mastermind group is made up of people you found online as opposed to friends or colleagues, then you want to have a structure to your group. The simple things that make a mastermind group successful include sticking to a regular calls/meetup schedule, whether that be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. At least monthly.
On these calls, each person will get a chance to discuss what’s going on in their business, share any wins and any steps taken that was discussed last week. They’ll also get a chance to share a frustration, a loss, a setback etc. The group will brainstorm ideas and offer support and motivation to help get this person out of this slump. Everyone gets some form of “homework” if you may, something that should help them to overcome a difficulty or to continue on their winning streak, whatever the case may be. This is then reported on in the next meeting.
It’s important to have an informal channel of communication open as well for quick questions, feedback requests or whatever may come up in-between calls. This should be a channel that’s open to all so everyone can share and offer support. This can be in the form of a private Facebook group, Whatsapp group, Slack channel etc. This way if someone has a quick question or simply needs a pick-me-up or a Hi5, they can get that.
Establish a Leader and Keep Organized
Someone should take the lead in a mastermind group. This person sets up the calls, sends everyone the reminders and keeps notes of each person’s homework. This person will also help to keep the call tight and on topic, cutting down on side-tracked chit-chat etc.
The bottomline is that a mastermind group can be an amazing channel of emotional support for smart, like-minded individuals. A good mastermind group can really catapult your drive, helping you to accomplish your goals. The energy coming out of these groups is often so powerful that you leave super pumped to put new ideas to work and knock your goals out the park. Having the support of people who know your struggle because they’re living it too and are invested in your success is amazing.
Living My Best Life Facebook Group
With that said, I have started a support group for readers of this blog that are super motivated to live their best life. Out of this group I am hoping to find amazing people who will eventually join a mastermind group with me. However I felt it important to start with a support group for all of us who want to elevate our lifestyle as one of my current favourite groups on Facebook is a support group for believers in the Law of Attraction and Manifestation.
My first immediate goal for the group is to find people who workout 4 times a week or want to and who overall live a healthy lifestyle or want to. The intention is to hold each other accountable by sharing when we exercise, what we ate today etc. We’ll share our wins, our best meal prep tips, our favourite online fitness workouts and everything in between. If this sounds like a group for you, please join here.
Eventually I’m sure the group will evolve into a full-fledged lifestyle group where we share our best tips for living healthy lives overall so feel free to join if living healthy interests you. If you’re looking for a supportive group of ladies and you’re willing to share your best tips this is for you. See you in the group!
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Thank you so much for sharing. I really like the clip notes at the end of the post #genius. If you ever decide to have a mastermind group for blogging on line I will be very interested to join. I will have a look at your FB group also.
Thanks so much Diane, that would be a great idea. The key is to find bloggers who are really motivated to actually put in the work and grow their blogs. I hope you will join my Help a Blogger Out Facebook group here. It’s a really helpful group of bloggers https://www.facebook.com/groups/blogwithmo/
Great post! I agree and think it is a great idea to have a mastermind group. It always helps to surround yourself with people who are focused on goals similar or who have principals that are in align with yours.