Eight

I find it a thought that is both reassuring and frightening at the same time; for the vast majority of us, the trajectory of our lives and careers will be determined by around eight people. Over seven billion people on the planet, and it comes down to eight.

Jim Rohn said that we become the average of the five people we most associate with. Robin Dunbar concurs, with the addition of another ten associates. Lynne McTaggart says it is eight. Neuroscientists tell us our working memory can cope with seven, plus or minus two pieces of information simultaneously, nicely straddling five and eight.

I think the academics tell us what instinctively most of us realise intuitively.

Whatever it is we are trying to do, the way we will make the best progress is to pay attention to those people close by us, and talking with them.

Going for the biggest small we can deal with and those small things will grow, and you with them.

Everything else will follow.