It's hard enough to stay positive and keep the faith in the day-to-day pursuit of our dreams. When we associate with negative or unsupportive people, it becomes almost impossible.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to eliminate all of the negative people from our lives because they may be those closest to us-a parent, spouse, sibling, or even best friend. And since these people have history with us, they'll typically remember how we've succeeded or failed in the past. They may simply not be able to think of us in terms of what's possible. The saying "A prophet has no honor in his own home" couldn't be more true.

We all need to create a support team and an environment that provides love and encouragement. Sometimes, those who are closest to us aren't the best people to do that. In that case, we need to find someone who can.

To create the best possible support team, try the following tips:

· Build more relationships that nourish and restore you-with a coach, buddy, spiritual advisor, mentor, or role model. Spend time with people who will hold you to a higher standard.

· Pay less attention to relationships that make it easy for you to maintain the status quo. Some friends will always tell you what you want to hear and let you get away with failure. Spend your time with friends who understand your goal and will help you grow.

· Terminate negative relationships-those focused on gossip, mutual complaining, or making excuses. They add nothing to your journey and are not a good investment of your time and energy.

· Intentionally open yourself to meeting new people.

· Get buy-in from your family. If you can help your family members see how your goal directly benefits them, you'll get more of their support. For example, if you're going back to work, you can point out that the money you make will help pay for a nice family vacation. If your goal is to lose weight, you can explain that being healthier will mean you'll have more energy to be with your kids and spouse.

· Get a support buddy. Share your daily insights and draw strength from each other. This not only provides accountability structure, but it makes the process more fun and enjoyable.

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