We all have one or two friends, and we all have our differences. Are those differences helping you go broke, get lazy, unmotivated, and lost rather than helping you make smarter financial choices? If so, you want to avoid those toxic friendships.
What defines toxic friendships?
I came up with 12 points that might help you identify if your circle is worth keeping, or if it is toxic and you have to disintegrate yourself from it.
Unmotivated friends.
We are all humans and we get lazy from time to time. However, if you have not seen your close friends working on something productive nor achieving anything when they have the time and resources, then this is a sign that your friendship is toxic. They may influence you to follow their path. Pro Tip: surround yourself with hard-working individuals like yourself.
Broke friends.
Remember that there is a difference between being poor and broke. Being broke is a choice because it depends on people’s life choices and their mentality. If you always hear your friends complaining about not having money, yet not doing anything about it, do not waste your time there.
Different mindset.
Nobody is supposed to think like you. But if you want to start a business, improve your finances, or simply save more money, you better pray that your friends think that way too. If your mindsets are entirely different, there is no space for personal growth.
Watch out for the behavior gap.
We gave “The Behavior Gap” a definition. The behavior gap is the difference between people of the same age and background. For instance, a 21-year-old might always be at a club, spending money on irrelevant things, and not saving money while another 21-year-old might be studying, learning how to invest, and depositing more money in their savings account.
You need to watch out for this gap because if you want to make smarter life choices that will benefit you long-term, you need to re-evaluate your friendships.
Immature.
This is an obvious one that does not need a long explanation. If you are the only mature person in the group, get out. You do not have time to play the “mommy” or “daddy” card. Those are toxic friendships and you need to get out.
No responsibilities.
You need to become a responsible individual and the best way to do it is by letting other responsible individuals motivate you. If you already are, and your friends have little to no responsibilities, they have not learned how to be stable and therefore, are toxic friendships.
Unsupportive.
If you are a high-achiever and your friends do not support the way you move, why are you still friends with them? It is psychologically proven that you must stay away from toxic friendships like that. You can read an article about it here.
Envious.
Success comes with treason, toxic friendships, and envy. If you friends judge that you do and question your moves, they are not real friends and you must stay away from you. You do not need people that make you question your success nor support you.
Encourages you to spend money on irrelevant things.
Going out to grab a cup of coffee together is okay. But being encouraged to purchase something when they know you are on a budget or cannot afford it is toxic. Especially if they expect you to pay without splitting the check.
Does not invest in themselves or nor in their personal development.
I am constantly reading books, learning new words that are needed in the workplace, and educating myself about my surroundings. If your friends use their free time to be lazy rather than learning something new or enhancing their skills, they will never succeed and therefore bring you down with them.
There is nothing wrong with relaxing, I love relaxing! But never investing time to become better at work, your business, or life is a mistake that can cost you a lot.
I love saving money, but I do not have a problem with investing it towards books, personal development resources, or funding passion projects.
Does not ever achieve anything.
So, you got your license, purchased your car, have a great job or started a business, learned how to invest, learned a new skill. What have your friends done?
If you are the only person in your circle that is achieving great things while your friends just sit back, they are not motivated to do the same. You need to surround yourself with people that even when they are not successful, they take inspiration from your achievements and work hard towards their own.
Is a conformist
This is the one I dislike the most. If your friends are in a situation that you consider “unstable” and they know it as well, but have an “it is good enough” mentality, they are conformists with no vision of the future.
Why would someone be “okay” in a situation where they have no money saved, can barely afford their rent, and believes that they are in a “good enough” position? This broke mentality is what stops people from achieving financial success, especially since they are not interested in advancing.
Do you agree/disagree with these points?
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