Economist Enrico Moretti in his book, The New Geography of Jobs, discusses how our community determines our success. “Being around smart people makes us smarter and more innovative,” he says. “When you are in the business of creating new products, ideas, or technologies, you need to be within a community of people, who are in your field,” Moretti told an interviewer. You have to follow the action, to get to your dream.
Just look at some of the most creative and successful people in existence – authors J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others emerged from their friendship and community of writers, in Oxford. They were far more imaginative and powerful together, than they were on their own.
Some of the best tech start-ups, apps (such as Facebook), all began from a conversation between, at least, two people in a city they happened to both be in. Why? Because ideas don’t just fall out of the sky, they are usually the product of conversations. How to find these people? Join a like-minded community.
When we are around the right people, we make better, more useful connections between thoughts and generate new and creative ideas.
“If you want to follow the dream you have to follow the action“.
If you’re serious about chasing your goals here are three reasons why the right community will help you to achieve it;
1.The conversations
Having a face to face conversation with someone who is an expert in your field, or simply comes at it from a different angle, can recharge your mind and spark new ideas, in unimaginable ways. It can force you to ask questions you hadn’t thought of, it can also help to support or undermine a potential idea. Whatever the outcome, you can be sure conversations with the right people have huge value.
2. The connections
If you live in the right place, surrounded by people with similar objectives you have an increased chance of finding what you need, through mutually beneficial relationships to achieve your goal. Period.
3. The atmosphere
Our environment is conductive to our creativity. If we are in a “hub”, for our field of work, we are more driven, determined and inspired to do the work that makes us happy. You can obviously work in a different environment but it won’t have the same feel or effect on your productivity. Why would you deprive yourself of this potential, enhanced creativity?
Whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish, chances are, there are cities that specialise in it. How serious are you about your goals? Is it time to move?