Mastering Selectivity in Your Circle

Kaiya used to hop into every local business meetup, wallet full of cards, hoping one contact would magically launch her growth. She left those events with dozens of connections, but the thrill never translated into new clients or real insight. More often than not, her inbox overflowed with indifference.

Then she heard the adage that you can only maintain about 150 meaningful relationships, and fewer of those are worth deep investment. She tried a radical experiment: she tracked her conversations for one week, scored each interaction by relevance, and politely bowed out of the bottom 75 percent. Her calendar opened up overnight.

Now Kaiya spends her time with just five key allies, each aligned to her current goals: a mentor who knows her industry, a designer who refines her pitch decks, a customer advocate who brings new leads, a finance friend who helps budget campaigns, and a peer with complementary skills. Within a month, she saw significant progress—fewer distractions, more action, and richer trust. By curating her circle, she turned random noise into a powerful, tuned-in network.

Pick today to list all the people you met this past week and give each a quick score on how well they help you reach your current goals. Circle the top five and email them: “I’d love a thirty-minute catch-up to share progress and explore ways we can help each other this month.” Gently decline lower-priority requests so you can own your time and invest deeply where it matters most. You’ll feel less scattered and more energized.