I attract toxic people into my life. From when I was in high school and socially inept that I sided with those more/as awkward as I, to now when I offer value and people want a piece of the value. I know they see something that can benefit them in me, I would too.

But I got into some legal trouble and I have been laying low socially as I strap together the final stages of my career, fitness, defeating the legal trouble and overall well-being, I'm in a state of monk mode. Of course this phase gets lonely. I've had some plates come in and out since the fall but nothing I really cared to continue.

My issue is I am spending many weekends alone reading, writing, studying. I get a text from X or Y. I reply. Before I know it I'm stuck in some value-sapping activity because I was bored and trying to revert to my typical hyper-social ways from university.

I've gone so far as to change their names in my phone to "Ignore because _" for a constant reminder whenever they text.

We are clearly social beings but I do not have the time right now to make new high value friends as I know they do not just grow on trees. I have pent up social energy no matter how much I hit the gym and I can only read so much machiavellianism without putting it into practice. Its becoming wasteful and clearly I am bad at it as I'm not in an environment to use what I'm reading. I've switched gears to hard skill development.

I barely know any alpha males. The men whom I respected have turned into lazy, low aspiration bums asking me for plans on weekends to attempt to use my social leverage and nothing more. I want to join a martial art but all the BJJ schools around here are looking for a 1 year contract and I'm starting a 1 year grad program in September which I plan on devoting myself to (plenty of chicks in that program, too).

How do you avoid toxic people when you are in a complete phase of bettering yourself but have moments of weakness and loneliness that they are able to creep in to your life?