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“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction.” John Crosby.
1. Draw up a list. At times , the only thing that makes a journey worth the effort is the destination. It is important that you determine where you are going first on paper. However, in this case who you are going to meet. Drawing up a list gives you direction, so do it now, get a pen and a piece of paper and start listing the names of people you would like to mentor you.
Note: Never be afraid to put names on that list. Don’t give in to thought that suggest that you can never reach this person, or thoughts that suggest to you that you don’t have what it take. See, the worst thing that can happen is for the person to say No! And in life you need to learn how to take No! with grace and move on, possibly to the next name on your list.
2. Rise up to the occasion and ask. They say the journey of a thousand days begins with a step. Break the inertia, make the move and ask! It might surprise you that those you thought would say no, might actually agree and say yes. There are many people out there doing well in their various fields of endeavor who would be more than delighted to share their experience with anyone who asks. Don’t forget what the good book says, “He that asks shall receive”. So go right ahead and ask, because you have got nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Please note that in some cases, you might have to humble yourself and ask. You are the one who needs to grow, so put your pride, principles and ego aside and get the help you need. Also, never let age be a barrier.
3. Choose someone who has results. “No one argues with results”. At this point, you need to exercise some caution and choose wisely. Put sentiments aside and ask yourself, “does this person have the kind of result/ success I am looking for?” if the answer is yes, then that person has won the right to be on your list. The burden is on you to do your research to find out who really has what you are after. For instance, the fact that someone speaks passionately about a certain topic, does not translate in to success. Like Rene Godefory said “The goal is not to seek advice from a teacher, but rather from a doer”. Choose carefully, because you need people with transferable experiences and knowledge you can use! If you are not careful, you might be heading down a slippery slop, and that’s where you don’t want to be headed right now.
4. Make sure the person you choose genuinely cares about your success. Out there in the world, there are many people who will give you advice, just as long as you never attempt to surpass their achievements, they are comfortable, as long as they can still look down at you and spoon feed you like a ten months old baby. Such people will always have a hidden agenda, and taking advice from them can have some devastating effect on you. Such people are toxic people. Watch out and once again, choose carefully!
