4 Tips for Finding the Right Mentor
About a month ago, I had a post asking if you had a mentor, and shared some of my thoughts about being assigned the roll of a mentor. On the flip side, a mentor can be a super positive thing.
First of all, what role does a mentor actually play? Well, my definition would be someone you trust and/or admire who is available to you for counsel and advice. That could really be worth a lot, huh?
The problem is, it may not be that easy to find such a person! Here, let’s discuss a couple of tips for finding that person who can have your back when you need advice or motivation.
- Know what your looking for. I think the first step is to know exactly what you are looking for in that person. What kind of advice are you seeking? Business?…….Relationship?……..Spiritual? This is important, because you’ll want to get good advice and counsel, and the mentor will probably get something from the role as well.
- Actively seek someone. In my opinion, the best mentor relationships will just happen. But you can’t sit around and wait on that. You may just happen to meet the right person who takes an interest in your success, then again, you may not. Don’t hope to find the right person, make it happen.
- Know where to look. Sometimes the best mentors are not in the most obvious places. Take for instance, the movie the Karate Kid. I’m sure Daniel wasn’t hoping he would find a handy-man at his apartment building to become his mentor. A good mentor could be a successful neighbor, someone on the management team where you work, someone you go to church with, or someone who is just one of your friends who you think could help you. Keep an open mind, but only consider those whom you think know their stuff. Everyone has had a mentor at some point, whether realized or not. What kind of person were they? What was your relationship to them? That may be a good place to start.
- Ask someone you admire for a referrel. You may know someone you have a lot of respect for, who’s not really available for any number of reasons. They can likely pass you on to someone else, who could be just the right person. You don’t have to say “I’m looking for a mentor”. Tell them your obstacles, and that you need some advice. That’s where the whole relationship begins.
Regardless of how you find a mentor, I think it’s important to have one. Everyone is faced with decisions that are hard to make, and situations that are hard to deal with. Having someone who wants to see you do well, there guiding you along can keep you motivated and confident!
At some point, we’ve all had to deal with a real “nut-job”. That is unless, of course, we’re the “nut-job”. Hopefully that’s not the case. People who seem to be impossible to deal with can frustrate you in a way that death seems like the easiest and most sensible solution. Of course, that’s not the case………but it’s the way our mind can over-exaggerate a situation if we’re frustrated enough. The best thing to do is to learn how to deal with these people before they get you on your wits end.
To be honest, I think about this a lot. I’ve read many times that there really is no such thing any more. So why have I stayed at my job? I do feel a certain sense of security whether that be real or imagined. I don’t hate my job. As a matter of fact, I’ve stayed at my present job longer than any other job, and I’ve made far more money on my current job than with any other. Yet, I still don’t feel like I’ve found my “niche” yet. You know, my purpose, or my calling. I often daydream of working for myself in some way, where I have more freedom with my time and am able to be closer to my family.
