Five tips to find a mentor in everyone
Have you ever tried to find a mentor?
I’ve been thinking about the mentorship relationship for a while.
When I look back in my life, I realized that I haven’t had any formal mentorship relationship. Not one where I specifically asked someone to mentor me.
The picture of a mentor I used to hold in my mind, was a very formal one.
Imagine the blue sky, and high up there, a throne surrounded by clouds and sitting there lies the mentor…
I used to think of mentors like someone much older than me and up there in a pedestal, the person you revere and admire, and to whom you wanted to extend your hand with the hopes that they will reach out and help you in your quest for growth…
Of course, this is an exaggeration, but I think there is that kind of association whenever the words mentor and protégé are mentioned.
I’m still looking for a mentor, but while I haven’t found it yet, I realized that even without any formal mentors, I’d been a protégé all my life.
How can that be?
Because I believe that with the right mindset, everyone that you encounter will be your mentor.
What’s the mindset I am talking about?
As a protégé you should have a DESIRE TO LEARN, to ask questions and to be open to new ideas and suggestions.
Your willingness to learn is the key to asking questions. Questions are the tools for curiosity. Curiosity opens your mind. Open minds allow possibilities. Different possibilities lead to creativity. And creativity leads to innovation. Be willing to learn.
As a protégé you should be open to receiving FEEDBACK.
What it doesn’t get measured it doesn’t progress. You cannot grow if you don’t know what you need to improve. Feedback is the way to know where you can grow. You are so used to seeing the weeds in your driveway every day that you are not aware of their effect they have on your house. You need feedback from different people all around you that can see what you can’t. Ask for feedback.
As a protégé you should be willing to sets GOALS.
You cannot reach your destination if you don’t know where you’re going. Or, like Zig Ziglar said: if you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time. Setting goals and objectives is critical to advance and progress in your learning. Without a goal, you’ll be likely to wonder aimlessly and feel disappointed. Set your goals.
As a protégé you should be willing to overcome CHALLENGES.
Get used to failure. Failing is the tool that builds resilience and allows you to grow even further. Failing is a powerful feedback tool. Challenges make you stronger and make you think in different ways. Face your challenges.
As a protégé you should be ACCOUNTABLE for your OWN self-growth and DEVELOPMENT.
Have other people to held you accountable. Yes, the mentor reminding you of your commitments. But you should also own your self-growth journey. The mentor keeps you accountable, but you have to create your own development path to become the better version of yourself. You have to pick the person you want to become. Own it.
Use these five tips to see everyone you meet as a mentor:
Have a desire to learn, be curious.
Be open to receive feedback from everyone.
Set your own goals.
Face your challenges.
Be responsible for your own development.
So, while I didn’t have any formal mentorship, I had many mentors.
I have family and friends, to whom I ask feedback about myself.
I have bosses and colleagues from whom I’m always learning, requesting feedback and tracking goals.
I choose to listen and read podcasts, newsletters and books to become better.
CHOOSE WHO YOU WANT TO BE.
Set up your goals. Share them with trusted people around you. Let them help you in your journey.
Set up your MINDSET and always be learning. Always be GROWING.
Go and find a mentor but don’t limit yourself to just one! Learn from EVERYONE!
Let me know below, have you ever had a mentor in your life that impacted you greatly?
What’s a good mentorship relationship for you?
How can you start learning from everyone around you? Is there anything you need to change in order to be always learning?
Shout it out: Oh Hell Yeah I AM A LEARNER!
xoxo,
Sofia