Would you ask the postman for legal advice?
Would you ask your hairdresser to design a new house?
The answer is of course not…because going to the person who does that professionally is the right thing to do. You might not know that person right now, but the challenge is to find the best and brightest in that field and approach them to get the required outcome.
So why would you go looking for a mentor in your current sphere of influence, maybe only one step up the ladder from you? Is that where you want to be, or are you thinking bigger!
Vision to look far and wide for that one person who has succeeded in more than one area of interest to you will give you a better chance of making it far and making a real name for yourself as you change and grow.
A successful mentor is one who can provide mind blowing advice and challenge you to think outside the box, someone who does things their own way and has the accolades to prove it, yet will draw out both your thoughts to challenge them also. The best mentors are one who are still on a journey of discovery, never ceasing to learn and put into action exciting innovative ways of self improvement. When they take on a mentoree, it is for the benefit of both of you.
To find an advisor that is so far out of your comfort zone, who will allow you to take steps that you never thought possible, is the challenge you face.
Mentors can be found in the strangest of places…
I never advocate to look for a mentor in your current circle of influence. The journey they can take you on is limited.
Look for the Rock Stars mentors, the ones who are living the life you want.
First you need to work out exactly what you are looking for? What is your dream life? We aren’t talking your retirement life here, because we all need to work to make the world spin. I’m asking you what your dream job life looks like?
Where do you want to live? (Sounds easy, but maybe you dream of living in the tropics and waking to a morning swim, or maybe you want to spend more time skiing).
What parts of your skill set/ personality will make you unique to rise above everyone else?
Do you want to work in corporate land, small business or some other dream job?
My dream life is one where I can work on the net and live in a warm climate. I have skills in a range of areas but the one that makes me happiest is writing. I also have a lot of experience with administration and business management that I can weave into the mix. Plus, I love sports and the Aussie lifestyle.
So when I was looking for a new mentor, one that would stretch my thought processes, I looked for someone successful who had a lot of similar dream life goals to me.
I found her…she’s not a household name, or a major internet sensation. She’s a quirky, down to earth, thought provoking, eye catching, smart as a whip woman who writes books and creates training programs on business and beauty. Not exactly the same as me, but close enough that I can learn so much and take her advice on many areas of self improvement. I garner strength from the life stories she shares and if I put her advice into practise, I’m sure I too can be as successful as she is.
I love that I found her through unusual means, we were both on the same course to learn something new. Goes to show that you never know where a perfect mentor for you is going to show up in your life. Every time she commented, I just knew she was special, she made me reflect, “that’s what I want to know” or “that’s where I want to be.”
Do you have a story about where you found your perfect mentor?
I would love to know, leave me a comment below.
If you are not sure where to start, I created 45 Potential Mentors to give you a helping hand.
Share to be inspired, be inspired to share.
