Do you have a mentor? You may think this is a random question, but everyone should have a mentor. A mentor is someone you look to for advice and guidance. It can be for work, personal life, health, or wealth. Every successful business person has had mentors that have helped them along the way. You can have one mentor or multiple. Some have had the privilege to rely on mentors their entire careers while others have had mentors ebb and flow throughout their lives. You can have a mentor to help you manage your health and another for your business and another for your personal life.
Where do you find mentors? Determine where you want to be in 10 years in these four primary areas of your life: Health, Business, Personal, and Wealth. Based on this, find the people that are doing what you want to be doing and are at the level you want to be in 10-20 years. They will have the advice and answers you can use. For example, if you’re going to lose weight or enter a triathlon, seek out a friend or acquaintance who is a fitness guru or ironman athlete and ask them to help mentor you. You can even hire someone to mentor you. Do this exercise for all four areas. Think big. Who is the best in that field? If you don’t know that person, then read and watch everything about that person. Reach out to them; try to connect with them. In this digital world, we are so lucky to have access to complete information. It is relatively easy to reach out to anyone you want to connect with, so you should go for it.
How to ask? You don’t necessarily have to have a formal arrangement. You can befriend a person you respect and build your friendship over time. Remember, you also want to give before you ask or expect something in return. Provide information, take a person to lunch, or think of creative ways to stay connected with someone. However, if you feel comfortable asking, you can formally ask a person to be your mentor. Just be clear with your ask. Make sure a person knows what you expect from them.
I wish I had more mentors in my life. Sure, I have family members and friends that I go to when I need help, but I never really sought real mentors. If I did have more formalized mentors along the way, I would have made fewer mistakes or saved money and time. As you continue on your entrepreneurship journey, make sure you have a mentor to help you along the way.
