A few weeks ago, my 3-year-old cried in the bathroom because he dared to try something different and I let him
For the longest time, he’s been asking to bathe himself.
Occasionally, I’d let him attempt it, and jump in when I saw he was having difficulty but today I let him do it all himself
After scrubbing his body, he applied soap on his face to clean it but was fazed with the difficult realities of doing a bath job himself.
How do I wash the lather off my face?
How do I regulate the water temperature so it’s not too hot or cold?
And lots more…
At this time, he began to ask for help
Instead of helping, I pretended to be leaving 😂 and then asking changed to crying for help.
But did I help?
No. I did something even better.
I began to coach him by providing the steps necessary to finish the job.
And because I’ve done a bath job many times, his present challenges are nothing.
To him, they looked like insurmountable challenges. But not for me…
I was able to guide him to breeze through it all!
Why am I sharing this story?
The reason is to remind you that new things will always present new challenges, many of which you will not be equipped to handle.
If you decide to face these challenges alone, it’ll take you longer than is possible to achieve your goals
You run the risk of giving up along the way
It is more costly than getting a mentor.
If what you intend to achieve is important, resolve to get a mentor today.
So how do you get a mentor, and more importantly, how do you get them to accept you as a mentee?
Identify What You Want
You will likely have many teachers and mentors in your life for various reasons.
But the first step in getting the right mentor is to identify what you want
You have to get clear on the goals, that is to say, the outcomes you are pursuing
Do you want to earn more money?
Do you desire a better relationship?
Do you want to get invited to speak at public gatherings?
This would help you easily identify someone else who has done it
The thing with mentorship is that you should always get direction from someone who has traveled that path
That is the guaranteed way to avoid costly mistakes.
For instance, when I train people to start 6-figure online info businesses, it is because I have done it several times.
I have the knowledge and experience to guide them properly.
I hope you understand what I am saying.
Approach Them
When you’ve found a person or person(s) you would like to get mentored by, you need to approach them to mentor you
But it wouldn’t happen overnight. You have to be patient.
These people live very busy lives – so you need to get noticed.
I’m not saying it is not possible to send out one outreach email or DM and have someone mentor you, but that’s an outlier in today’s world
It might have worked 20 years ago, but attention is a scarce commodity today.
They might be getting 10 DMs per minute, so you need to find a way or ways to stand out.
The first step is to follow them on social media and start consuming their free content
These may be YouTube videos, Blog posts, Social media posts, Podcasts, whatever, it doesn’t matter.
In addition to learning a lot, doing this will give you many good conversation starters.
How To Start Conversations
You always want to start your conversations with a testimonial.
For example:
“Hey Godson, your post on XYZ saved my relationship with my wife, Thank you so much for the value you share. (Include a link to the post)”
A warm compliment is always a good way to get attention.
People love praises. What they love even more, is sharing how their work has affected you positively.
Would you get a response?
Maybe. Maybe not.
If you get a response, that’s great. Otherwise, continue sending these outreachs.
Of course not like a maniac. Use common sense.
Vary the cadence of your outreaches and vary the content of the messages.
Don’t go straight to asking for mentorship without giving value first.
Mentoring requires someone’s time (The most precious commodity)
So it’s a bigger ask than you think it is.
Here’s something to keep in mind. Nobody will agree to mentor someone they don’t like
Dale Carnegie’s book: How To Win Friends And Influence People will show you how to get people to like you.
Take Them Seriously
Good mentors are tough.
They will call out your B.S.
If you’re the type of person who cannot handle the truth, don’t seek out a mentor.
When they give you advice or instructions, don’t only follow through with it
Also, give feedback on what you’ve done and the outcomes (good or bad)
That way they will know you are serious about following and not wasting their time
Give them praise in secret and in public.
If you’ve learned how to make friends, you’ll know not to miss their anniversaries.
Celebrate them on their special days.
Wrapping It Up!
A mentor can save you years of frustrating work in one minute.
They can open doors you don’t have access to
They can usher you into new levels of life.
I strongly recommend you consider getting one soon!
Let me know what you think in the comment section.
That’s all for this one.
Cheers!
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