You are mentoring someone and being mentored most of the time, even if you don’t know it. People are always watching and lis[1]tening to see what you are saying, what you are doing, and how you are doing it. There is always someone looking to see if what you say is what you do. Children are constantly doing this to parents and that is a key way of how they learn what to do and what not to do in life.
Likewise, if you are someone who is on a mission to improve yourself and want to be the best you that you can be, you should always be watching and observing others. You can always learn something about, and from other people, even if it is what not to do. Decide to be a lifelong learner and you give yourself the opportu[1]nity to improve yourself for the rest of your days on earth.
Often, we get stuck in the trap of thinking that our way is the right way, and the only right way. We mistake our habits, rituals and usual ways of do things as gospel and the only path that leads us to where we want to go. We develop tunnel vision and can only see things that relate to our way of thinking. If the truth be told, that is a death sentence for anyone trying to develop a personal vision, cultivate wisdom and embrace maturity in their life.
While it may be correct that there may only be one right way to do some things, that is not true when it comes to building your life, and becoming successful in the various ways that we define success. The many Avenue as well as our chances of reaching our goals can be overwhelming when trying to figure out best practices for doing various things. We can’t be afraid to try on some strategies for size and if we find they don’t fit, move on to others. A good way to learn about these things is through having a formal or informal mentor.
According to one definition, a mentor is a person who has professional, spiritual or life experiences and who voluntarily agrees to help a person seeking to learn or mentee develop skills, competencies or goals. It is a role model or advisor who is willing to invest time, energy and share knowledge with an individual to help their personal and/or professional growth. That is an official mentor. It is the fastest way to gain knowledge about a field. Mentors are very valuable and help tremendously with furthering your goals. If you can get one, I suggest you do.
However, for various reasons, some can’t get a physical mentor and settle for the next best thing, which for many turns out to be the very best thing; and unofficial mentor.
An unofficial mentor is identifying someone who has excelled in the areas you are interested in and watching them, examining how they do the things that they do and implement some of those practices that made them successful. The person may or may not know that you consider them and unofficial mentor but in either case it doesn’t matter. If they know they may be more willing to help you and pass along information. If not just continue to observe them.
I say it may be the best thing for an individual to have an unofficial mentor because in many cases it trains a person how to become observant, meticulous in their examination and learning how to analyze and apply what’s been murder learned.
Thought: Who are your official and unofficial mentors?