When you picture mentorship in your mind, what do you see?
Teacher and student? Therapist and client? Master and apprentice? Mentorship could come in any of these forms.
The meaning and purpose of mentorship is to guide individuals in the right directions, identify their core issues, teach them life skills, and remove the mental roadblocks that prevent them from achieving their goals.
Here are 5 reasons you should find a mentor this year:
1. Mentorship Means Someone Holding You Accountable
We all have goals. And we all have visions in our minds of how we want to feel, where we want to live, and the types of relationships we want to have.
You might have lofty goals for yourself (and that’s a great thing), however, anyone walking the path to mental health or professional success knows that sometimes, we can fall off.
We skimp on our commitments, fall back into old patterns, and insecurities we thought we overcame start to creep back in — So, how can a mentor help with this?
Put simply, a mentor will help you stay focused on what matters. In a compassionate way, they will tell you where you’re going wrong, and in what ways you’re selling yourself short.
They are as committed to your goals as you are, so the moment you start to slip, a mentor will be there to remind you of the promises you made yourself.
2. Mentorship Means Encouragement
A lot of us would like to believe that we can do everything on our own; that we can handle every challenge without having to hurt our pride by asking for help.
But anyone pursuing goals knows that you often run into tough moments. You start to doubt your reasons for trying, or you consider giving up altogether. Mentorship exists to remind you that no person is an island.
Mentors don’t just offer their skills, they offer their wisdom. If a mentor has been in your position before, they will be able to guide you through it.
But more importantly, mentors will see you in your toughest moments and remind you why you started. They will help you recognize all the other challenges you have overcome in your life, and they will remind you of how much you deserve what you’re looking for.
We all need encouragement, and if you don’t have people in your life who can see and cultivate your potential, a mentor will fill this role and pick you up when you’re down.
3. Mentorship Means Identifying Self Limiting Beliefs
“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it.” — Ghandi
We all have filters in our self-perception, our perception of others, and our perception of the world. The things that happen to us often shape what we come to believe.
When we think something negative about ourselves, it could be a result of a negative experience from our past that we’ve forgotten, and the belief might not be accurate at all.
Mentors can see the blindspots in your self-perception, and they can help you develop a more accurate view of reality. You will be able to question the validity of your limiting beliefs and they will cease to hold you back.
Once a mentor shows you an alternate perspective, you can start to see yourself and your abilities in a more realistic way, and replace your limiting beliefs with empowering ones.
Even if you think you know yourself, mentors have the power to spot the things you miss.
4. Mentorship Means Having a Confidant
If you’re human, then you probably have trouble admitting your insecurities. What’s holding you back personally or professionally could be something you’re reluctant to talk about, and that’s ok.
A mentor is someone that you can feel safe to be vulnerable with. Vulnerability boils down to being honest about what you’re feeling, and it’s the key to any meaningful relationship, professional or otherwise.
Maybe…
- You don’t feel like you’re where you should be at a certain age.
- You’re embarrassed to ask questions you think are “stupid.”
- You aren’t ready to share your dreams and goals with your loved ones yet.
- You don’t feel comfortable talking about your problems with the people in your life.
- You don’t have anyone in your life that you could call a confidant.
Mentors give you the space to express yourself freely and without judgment, so together you can get to the bottom of what’s holding you back.
They fuel your personal development by hearing you at your most raw, while at the same time always being solution focused and practical.
5. Mentorship Means Refining Your Vision
It can be hard to know what you really want in life.
By assessing your strengths, weakness, talents, needs, and skills, a good mentor will help you determine your life path and build up the necessary courage to follow it.
They can help you reassess your relationships, your professional endeavors, your physical health, your artistic pursuits, or any aspect of life that involves planning and commitment.
Essentially, having a mentor is like getting a second opinion on the medical procedure that is your future. They help you boil down what you want so that you won’t waste time and effort pursuing the wrong things.
In addition, if you want to revamp the life you currently have (no matter your age), a mentor will help you get to a place that’s more fulfilling.
The Meaning of Mentorship: Teaching, Guiding, and Helping
It has been said that a good mentor can be more valuable than a college education.
Maybe you haven’t had a good mentor in your life yet, but there is no shame in seeking one out if you’re trying to make big changes. They can be the greatest ally on your journey.
To review, here’s how a mentor can help you:
- They will hold you accountable for your actions and make sure that you stick to your commitments.
- They will encourage you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and remind you of how far you’ve come in your toughest moments.
- They will see through the beliefs that are holding you back and replace them with beliefs that serve you.
- They will listen to your problems with compassion because they understand the courage it takes to share your problems with others.
- They will help you create a vision for what you want your life to look like going forward.
Don’t be afraid to seek mentorship. It could be last tool you need to get where you’re trying to go.
