Before you get a mentor

So this post is actually supposed to be one line: Before you get a mentor, do your homework! Too many times I have seen people wh...

So this post is actually supposed to be one line:

Before you get a mentor, do your homework!

Too many times I have seen people who rush at mentorship without doing the necessary work that they need to do on their own. This is what I call the homework.

Homework back in my early schooling days was an assignment that the teacher expected her students to work on outside the classroom. So I would be using this teacher/student relationship to explain somethings. It is important to note that for this article, I am not referring to the teacher as the mentor.

Now when you receive home work, the following things are necessary:

1. Properly document the homework: Just like you have to copy out the assignment from the board or listen attentively to figure out which pages to read, in life we need to properly document and define the problem.

2. Figure out what you already know from previous lessons: In the same way a teacher builds the next lesson on previous lessons, the issues we have in life can be solved with some insight we have acquired along the way. This insight might not solve the entire problem but would at least get you started.

3. Attempt to solve the homework: Now before you begin calling people to help you solve your problems, attempt to solve it yourself first and get stuck. Let is be that you require a mentor simply because you are stuck. Not stuck as a result of fear but stuck because you are at wits end. For example, before you get a business mentor, study business basics! I get really annoyed when people ask me things that would pop up on the first page of a google search result.

4. Get disciplined yourself: I once had someone who wanted me to mentor him academically. He made a request that made me realize he wasn't ready. He asked that I call him everyday to find out if he had been reading. We need to realize that the mentors we have are also busy chasing their goals and as such, their time is precious let me state that again with more emphasis PRECIOUS!! A better option for him would have been to offer to send me a text everyday when he was done with his reading sessions. Do not look for a mentor to instil discipline in you. He can help you remain focused but should not be responsible for originating your discipline. Aim for self discipline.

When you do these 4 things, most times you find out that the answers are within reach and you do not even need to consult anyone.

Should you need to still consult a mentor, you can approach him telling him of how you have properly documented the problem, what you know so far and how much effort you have put in already and the areas in which you need help.

Thank you for reading this. Hope it makes some sense.