What if I told you that you could have your own success dream team? There are successful people out there waiting for you to soak up their genius! These four actions will help you develop meaningful relationships with those people who are out there already doing what it is you want to do!
ASK.
You will be surprised at how willing people are to help you if you simply take the opportunity to ASK them. Identify people who are doing what it is that you want to do, and ASK them if they will share their story with you. You can use this as a basis for identifying who might make a meaningful match for you as a mentor. Once you’ve made that connection, ASK if they would be okay with you following up with them for guidance and advice.
Follow Up.
Okay, so you took the step to ASK someone for advice, support, or guidance. It is now your responsibility to follow up with that person. Don’t wait for them to reach out!
Create a specific plan for follow up with your mentor so that you know you are respecting their time and personal workload. Do not overflow their inbox with messages or questions. Instead, develop an agreed upon communication plan to keep in touch.
Reflect & Take Action.
Take time to reflect on the advice or guidance given to you by your mentors. Make sure you carefully consider how their wisdom can be applied to your specific situation. To skip the trial and error process so many of us make, copy the genius of those who are doing what it is you want to do and avoid the potential setbacks.
Set a goal for implementing your mentor’s advice. Is it a short-term or long-term action item? Make sure you create a time frame for your goal that makes sense, and then take actions that align with that goal!
Show Gratitude.
By simply being interested in someone else, you are giving the ultimate compliment! However, it is important to follow up your mentor sessions with a message of gratitude or appreciation to further show them how valuable they are to you.
The art of the handwritten thank you note is not dead! Yes, this might seem like an ancient practice in our tech-driven society, but stop and think about it for a quick second…when you receive a hand written note, how special does it make you feel? It takes a few quick seconds to send an email, but writing a note, stamping it, and mailing it to someone requires personal effort on your part. It shows that individual that you value his or her time and advice.
You can use this process to attract mentors into your life who you want to “copy” in some way, whether it be their professional path, their relationships, their spirituality, or more.
