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Everyone thrives to be great in life. We all go into one business or the other, take a course, learn some skills, attend seminars and the likes, all in order to achieve one task -Success. One of such medium, which sadly, some people still take for granted is taking on a mentor.

Who is a Mentor?

A mentor is someone who is a professional in a particular field, capable of giving guidance to others trying to grow in that field. Mentorship is the relationship between a mentor and his/her protégé/mentee. One of the shortest path to becoming a professional in any field is taking on a mentor. Mentorship gives the kind of speed that cannot be gotten otherwise. Some people recognize this fact and quickly identify and take on mentors whenever they delve into something new.

But then, it does not just end with taking on a mentor. In order to get that speed and the fast-track to success you so desire, there are certain principles you have to observe when working with a mentor.

Principles of working with a Mentor

1. You have to be thirsty

Just getting a mentor is not the only way to become great in life. You have to be someone with thirst. This includes, thirst for knowledge and greatness. This thirsty is what enables you to pull out something from your mentor’s life. This thirst is what keeps you going when things become difficult. The thirst is what helps you accept whatever means it would take to mould you into that professional.

2. Be observant

Every mentee has to be highly observant of his/her mentor. There are so many messages passed across with actions which cannot be put into words. Close observation of behaviors and actions of your mentor opens your eyes and understanding to things you would not get in speeches and lectures.

3. Ask relevant questions

Now you have got a mentor. It does not end with listening and observing, you have to take further steps by asking questions. This should not just be ordinary questions, but questions that are relevant to the important steps you are about to take towards making success. The right questions have been shown to bring forth wisdom and such answers usually comes from deep down the heart.

4. Do not expect convenience

Some mentees are known to come up with excuses as to why they cannot meet up with certain appointments with their mentors. As a mentee who is ready to make reasonable progress in life, you should know doing certain required tasks at your own convenience is out of the question. You have to be ready at any time.

Serious learning is not usually accompanied with convenience.

You make out time to attend classes wherever or whenever, so you can confidently take exams. Same thing with mentorship, you do not decide when and how to meet with a serious mentor, you make out time somehow to make sure you do not miss any opportunity to grab something. Some mentors even use this as a test to check how serious their mentees are.

So sit up and stop expecting mentorship to be a convenient one, I promise you it would not be.

5. Capture the energy.

Nope, I am not going all churchy on you! This energy here refers to the flow, the power that goes with your mentor. That draw that attracted you to him/her in the first place. This comes by words and your heart.
Words in the sense that, whenever your mentor opens his/her mouth to speak, wisdom is flowing out, capture it and let the words sink in. In order for this to happen, your heart also has to be willing to receive.

6. They are not gods.

Your mentor should not be worshipped. Respect, yes, but do not worship. They are humans like you and when you worship them, they have this godlike view in your eyes and then, the minute you notice any form of human error in them, you tend to start losing your faith in them. This could lead to a breach in the flow of the knowledge being passed on.

In conclusion, mentorship is highly important because on the path to greatness, people without mentors use staircases while those with mentors use elevators!

Thanks for reading.

Blog contributor: @fejiro

Editor: @pangoli, for the community!

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