How to Be Mentored by Anyone

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be mentored by your hero? It might not be as difficult as you think. Here’s how to be mentored from the best in your industry.

Years ago, I began noticing how leaders across niches and work spaces were talking more and more about mentoring. I wanted to be mentored too, but when I looked around, I wasn’t sure who to ask. Or what a mentoring relationship would look like.

I imagined sitting in a cafe with a seasoned writer, talking about our creative careers, and hashing out what was holding me back. I imagined homework, because my personality type loves homework.

The problem was, I’m a bit of an introvert (okay, a lot of an introvert), and randomly asking someone I admired to mentor me was not happening. In my mind, it happened several times. Unfortunately, it didn’t play out in real life.

So, how was I supposed to find a mentor?

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How to find a mentor

Even though I never had the one-on-one “mentoring relationship” of my dreams, I realized recently I have been mentored by dozens and dozens of people. And some of them didn’t even know they were mentoring me.

You see, my initial definition of mentoring was akin to an apprenticeship. I expected to show up to a set place and meet with a specific person and learn a particular skill.

But flash forward a few years and my definition began to broaden. Through the gift of books and the internet, I found I was being mentored on a daily basis. By my heroes. (Here’s a perfect example for the creative business I started.)

These were (and are) men and women who I’ve looked up to through my life. And here I was, sitting at their proverbial feet, and drinking in what they had to say.

Of course, sometimes reading a book or taking a course isn’t quite enough. One needs follow-through. Some personalities thrive on accountability. I am pretty self-motivated, but I also need encouragement to know I’m not just floundering along.

So, how to do this? How does one allow what they’re reading to mentor and grow them spiritually, as a business woman, as a mother, et al?

This is what my process has looked like as of late.

Do a little research. (Just a tiny bit.)

I like to learn. If something piques my interest, I’m apt to check out all the books in the library. (Okay, maybe not all, but most.) Because of this, I’m pretty aware of what I’m wanting and needing to learn at any given time.

If you don’t jive with that, then think about what you would like to learn. Is there an area of you life that you seem to keep on bumping up against? (These could be organization, meal prep, you name it!)

Here’s where the little bit of research happens.

• Ask on your Facebook page or within your friend circle if they recommend any books or classes that address that subject.
• Search online to see if your favorite authors have written about this or have recommended books in this particular niche.
• If you find a book that interests you, flip to the end and look through the footnotes. They are a treasure trove for further learning.
• Is there someone you can enlist to be accountable too, even if it’s just to check in to see if you’re on track?

And then . . .

I love to use my bullet journal to record notes and thoughts concerning the books I’m reading. I also write down notes from online courses I’ve taken.

As you’re reading, if something jumps out as a solution (or even as a possible solution), write it down. If a quote from another author speaks to you, take note and perhaps check them out.

Know that you can take things others say and write with a grain of salt. After all, no one has your particular set of circumstances. I love this about learning—how we can adjust ideas to fit our current needs.

What does this really look like?

An example would be you would like to get back into writing. You check out a book about creativity and writing, for example, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, and discover that she suggests writing five pages a day.

This is something you can note in your bullet journal. It is a concrete action point you could try out. But maybe you have a newborn and a one year old, and the thought of writing five pages a day makes your head spin. This is where YOU come in and adjust and adapt. You decide you will write every day, but you will write one page a day. You PM your friend on Facebook and ask her to simply check in every Friday to see if you were able to do this.

Your friend doesn’t shame you or give advice. She checks in. You answer “yes” or “no” and the week rolls on.

And quietly, you are mentored. Your creative roots begin to take root.

What a world we live in that we have access to so many incredible people! I can be inspired by Dr. Brand’s work with lepers in India, learn how to set better goals as a blogger, and be convicted about my relationship with God after finishing the book, With. All within the confines of my home.

We are blessed, aren’t we?

But I’m not much of a reader.

Well, the good news for you is there’s this awesome invention called Audible. (You can get your first two books for free by clicking here. Yippee! :)) There are also numerous online classes, summits, and podcasts that are available to you this very minute. It really is a question of what you want to learn and how you want to grow.

So, take a minute today and think about how you’d like to grow in your creative life, spiritual life, or as a person in general and find yourself a mentor!

Have a lovely {and creative} day! 🙂