Most of us want to achieve success. Whether it’s in our job or in our business we want to be successful. In my view, there are two ways we can achieve our desired goals; the first way is to work very hard, make mistakes and learn from them as we go and the second is to find yourself a willing mentor.
Based on my own experiences, I would use the second method every time. I have been fortunate enough to have two significant and successful careers during my life to date. One as a firefighter with Kent Fire & Rescue Service and the second as an author, entrepreneur and business coach. Each time, I have been fortunate enough to have a mentor; someone who has coached me and taught me numerous and invaluable lessons that allowed me to achieve success far quicker than I otherwise would have. The simple fact is, whether it’s a person already in your personal or professional life, or you’re engaging the services of someone, when you engage with a mentor you are gaining access to their experience, life lessons, advice, and most importantly, support.
Recently, I was asked by an aspiring author who was considering using my services as a coach, what the benefits are of using a mentor and I responded by explaining the following:
BENEFIT #1 – Instant access to experience and expertise
When you use a mentor, you instantly have access to their experience and expertise. For example, as a successful author and publisher myself, I know what it takes to create a fantastic book. I also know what it takes to promote a book properly and how to achieve bestseller status. This information, for which I have gained through hard work and determination over a 13-year period can be instantly passed on to the people I coach.
BENEFIT #2 – Motivational support
Let’s face it, whether you are trying to achieve a personal goal, career goal or business goal, it can be a lonely experience. Having someone by your side can be invaluable. It is difficult for people to stay 100% motivated every single day of the week, and at times, we can all feel a little demotivated. It’s at times like these when a mentor can really push you through, motivate you and ensure you stay focused on your end goals.
BENEFIT #3 – A recommend system for success
As a former firefighter of 17 years, I am very much used to following and implementing systems. I am also a strong believer that anyone can achieve whatever they want in life, if they follow a step-by-step plan for success. One of the very first things I will do whenever I work with an aspiring author as their mentor is to create an easy-to-follow system for achieving the desired goals that includes deadlines and realistic targets.
BENEFIT #4 — Accountability
Most people will set themselves a goal to achieve at some stage in their life. Whether it’s a career promotion, fitness goal, weight-loss aim or a desire to start a new business, we all start off all guns blazing. Soon after we start however, our enthusiasm often wanes, until eventually, our goals are put on the backburner. To give you an example of this in practice, head along to your local gym the first week of January and you will struggle to get on any of the machines. However, head back during the middle of March and you will see a drastic reduction in the number of people still working towards their fitness goals.
When you have a mentor, they will not only motivate you to achieve your goals, but they will make you accountable, too. As I have said many times before, you are far more likely to achieve your goals, whether personal or business related, if you have a mentor to help you. As human beings, we naturally do not want to disappoint others and I often use this fact as a driver to help people achieve their goals. To give you another example, if an aspiring author comes to work with me I will set them realistic targets to meet, and nine times out of ten, they will achieve them. Why? Because they don’t want to disappoint others. I encourage the people I work with to tell others they are going to write a book. I also encourage them to put their book on pre-order so that it is available for others to buy prior to the launch date. These two simple strategies are used as motivating drivers for helping people achieve their goals – and they really do work! Once you make somebody accountable, and you give them a defined purpose, their productivity levels will soar.
BENEFIT #5 — Contacts
During my careers, I have built up a fantastic network of contacts who I have access to whenever I need their support or help. These contacts include outstanding book cover designers, honest book printing companies, internet marketers and contacts within the media. A good mentor will share his or her contacts with you, further helping you to achieve your desired goals and targets. One of the issues people face when going it alone, is they often don’t know who or where to turn to for specific advice and help. By having a mentor, you can essentially take helpful shortcuts on your route to success.
And finally whilst we’re discussing mentors, make sure you choose one that is suitable to your own needs and goals. After all, the most important person here is you, and on that basis, you have to find a mentor that you can get on with, are able to work in harmony with, and that you feel has the expertise and experience to help you succeed. There are many mentors out there who can help you achieve your goals; just make sure you choose one carefully.
As you can see form the information provided here, having a mentor can have a big impact on your life, whether that be career-related, fitness/heath related or in business. I guess the important question to ask yourself here is this: if I don’t have a mentor to help me, will I be in exactly the same position this time next year? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to start looking!
By Richard McMunn
Richard McMunn is the bestselling author of the ‘How2Become’ series of career guides and the founder of his own unique VIP author mentoring programme. Richard works as a full-time author and publisher and to date has authored 150 books and helped over 100 aspiring writers become published authors. He has also been awarded the IPG Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year and the Nielsen Digital Marketing Award. How To Write & Publish A Bestselling Book: My journey from firefighter to bestselling author and how you can do it too! by Richard McMunn (published by How2Become Ltd 26th February 2018 in paperback and ebook) is available to purchase from online retailers and to order from all good bookstores. For more information, please go to http://www.bookpublishingcourses.com/