I believe that one of the greatest keys to success in life is having a mentor. Learning from someone by working or training with them is by far the best way to learn. Sadly, today many times the focus of learning is on attending classes or getting a degree. These are good things, but the truth is that the classroom can only teach you so much. The most effective way to learn is by doing, and you need a mentor to give you hands-on instruction and guidance. 

When I was 17 years old, I starting working with a cabinet installer named Paul. I had never installed cabinets before in my life, but on my first day of work, he showed me how to install a cabinet and after a month of 10 hour days installing cabinets, I pretty much knew how to do almost everything. A few months later, I could install a kitchen by myself. I did not go to a class or get a degree in cabinet installation, but I learned very quickly because I had on the job training and someone to show me what to do. I think that the way we learn in life is very similar, but sadly many times, we do not have someone to help us and guide us. We need to find a mentor or someone with more experience and wisdom to help guide us in life. Here are a few reasons why you need a mentor. 

To keep you teachable

Many times after we graduate high school or college, we think that our learning days are over. We did our time learning, and now that is behind us. However, the truth is that graduated from college means that we have learned the most basic amount of information to get a real job. We have just begun our journey of learning. Sadly, many times we do not realize this and assume that we already know it all. 

A mentor will help us to see how much we have to learn and grow. The right person will push to learn and grow every day. They might share with you books to read or ask you a question that you don’t have the answer to. They will give you practical advice to help you with the problems you are facing in your life at the moment.

To help you see your faults. 

One of the most valuable things about having a mentor is them telling you when you messed up. Whether it be in your personal or professional life, many times, we might know that we messed up at something, but nobody calls us on it. Our friends care about us, and our coworkers don’t want to be jerks, so they don’t say anything. However, we need someone to show us our faults so that we can fix them. 

Why do professional football players need coaches? A majority of the time, the players have more skills and talents than the coaches. However, they need the coaches to show them the small mistakes that they are making so they can improve. They need someone to tell them the mistakes that they are making.  

To push you to attempt new things. 

A mentor will not only show you your mistake that you have made but also push you to try new things. They will believe in you and encourage you to attempt new things and projects. They will be able to tell when you are plateauing and living in your comfort zone. They will be able to see where you should be and push you to get there. 

One of my mentors talks about something called double vision. It means that you see the person where they are at right now, but you also see what they can become. A true mentor will push you to become better and reach your goals! 

We all need mentors in our lives. We need someone to guide us and show us where we are making mistakes. We need someone to push up beyond our limits and believe in us. Sadly, many times we are too proud and stubborn to seek out a mentor. However, we should be willing to humble ourselves because having a mentor is one of the keys to success in life.