Mentors, Masterminds and a Mistake
I was listening to a podcast and the guest asked the question, “What if your opportunity comes, and you aren’t ready”? He brought up being an author and getting the chance to be on Oprah, but not being ready for everything that comes with it. Can you imagine having the chance of a lifetime and not being ready? I think most of us have something that we have been thinking about or fooling around with for years, what if our big break finally came and we had to pass?
The Three M’s
So how do we make sure that we are ready? The first thing we need to do is to get a mentor. I started here because this one seems to be both confusing and, in some ways, easy. Most people know that they need a mentor, but they don’t think they have the money to get one. As a result, they don’t do anything. I need something that I can’t afford, so I am stuck before I get started. I have been doing something for years that I never completely realized. A few times a week, I go out and download the latest podcast from someone I enjoy listening to. If I keep listening to the same person week after week for years, they are mentoring me. It’s free and easy, all it takes is time. If it is important to you, you will find the time. The biggest challenge with doing it this way is that you must keep listening to the same few people. You can’t have ten different people that you listen to once a month and think that you will go far. You need to pick three to four people and listen to them every chance you get. Listen to their podcasts, buy their books and find YouTube videos of them.
The Second M
You need to find a mastermind group. What is a mastermind group? This is my definition based on everything that I have read on the subject. It’s a group of people, usually around five people. Anything less and you don’t get as many benefits, anything more and it’s going to take up a lot of time. These five people get together on a regular basis, no more than once a week, but at least once a month. They have a certain number of things in common. Maybe they are all trying to accomplish the same goal. Maybe they all need to be held accountable in the same areas. Maybe they all need to be pushed to accomplish something personal. In the end, the goal is to meet on a regular basis and share thoughts and ideas on how they are accomplishing their goal. One person shares, then the other four give their thoughts and ideas and then you move on to the next person. It usually takes an hour or so, but everyone leaves with something. If done right, these groups should help you move forward.
The Third M
It’s fun to hear about other people making mistakes. I don’t mean that in a harsh way. I just mean that it’s helpful to know that other people struggle, and things don’t always go smoothly. So here is my mistake, my goals are my goals. Every single time I have a good idea, I want to take the people I love with me. The issue that I need to deal with is that what I want, isn’t what they want. Maybe everyone would love to be an entrepreneur, but how they go about it is going to be way different than how I want to do it. It makes sense that people don’t want to work for someone, but they still want to have an income they can live on. But if you are going to take that leap, it needs to be something you are passionate about. I don’t know anyone who is passionate about the same things that I am. That is why I need to go out and find a mentor for myself. That is why I need to go out and find a mastermind group that fits me. Always love and support your friends. I do believe that helping everyone else accomplish goals eventually leads to you accomplishing your goals. Just don’t forget that they have their own journey to go on and you have yours! You are responsible for making sure you are prepared when your opportunity come!!