- The mentor should NOT be the only one you have.
One person can’t take care of everything. You need to have multiple mentors catering to fields they can help with.
For example, I have mentors when it comes to money, career, spirituality, people management, etc. And these are not the same people.
- The mentor should NOT be much older than you.
When 20-yr olds write to me requesting for me to become their mentor, I have a facepalm moment.
I will make a horrible mentor to a 20yr old. Because things that are obvious to me are things the other person would not have even experienced. So, when I share something obvious and they will not understand (for no fault of theirs), they will think “I must be dumb to not get it. Because clearly this person is an achiever and knows what he is talking about.”
What you want is a mentor that is 5yrs, max 10yrs older than you. So that they offer a perspective that is relatable.
- The mentor should NOT think like you.
If they do, you will get the same answers that you too would have come up with.
The mentor needs to challenge your thinking – ask you questions to push you in a new direction that you could explore.