Custom Search
|
|
Mentoring 101
Wouldn't it be fantastic to know how to get to that level of success quickly and with the least amount of effort on your part? Moreover, how to avoid the roadblocks that they encountered on their path to success and freedom? I still remember making the phone call to Vern. I was director of an outpatient sports and orthopedic physical therapy facility and was doing a lot of athletic development training on a daily basis. I wanted to be really good at what I was doing. I wanted to be the best I could be for these kids and teams. I had been to a few courses and one name kept popping up, Vern Gambetta. Vern was the guru's guru with athletic development and coaching. Something inside of me said to get with this guy and learn from him. I called him with the hopes of bringing him to our clinic and doing a twoday training with the staff. Because of the cost involved and the lack of overall interest with my staff I proposed an alternative. I asked Vern what he would charge for me to come to him; basically, follow him around for two to three days and have him teach me his approach to coaching and athletic development in that amount of time. I wanted to know what he considered the most important points in the area of athletic development and functional training in two to three days. He had not done anything like this before. However, we agreed on a price and my family and I, along with a coworker and her family, went to Florida to see Vern. I came away with an abundance of knowledge and a great friend and mentor. He led me to other mentors including Gary Gray, Dave Tiberio and Robb Rodgers. They are the reason I do what I do today: I am a coach, a Physical Therapist, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, an author, speaker and information marketer in the health and fitness arena, all from finding the right mentors. What is something you really excel in? Do you remember the first time you ever did it? You weren't very good at it the first time, were you? Do you remember while you were struggling to succeed and learn you found someone to take you by the hand? Someone to show, teach, and make you do this activity the right way and ultimately make you more proficient in a shorter period of time? I'll bet you could tell me who it was that led you on the right path. They mobilized you past the mistakes they made on their journey and transformed your learning and success at a much quicker pace. If you want to get better or become an expert about anything, the best way and quickest way is to find someone who is successful at what you want to be, do or have and then do what they did. I wanted to train, teach, coach and learn more about functional training, applied functional science and athletic development. So I found the best coaches and teachers as well as practitioners in these areas and found out what it is that they do and what they have done to get where they are. I could have spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to do exactly what they did and in the same way. Sounds kind of funny doesn't it? I was much more proficient by paying them to teach me the "nuggets" and how to position myself to get to my goals in a more timeefficient manner. I do what I do now because of this action step. Mentors take you on the path that they have taken and the road they take daily. You avoid a lot of the potholes on your journey this way. Mentors also help connect you with other likeminded individuals. You can instantly make contact with people that they have developed relationships with just by being acquainted with the mentor. Doesn't this make more sense than going about it on your own? They love to do it too. Mentors love to teach. They love to talk about their experience, especially when you are paying them for their time. I mentor others as well. I have an expertise in applied functional science and now I mentor others looking to gain knowledge in this area. (See www.hiptobeNit.com) I find I actually learn more by teaching and coaching. It keeps me on my toes and keeps my head in the game, so to speak. As you can see this is a cyclical effect. I learn from a mentor and then I teach a student or apprentice. The student is simultaneously teaching me and I am teaching my mentor. What a great system. Mastermind groups containing the contacts you have made through your mentor will start to develop as well. These are groups that meet 12 times a month or as much as every week to learn, discuss and evaluate business, family or other relationships. Ideas can be born and issues solved during these meetings So how does one go about developing these relationships? I will go over some ways that have worked for me. If you can apply these principles you can cut your time to success in half and conquer overwhelm for good! 1. Do you homework. Find out who the leaders are in the area you are trying to learn more about. You may want to be a better writer, marketer or business processional; maybe you want to be in better shape, play guitar or be a great chef. How do you find this information? Where do you find any knowledge? Internet (websites, blogs, forums) Libraries Bookstores Magazines Newspapers TV Seminars Teleseminars Home study courses Look and see who is talking about your subject of interest and follow where it leads you. Quick point: What is the ultimate source of knowledge that has stood the test of time and is virtually fail proof? That's right, a Mentor! So, let's keep looking at ways to find mentors, so you can get busy connecting with them. 2. Choose someone to listen to. After doing some extensive research I would pick 13 mentors to follow and learn from. I believe trying to learn from 1015 different sources on your topic can not only be overwhelming, but will only confuse you and paralyze you in your journey by too much analysis. 3. Learn from them. Begin reading , researching, buying and trying their products; read their blogs, visit their websites, read their newsletters, attend teleseminars, seminars, etc. in an attempt to learn more about them. 4. Make contact. At Nirst this may mean writing a testimonial about their product on their website or blog. It may mean speaking up on a teleseminar or introducing yourself at a live seminar. Send in a question to their help desk and/or get involved in a forum on their website. 5. Follow their advice. Take action! If for no other reason you see if it works for you. The quickest way to develop a relationship with mentors is to use their systems and products and then let them know about it. Bonus What can you do for them? Do you have an expertise that would compliment a product or a system that the mentor currently proposes? When I first went to visit Vern he was training a soccer player recovering from a knee ligament injury. Vern let me "take a look" at him while he finished working with a female track athlete. Because of my background in biomechanics and applied functional science, I was able to discover things about this athlete that Vern had not considered. It impressed him and demonstrated an expertise that complemented his coaching and training methodologies. We have been friends and colleagues since. Who else would like to reach their goals and passions faster and with the least amount of time and effort? Use a mentor. Can you see that this can be done via email, blogs, through products, teleseminars, live seminars, oneonone coaching and with relationship building and joint venture partnerships? Start today. Find mentors whose message resonates with you. Follow their advice. Apply the principles, strategies and techniques and master the ones that work for you. Success and happiness will find you quickly. Then you too can be the mentor. Thanks for playing! John Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com To learn more about efficient exercise techniques that improve your movement ability and decrease your time in the gym visit: www.imovebetter and sign up for the IMOVE newsletter. |
|