Always Look for Mentors

Whether you're fresh in the field or a veteran, finding different mentors to accompany and guide you at different stages is worth it at any age.

There is so much we can learn from others' experiences and outlooks - and it's absolutely priceless.

It isn't the same as simply learning something new or involving a peer. A mentor is more supportive, provides more intimate feedback, and helps direct your thinking in ways you haven't considered or haven't had the capacity to explore on your own.

Having a mentor makes you appreciate NOT being the smartest person in the room - knowing you'll gain real insight from the other intelligent people around you.

It means having an experienced individual who knows how to cope with crisis after crisis, showing you that your problems aren't unique and that there's a lot of fun to be had with headaches.

It's like playing a sports match against someone clearly better and more experienced. You'll probably lose the score, but you'll get better with every new match.

As you improve, you can outgrow a mentor - and they aren't necessarily forever. You'll meet new people, work with more professionals, and find yourself being mentored, knowingly or not, by new mentors throughout your career and lifetime.

Being mentored will absolutely level you up. But it also means you'll need to pay it forward and mentor others yourself - which is just as valuable, because learning how to level others up is a skill all its own.