At Artisan Creative, we are big fans of mentorship. Artisan Founder Jamie Douraghy is passionate about mentoring and being mentored. There are times, however, when we find ourselves without a mentor for a situation we are trying to navigate. Can you be your own mentor?
Yes!
We went back and took a look at our interview with Jamie to see if any of his advice applies to being your own mentor:
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- Mentors help you learn from their mistakes. Make sure you don’t miss any opportunities to learn from your own.
- Believe in yourself. Use positive language in your self-talk, just like the positive language you would get from a great mentor. You are capable of more than you think.
Some other ways to mentor yourself:
Consciously seek inspiration–Read, go to cultural events, practice activities that inspire you and bring you joy. Inspire yourself.
Explore career options–Your skills and passions may lead you in a different direction than you think. Let them.
Set goals and hold yourself accountable–Develop a system for checking on your own progress. Software that works as a tickler or scheduled email reminders work for us.
Seek out professional development opportunities—Learn new things and meet new people. You don’t always need an introduction. Who knows, you might find a real-life mentor!
There are insights and encouragement that can only get from another person with different experience and a unique point-of-view, but even if you find yourself between mentors, you don’t have to give up all of the advantages a mentor brings to your professional life. Give yourself a present this holiday season–be your own mentor!
Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative