Apprentices have been around a long time. But we often discard the habit of thinking like an apprentice after we’ve gained some footing in the workplace. It shouldn’t be that way, especially if you’re contemplating your next great beginning.
In this episode of the Reinventure Me podcast Leary and Armin discuss four reasons why you should practice the art of being a lifelong apprentice:
- To expand your network of people who can help you run your race.
- To foster greater clarity about your pursuit and to help you think more creatively.
- To avoid costly errors by learning from the mistakes and successes of others.
- To increase self-discovery by giving another permission to speak into your life.
These benefits come only when we intentionally consider and pursue mentoring relationships. It’s not easy, but extremely valuable as our Inspire Me quote reminds us:
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” — Japanese proverb
The Challenge Me segment suggests the following exercise: take some time to reflectively consider and write down your answers to these questions:
- Why do you want a mentor? Gaining clarity about your motivation keeps you committed to the apprenticeship process.
- What three areas in your life do you want to submit to mentors? Pressing yourself to consider more than one area where a mentor may help is a great exercise to expand your thinking about your possibilities.
- Who might be a mentor? Listing as many possible people you know that are a little farther along in an area can open our eyes to the opportunities that are already around us. Keep in mind that your aspirations may be best served by more than one mentor.
Our next episode will discuss how to find and get great mentors. If you have a specific idea or topic that you’d like us to cover, please let us know.
Give us your feedback on this episode by commenting below or leave a voice mail for us on our home page
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
- Why you should be a more intentional apprentice, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
- The Dream Intensive workshop, March 14-15 (Denver)
Ways to get involved:
- Leave a review for this show on iTunes and/or Stitcher Radio.
- Leave a comment or question below.
- Share this post with others in your network:
We look forward to hearing from you!