When you find that person…

I can’t remember when it started but I’d always known. There’d been so many instances that proved what I thought.

Then I realised people spoke about it. They talked about how having one helped and how they wished they’d met their person earlier. This validated what I’d always had in mind.

A guide. A mentor. Or someone ahead of you to lead you.

For this blog article, I use “Guide”. Because in one way or the other, the people ahead of us guide and lead us.

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Have you ever felt so lost that you knew there were things you had to do to move from one stage to the other but weren’t sure how to do them?

Or that you felt if you had someone in your life showing you the way, it’d have been so much easier? You would have probably made some decisions quicker and even better?

For some parts, I can reply in the affirmative.

We need guides present in every aspect of our lives - at work, school, church - you name it.

When you don't have a guide, your growth may delay a bit because things you may have figured out or done by asking and getting an answer or getting someone leading you to the right resources, you have to start from scratch - which would take time.

I'm not saying you can’t grow all by yourself or it’s impossible. You can. However, it’s quite easier when you have people leading you or guiding you to specific resources at specific points. You save time and energy to work on other things.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be about spoon feeding you. It’s more about putting you on the right path so you can go do the work yourself.

Moreover, guides point you to things you might not even know existed. The benefits of having that person or people in your life are endless.

However, finding your guide isn’t always easy. And how you find yours may differ from how I do mine - we all want and like different things.

But below are 5 ways to go about it. I’ve tried and tested all and they work incredibly well!

5 Ways to Find and Connect with Your Guide (s)

⚠ These may be remote-biased because I have fewer physical interactions now, but some can apply to both in-person and virtual activities.

1. Follow prospective guides and engage with their content on social media.

2. Read their books, subscribe to their newsletters, watch their videos, and listen to their podcasts.

3. Attend events they’re speaking at (and possibly approach them to speak to them)

4. Reach out on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or any platform you can find them to ask for advice or specific resources for something you want learn.

5. Enroll in programs that connect you with mentors, guides etc.

Please feel free to add to the list in the comments section if you have any ideas!

I think I’m not really an audio person and I can barely listen to podcasts when I’m doing something else. It’s just not effective for me because I like to focus on one thing at a time. So for that - and sometimes videos - I barely incorporate them in the things I do even though I have them. But they’re goldmines.

Bonus

• Research to ensure the person is the right fit for you.

• It’s good to ask for help but do your research first. That way, you can ask for the best options or validate your findings if you have doubts.

• Sometimes when you follow these professionals and engage with their content, they notice you and will be ready to help when you reach out.

I’ve attended webinars and had the speakers call me out and speak directly to me - they said they noticed how much I engaged with their content and they appreciated it.

• You may not always be the one reaching out if you’re engaging with their content. Sometimes they may reach out to ask if they can help with anything - especially if they’re now building their brands online.

I had someone reach out to thank me for engaging and she asked if I needed help. At the time, I didn’t need anything but later when I reached out, she was so happy to help. And she said I could always come back if I needed anything. She even suggested getting on a call to discuss a book she recommended to me. And she's not the only one.

I know it’s not easy getting in touch with people who can help you. But it’s good to make an effort to get closer to them.

What are your thoughts on having guides?

Do you have one?

Let’s chat in the comments section!

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