Many people have become anti-resolution. To that sentiment, I respond, don’t allow the negativity to disrupt your motivation. Stay excited! You can achieve self-fulfillment. Speaking of which, today’s post is important for anyone with goals. Be sure to bookmark this page and revisit it in the future. I am certain that you have read my previous post on identifying the perfect accountability partner. If you haven’t, simply click here.
Now that we are all caught up, let’s talk about life as a mentee. So, you have identified the right mentor. He or she possesses all the necessary qualities of an effective counselor. The two of you are establishing goals and implementing strategies to meet deadlines (efficiently). You are feeling motivated and productive. Things seem to be going well. That’s great!
Yet, what happens when your accountability partner identifies a quality in you that is destructive? What happens when your mentor informs you of a behavior that is hindering progression? What happens when you disagree with your mentor about this characteristic? What happens when you are upset with your mentor for exposing that quality? You have two options:
- You can respond from an angry place.
- You can respond from a place of cognizance.
The first response can create a set of new problems (if you allow your anger to guide your behavior). Beyond the breakdown of your mentor-mentee relationship, anger can lead you to shut down internally. Anger can lead you to cut off the process to self-fulfillment, prematurely. Many people isolate themselves while in a state of anger. As you can see, option 1 provides no benefits.
The second response can also include discontentment. However choosing this path demonstrates a willingness to thrive. Operating from a place of cognizance means you are able to comprehend all viewpoints. You can identify the detrimental quality and discern how it can harm your future. You can identify why your mentor confronts the issue. By choosing the second response, you can communicate ways to overcome the dilemma.
Ultimately, working with an accountability partner can be challenging (no matter how kind or righteous the person may be). All people possess similarities and differences. It is important to not allow our differences to keep us from accepting sound advice. Your mentor may have his or her own quirks. Nevertheless, right is right. So, when he or she gives you excellent counsel, receive it with an open heart.