Having a mentor can be one of the best ways to travel directly from where you are now to where you want to be sometime in the future with as few deviations as possible, but how do I find a mentor I can work with?

Finding a mentor or guide begins with you clearly identifying your exact expectations. What is it that you want to be able to achieve by having someone mentor you.

Many people are very disappointed shortly after partnering with a mentor.

Several  reason’s for this can be:

A.) They don’t feel that the mentor is doing enough for them.

B.) They don’t feel that the mentor is meeting their needs.

Quite often both of these problems can be eliminated if you start off by taking the following 4 steps to aid you in your search:

1.) Set a clear and specific goal

Set a clear and specific goal of what you want to achieve and have realistic expectations. Realize that the mentor is there as an experienced coach or leader that can provide you with pointers and guidance as to what steps or actions you need to take to develop the skills and abilities that you need to learn and master.

Many people think that the mentor will show them an easy way of doing things or a short cut to achieving a goal.  This is not the case with any real mentor. A true mentor has traveled that road and knows that there are no short cuts to true and lasting success.

2.) Do Your Research

Do your research – Try and get at least 3 – 5 good prospects to choose from.  This will allow you to pick the one that you feel will work best for you.  There are a number of ways to do this.

For example, you can ask your friends or family members if they know of someone who is good at mentoring others. This is usually one of the best ways of getting a good candidate for you to consider.

You can attend classes or training in which experts will be giving presentations.  Or you can check on line using the internet for people who are providing mentorship in the area that you are interested in.

3.) Get Referances

3.) Get references from others who have been mentored by your prospects. You don’t want to go only by the testimonials that may be provided to you, by the prospective mentor, from a predetermined list. It is better if you get your own feedback (if possible) from other previous students. Review sites and forums can help with this step, as well as places such as Yahoo Answers.

4.) Interview your prospects

4.) Try and arrange a personal meeting with your top 2 or 3 candidates and have a pre-written list of questions for them that will help you to determine which one might best suit your specific needs, based on your predetermined goals. With technology such as Skype, this need not involve long distance travel to accomplish.

Realize that it will take a commitment of time, discipline and effort on your part to follow the guidance of your mentor on a daily, consistent basis to get the desired results.