Be selective and intentional

Although mentoring is a great tool for improvement and growth, it is not only a “feel-good” activity where you do it because it is fun and you will feel great about it (although it can be a lot of fun at times). Mentoring is challenging work for both sides, and it requires a big effort in time and commitment. You should use it to improve in specific areas.

It is easy to consider mentoring as just a conversation or to build a relationship with your mentor and confuse it with friendship, but being mentored is hard. A good mentor will push your limits so you can succeed faster and grow further. That is stressful, and often, your mentor will possibly end up annoying you with tough questions and criticism, making you see the truth that you are trying to ignore (or hide even from yourself).

A good mentor will push you to do things you are not comfortable with – things that are outside of your comfort zone. One of the hardest parts of...