Coaches, Mentors and Heroes

Coaches, Mentors and Heroes

Tim Connor

As we head into a new year I would like to ask you a question – are you using the guidance, experience and wisdom of other people and resources that can aid your journey through life?

Scripture in Proverbs mentions dozens of times the need for the guidance and wisdom from others to achieve success, happiness and a lifestyle that is grounded in reality, confidence and integrity.

We are all being exposed to an increasing amount of information these days and unfortunately this trend is not helping but often hurting our life journey.

The sequence is simple – information can lead to knowledge but to be useful this knowledge must be applied.  Too much information can cause wasted time, confusion and poor decisions. When the best information is applied it can lead to experience and the value of experience is learning that helps us choose the most appropriate knowledge - which actions and decisions worked and which ones didn’t.

Ultimately this experience when blended with the best knowledge can improve and increase wisdom.

But – when during this process we fail to use the best or right information you can see how this can lead to poor decisions, actions and behavior . . .  and outcomes.

What’s the solution to our ongoing life challenges -

the use of OPN or OPE (other people’s knowledge and/or other people’s experience) i.e. coaches, mentors and heroes.

During my life I have had many of these – to mention a few –

Mark Twain, Charlie Jones, Don Hudson, Bible characters, Og Mandino, Catherine Frenzel, Ted Williams, and oh so many more.  Their value in my life has been un-measurable but I can tell you with certainty – that without them I would not be writing this article or have given over 4000 presentation in 25 countries and written over 80 books.

I can’t stress enough the value and importance of OPE and OPN when it comes to maturing with character, integrity, happiness and life and career success.

If you are not benefiting from the guidance of these three resources I will guarantee you are not achieving as much of your potential as is possible.

Yes, learning from these people can take time, energy, resolve and often resources but I will guarantee that these investments will save you time, money and mistakes that could have been avoided and can often be very costly.

Let me give you just one example when I didn’t pay attention to my resources.  Several years ago I started three internet businesses and all three of them failed and cost me a great deal of time, energy and money that never paid off but the bigger issue was the time, energy and resources they stole from my speaking and training career.

It was just another lesson where I failed to utilize the resources at my disposal out of ego, arrogance or just plain stupidity.

Never again.  Now before I take even some simple actions – like a follow-up email I run it by Mike Hourigan a friend, coach and mentor.  He has saved me some really dumb actions and decisions.

Yes, we all have experience, knowledge and a certain degree of wisdom but in the end  - none of us know it all – or everything we need to achieve success and happiness.

If you are benefiting from these three resources I congratulate you but if you are not – this year may be the time to change this approach to life.  Your choice.

“Every man is a hero to somebody, and to that person whatever he says, has an enhanced value.”

Emerson