08/12/2025
Monday motivation! Have you ever heard this piece of advice?
Become friends with the most successful person in the room. I have.
In 2007 I was on tour in Australia performing in a dance production. Although I had one of the lead roles, I wasn't quite the lead dancer. One day I went to the production manager and asked what I needed to do to become the lead. I assumed he would advise me to rehearse more, polish my technique or improve my facial expressions. Instead, he said "become close to the dancer you want to be like. I was confused, but took his advice anyway and the next time we were doing hotel allocations I asked if I could share a room with the main lead.
Years later, my NLP teacher said the same thing in a different way. "Observe those who you aspire to be like. Model the ones who have walked the path". It finally made sense, what I had heard all those years before!
It's not about being blindly following, or being deceitful. It's about being open and curious. I now realise that understanding the mindset of those who have achieved what you desire to, is a vital tool for self-growth.
That's why I still get coached and mentored, by those who I look up to. That's why I spend my free time listening to podcasts and watching webinars to learn from others. Not to copy them, but to embody them...
If you're looking for a mentor to guide you, choose someone who walks the walk and talks the talk. Be inspired by someone who has already done what you have a vision to do. Not so you can follow their strategy but so you can tap into their beliefs.
I'd love to hear your comments below, if you've ever been given this advice and what you did with it.
