As we are trying to face life’s issues, most of us engage with friends and peers from whom we seek advice, encouragement, and feedback on our issues and problems. And sometimes this advice can backfire because we need to realize that we are all on the sailing on the same rocky boat trying to figure out what is best to reach our goals.
Yet, there are important questions to ask when seeking advice, who should you listen to and get advice from? Who can give you the help, knowledge and emotional support you need in achieving your goals? Who should you let influence your thinking? After all, in order to learn and grow, you will need help from others.
Friends are often well intentioned, but can they give you the right help, advice and emotional support you need to achieve your success goals? Are your friends more qualified and experienced than you, to and give you the guidance you need. Our friends all want the best for us. Their motives and intentions are good, but like all of us, they see the world through their own fears, faults, and failures… they are guided by their own knowledge or lack of knowledge and are on same boat.
Today’s video blog, Monday Mornings with Sunaina Episode 60, I am sharing with you the top 4 points when seeking advice from friends:
1) Friends and peers are people that share the same experiences and therefore are at the same crossroads you are at. Your friends share with you the same age, matching maturity level, equivalent skill set, similar mind set and equal exposure. Therefore their advice will at times feel like it’s not enough.
2) Your friends may also be coming from a place of lacking knowledge, so when receiving answers, keep in mind that they are offering their best; the important thing is to listen to the right people. If your goal is to become financially independent, then is it best to rely on the advice of someone who has not yet achieved that goal? Think about that for a moment.
3) Ask yourself why you are being bothered by the answers you are getting, because it all comes down to your own lack of clarity around your goals. What is needed is clarity around your goal, your life purpose, and what you truly want. Lack of clarity leads to misunderstanding the answers you are getting since you do not have a well-defined picture of what you want.
4) Seek a mentor or life coach. Think about this honestly, if you turn to your peer group for advice, what can they tell you that you already don’t know? Is their experience what you need to succeed? Through a mentor or a coach you are taking control of your own destiny by seeking guidance from someone who is qualified and more experienced to answer your questions and show you the right path to success. Good coaching can be transformative, especially when it comes from someone who’s already been in your shoes and succeeded.