I just opened a Christmas present from someone I didn’t know when 2024 began.
It may sound strange coming from a 48-year old, but 2024 was great because I made a couple new friends this year.
I know some folks who can’t chart a path to their mailbox and back without making a new friend, but that is definitely not me.
I don’t really need to stack up friends like firewood, but investing in new friendships this year has really shown me how refreshing and energizing it can be to develop connections with people with whom I don’t have history.
As a result, I want to challenge myself…and you…to pursue two specific kinds of relationships in 2025.
- Find a mentor. Identify someone you want to learn from and set up monthly or quarterly calls.
- Find a mentee. Identify someone you can teach and set up monthly or quarterly calls.
It’s not as difficult as you may think.
Once you identify someone you’d like to have as a mentor, just send them this simple email:
I’ve always admired the way you [BLANK] and I know I could learn a lot from you. Would you be willing to meet for coffee and tell me more about your career path?
The mentee email is just as simple:
You’ve got so much potential and I see a lot of myself in you. Would you be interested in meeting for coffee to talk about your goals? I’d love to see if I can help you go further, faster.
After that first meeting, assuming there is a connection worth pursuing, make a plan to meet again in a month or two to do it again.
I can’t promise that anyone you send these messages to will agree to meet, but I think you might be surprised at how willing people are to share their experiences, and how excited people get when someone offers to help.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION: Identify someone you want to learn from and someone you’d like to mentor in 2025. Shoot them a note and set up a call or a coffee date.
PS: I made new friends this year, but your mentor and mentee don’t need to be strangers. The nature of the relationship is what makes it new.