Reaching Out

Last week I reached out to a mentor of mine. He’s been there at a few important crossroads in my life, and standing at a new one now, I decided to go for it again.

I’m still amazed he takes the time. He’s a busy person. But the more we talk, the more I realise how much we have in common — and how valuable it is to have people around you with more experience. People you can learn from. People who challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. (Even if, honestly, I probably do that often enough already.)

It’s comforting to know that no matter how far you go, there’s always someone ahead of you — someone who’s already asked the questions you’re just starting to face.

The Cold-Water Shower

We had a long conversation. He helped me re-evaluate a few things that have been sitting unresolved for a while.

I’ve been expanding and writing my framework for months now, and things are moving forward. But there’s one thread I’ve left loose for almost three years. There’s an athlete I worked with who stayed in touch after I left. We’re still chasing a dream together. It hasn’t been easy. I haven’t had much stability, and things haven’t exactly been on our side.

That’s when the cold-water shower came.

I need to shift my mindset. I need to create stability first — something solid enough to grow from. My own kind of BB in normal life. I’ve started doing that, but the pull of an old dream is strong. And it’s hard to chase new highs if you don’t have a safe place to recover when things get heavy.

Why Mentorship Matters

It was a simple reminder, really.

Even when we know what we need to do, having people who can walk the road with us — even just for a stretch — helps us cut through the noise. It keeps us honest. Grounded. Focused on what actually matters.

Mentorship isn’t about being told what to do.
It’s about being humble enough to listen — especially when the answer isn’t what you wanted to hear.

As coaches, we talk a lot about teaching, guiding, leading. But growth often starts on the other side of that coin — when we choose to be students again.

“The moment you think you have nothing left to learn is the moment you stop being useful.”

And maybe that’s the quiet art behind coaching, too:
knowing when to lead — and when to listen.