I was reading some literature that revolved around people’s experiences and challenges when it comes to business and life. Of course, there were the common answers such as you have to have determination to not quit when the going gets tough while being passionate about what you do. They talked about having certain people in one’s life as a support system which was a major factor for their success.

The interesting observation was that there seemed to be a split as some people mentioned that the most important person to have was a mentor while others say it is finding a significant other. In general, people emphasized a mentor as they provide you with insight and advise while helping to expose you to opportunities to help you grow. With a significant other, the theme revolved around having someone who will be there during the good and bad times for some much needed emotional support and push to keep going.

Generally speaking, I personally see a mentor as someone who helps you to accelerate your growth in a specific area which means you need more than one. In that sense, you need someone specifically for say business advice, lifestyle health, etc. A significant other would make me think that their impact in your life would help to build your character overall. With that, it is more about developing a foundation and environment where you will be invigorated each day to do whatever it may be.

I don’t think I have the knowledge and wisdom compared to others who have experienced a lot more in life to really make a comment on which one is more important for professional growth, but it’s an interesting thing to think about for people such as aspiring entrepreneurs if all you think about is work and trying to do things by yourself to achieve success.