In the Margins
Not every thought is a post. This is where the in-between things live — quick observations, things I'm sitting with, one-liners that keep showing up. Unpolished on purpose.
I finally did it, I sent out a note just a quick are you willing to meet I'm looking for a mentor.
And I got a response, almost immediately with an option to schedule a call to chat about what's my ask.
What is my ask?
Now I have to get clear about what I need help with. As a recovering overachiever, I know what I don't need. I can do the research, understand the process, and create a value proposition. What I need is an accountability partner, a strategic partner and a cheerleader when I feel like I'll never find my people.
That's not so hard, right? RIGHT?
A few weeks ago I wrote about being a mediocre mentee. I identified the patterns, named what I'd been doing wrong, and made a plan.
Part of that plan was finding a mentor for this next chapter. I identified a lead, drafted the message, and did not send it.
Asking for help is hard, it takes energy and the right mindset and I wasn't there. I had jury duty, PMI work and other obligations that were consuming my energy. To then reach out to someone to ask for their time and attention, unprompted? No thank you. I didn't have the bandwidth for this kind of outreach: vulnerable, one-sided, outcome-uncertain. It could wait.
Plus, if I'm honest: what was I even asking for.
The shape of what I need is still forming. I've been waiting to feel more certain before I reach out. But certainty isn't coming first. That's not how this works.
The message is still in my drafts. Entry 02 is when I send it.