Making business decisions, developing partnerships, and career moves - You can't do it all on your own! That's why you need a mentor! Coaches are essential and can guide you through your journey, be it career, life or even finance.

What got you this far in life is not going to bring you to the next level. Want to get to the next level with less struggle? Get a mentor now. Here are 5 tips on how and why;

#1 How to ask

First of all, figure out whose advice and perspective you really (would) value.

We advise you don't pick people you can talk to anyway about life and who are crazy about you (aka biased). So, don't pick your mom, best friend or your big love.

Now make a list of those people. The top 3 people are those that you are now going to ask to be your mentors.

Don't just ask, "Will you be my mentor." Coaching and advising is time-consuming and costs energy. You should already have a relationship with the woman or man that you are about to ask to be your mentor.

Change the way you think from "If I get mentors I will succeed", to thinking "If I excel, I will be mentored."

When you are ready and prepared to ask, Do this:

• Invite your mentor to meet. Is there a bill? You pay.
• Explain what you admire about them
• Tell them that this is a big part of what leads you to asking if they will coach you on certain questions you have in a specific area. Only then do you ask, "will you mentor me in this area?"
• Accept a decline to your request politely. ...However, most people love to help others, so chances are they will say yes!

#2 Expectations

Respect the time of your mentor.

Do your homework. First, think about what you want to be coach on. You should have specific questions for your mentor or areas that you want to tackle. Choose areas within their expertise.

The more prepared you are, the more respectful you will come across. Input = Output, so always prepare well for each coaching meeting.

#3 Get Perspective or Validate Ideas

First of all, you need to get those ideas and questions out of your head! Your coach is a sounding board to discuss all the big plans, or complex situations you have been mulling over. This is also a chance for you to get experienced seasoned advice and perspective to manage decision-making or problems you are facing.

Here are some topics you can get advice on:

• A business idea
• Career moves
• Well thought through comparison questions, like "Should I go work for firm A or B, based on your own experience and these factors I researched?"
• Blind-spots, including your own

#4 A good look in the mirror

Know thy self. This means not only to know who you are, but also what your place is within the whole. Often, when you are too close to something, you can't see it well. The same is true of yourself.

If you have a mentor that knows you well, chances are that in many ways they will know you or "see you" better that you do yourself. 

Dare to get their feedback. Remember that feedback is truely a gift. Accept it with gratitude. It is their to help you.

#5 Give and take

The best mentees are also mentors themselves! Go the next step and mentor someone!

When you mentor, don't just give advice, but go beyond - write a recommendation on LinkedIn, endorse your mentee on social media, or introduce and recommen her for a high-profile project.

So the goal is...

Learn to ask for help and get the most out of it be being well prepared and open. Also, give back by mentoring someone who is takeing her first steps on a path you've travelled on and mastered already.

You will get where you are going, and the journey is easier and more fun when you take responsibility for your own path and share it with others.