Our minds are at work all the time, churning through problems, worrying about future events, and navigating our way through our days. These thoughts define our identities and guide our relationships with other people. 

Mentorships involve quite a bit of focused thought for both the mentor and mentee. Mentors are constantly considering how best to guide, correct, and motivate their charges. Mentees are focused on defining and achieving mentorship goals.

But there’s a level of abstraction available that’s less commonly utilized but arguably more important. We all think, but how often do we think about what we think? 

This sort of internal meta-analysis can reveal motivations, fears, and blocks we weren’t aware of. It sheds light on hidden biases and provides new opportunities for both mentors and mentees to increase their relationship’s effectiveness.

How does this work? It starts by simply observing your thoughts without judgment and without attempting to alter them.