Student, Mentor, and Peer: 3 Types of Friends You Need on the Road to Success

Success never happens in a vacuum. It always depends on many factors, including our environment and our relationships.

If you are trying to achieve a goal completely on your own – it’s definitely possible – but you’re limiting your chances and handicapping yourself in a big way.

Naturally successful people learn from other successful people. They are always looking toward others to learn more, improve themselves, and take their skills to the next level. They are learning machines.

This article covers 3 important types of relationships that you need on the road to success. It’s called the “Student, Mentor, Peer” model of motivation.

This is a great framework to analyze your current relationships and see where you may be lacking, especially as it relates to your goals and motivation in life.

The best part about this framework is that each relationship focuses on a different aspect of the learning curve. Everyone (whether they are a beginner, intermediate, or expert) plays a role in learning from each other.

This is a hyper-inclusive and hyper-contextual way to learn about something and boost your skills to the next level.

Here’s a simple infographic illustrating the “Student, Mentor, Peer” model.

The “Student, Mentor, Peer” Model of Motivation

All 3 of these types of relationships (student, mentor, and peer) are crucial to your growth and development. Here’s why…

• Mentor (someone above your skill level) – Mentors are the most common types of people to learn from. Typically, we look toward those who have already achieved what we want to achieve, since they have the most knowledge and experience on how to be successful. This is one big reason why I recommend creating a list of role models when you begin your path of self-improvement. Actively reaching out to these mentors, connecting with them, and asking questions is essential to bring yourself to the next level.
• Student (someone below your skill level) – Students are another important type of person to help solidify your knowledge and experience. You often don’t fully understand something until you know how to teach it to someone else. Stepping into a “teacher’s perspective” not only helps others by teaching them what you know, but it also helps you by reinforcing what you already know at a deeper level. It can also help you to maintain a beginner’s mind to keep your mind fresh and curious. No matter what level you are at right now, there’s likely someone below you that you can help grow and progress.
  

• Peer (someone at your current skill level) – Peers at a similar skill level to you also play an important role in keeping you motivated and accountable. When you have a friend who has similar goals and is at the same level, you can use each other for friendly competition or rivalry. By having someone at your level who you can compete with, you stay inspired to win while still improving yourself and working toward the next level of your development. They can also become a benchmark so that you don’t fall behind or halt your progress. And they can be potential partners to collaborate with in the future.

Which type(s) of these relationships do you have fulfilled? Which do you lack?

If you are able to connect with others at all levels of the “learning curve,” you will take your success and motivation to a whole other level.

Those are the best type of communities too: where everyone helps each other, provides advice and feedback, and finds opportunities for cooperation and collaboration no matter what skill level they are at.

If you have trouble finding these types of relationships in the real world, then searching for them online is your next best option.

The “Student, Mentor, and Peer” framework is a good lens for analyzing your digital environment and whether or not it’s serving your values and goals in life.

In general, pay attention to the types of relationships you are cultivating in life. They can make a big difference in how happy and successful you become.

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