Truthfully, nobody gets to the peak of their careers or lives without having one person they look up to, one way or another, especially, those who have gone ahead of you at some point. And, while God remains our primary source for everything amazing we desire in life, those on the face of the earth that you admire, will sometimes give you your most important life lessons. They are your secondary sources of inspiration, encouragement, education, and self-development. Whether it’s an athlete, your school teacher, your coach, your client, your dad or mom, your pastor, imam, etc. learning from others is surely one of the most powerful ways of improving anyone’s life.
When choosing role a model, it is more than crucial to be thoughtful and intentional as they can have a momentous impact on your personal growth, values, and goals. So, here are certain FACTS to consider before or while choosing your role models:
Alignment with Personal Values
The qualities of a good role model, as established in the earlier editions, should reflect the values that are important to you. Whether it’s integrity, empathy, perseverance, or honesty, finding someone who embodies the principles you live by helps ensure that their influence will be positive and relevant to your life and destiny. So, ask yourself what values or principles guide your decisions and thereafter, find role models who consistently uphold these same standards.
Let me say it differently. You should have understood who you are and what you want to achieve in life, like your goals, visions, values, etc., before looking to who will be your role model. That way, you can ascertain which values your role model possesses as well, which will eventually support your journey of becoming the best version of yourself.
WHY you want a role model must be clear to you, first and foremost. What is/are your motivations for choosing a particular role model? You should be clear on what exactly you desire to learn from your role model from the outset, that way, you are not thrown off balance by other aspects of their lives, especially in the event of negative news that may concern them.
Realistic and Authenticity
Why this matters is that a role model should be someone who, despite their success, remains grounded and authentic. They should be transparent about their journey, including their struggles and failures, as this allows you to see the full picture of growth and success. On the other hand, you should be wary of idolising people who seem “perfect” because they may not present a complete or authentic image of themselves. Instead, choose individuals who are honest about their challenges and those eager to share their voyage from time to time.
Diversity of Role Models
As we all know, not one person on this planet is perfect in all areas of life. By having a diverse set of role models, you can learn different lessons from each of them – whether it is about leadership, emotional intelligence, career success, resilience, etcetera. You should consider thinking about various aspects of your life – career, personal development, relationships, etc – and then seek role models who excel in those specific areas.
Track Record of Success and Impact
This is important because a good role model should have a proven track record of success in their chosen field or endeavours. It is not just about how much they’ve achieved but also the quality of their accomplishments and the impact they’ve had on others. Ensure to look out for individuals whose successes are not only measured by their wealth or fame but by the positive influence they have on their community, industry, or society at large.
You must also understudy the HOW of your role models’ accomplishments, their success stories and/or failures. You must have a little background about how they are doing whatever they’re doing, how they got to where they are in major aspects of their lives, etc.
Ability to Motivate and Inspire
You must ensure the role model you desire to look up to or you are looking up to have the ability to inspire you to be better, to push through challenges, and achieve your goals. Their story, character, and actions should motivate you to strive for development and improvement in specific aspects of your life. Likewise, consider choosing someone whose journey resonates with yours and whose achievements inspire you to take action regarding your life.
Accountability and Consistency
Before and while choosing your role model, you should ensure they demonstrate consistency in their behaviour over time. They should be accountable for their actions and not easily swayed by external pressures or trends. Consider looking out for individuals who stay true to their principles even in difficult situations, as this shows their genuine commitment to their values and what makes them who they are.
Focus on Personal Growth, Not Perfection
Why this comes in handy is because a role model is, first and foremost, human and human beings are surely prone to making mistakes. The key thing here is for you to choose people who are constantly working on self-improvement and learning from their failures rather than striving for unattainable perfection.
You should focus on WHAT makes them special. That way, you can emulate the potential and character traits that you want in each of your role models. Therefore, you should consider choosing a role model who focuses on progress and growth, and who is adaptable and resilient when facing challenges or oppositions.
Ideal Positive Influence on Others
Why this matters a whole lot is because a true role model should inspire others, not just through their words but through their actions. They should uplift and empower others to succeed and contribute positively to their immediate communities. This means you should consider looking out for role models who are not just successful for themselves but who actively contribute to the betterment of others around them. Beware of role models whose lives are always flourishing while those around them are impoverished. An ideal role model empowers others to succeed. They do not only give those around them fishes they equally show them how to fish.
Accessibility or Relatability
Truthfully, while you can learn from people you’ve never met from across the world, it is usually more helpful and wonderful if your role model or mentor is accessible. Their experiences should resonate with your own, making it so relatable and easier to draw inspiration and actionable lessons from their journeys. And, please, you should understand that you don’t have to limit your role models to famous people who are probably far away and are not easily reachable. You can find role models in your immediate family, workplace, churches, mosques or community, who demonstrate qualities you admire.
Long-Term Perspective
Last but not least, you should choose a role model whose influence will benefit you over the long term. Their life story or achievements should align with your long-term goals, helping in guiding you not just for the short-term basis but throughout your life’s journey and development. You must ask yourself, “Will this person’s example still be relevant and inspiring to me years from now?”
In summary, knowing what you should consider before and/or while choosing your role models is as crucial as knowing what you SHOULDN’T learn from them. So, you must pay close attention to when they’re messing up (their failure moments, struggles, weakness, mistakes, etc.) by understudying what led to it and equally telling yourself that “NO, THIS IS JUST A PHASE IN THEIR LIVES and most importantly, praying for them to pass such stages triumphantly.
By keeping these considerations in mind, you’ll be able to choose a role model who not only reflects your aspirations but also provides a positive, practical framework for your overall personal growth and success. No matter the phases of life your role models find themselves, you should be motivated and inspired by them to be or do better, and not the other way around. For instance, famous scientists such as Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein struggled and failed many times in their lives, but they kept working hard to achieve, and eventually, they were successful. You should not, for any reason at all, learn the negative traits from your role model.
I believe this piece was worth your read. Don’t hesitate to send your thoughts to me via the comment section or my email address (vivianchikadaniel@gmail.com), as well as LIKE and SHARE it with your networks and loved ones. See you in the next editions. Remain blessed.
Let’s live and let us love one another. #OneLove
