When we are starting, it can be helpful to look to others that appear “further ahead” as motivation and evidence that whatever we are thinking of doing is very well possible and within our means. This is not uncommon.
On the flip side, we have to be aware that what others are doing may not be exactly where we want to go and our aspirations and mission will undeniably be different. We have to learn when to value their insights and when to stay focused on what we need to do. We can’t fall into the trap of following.
Gary Vaynerchuk was a great “online mentor” of mine dating back to 2011 and helped me think differently about entrepreneurship and the impact I could make on the world. My brother was also in close proximity having started a business and was early in his entrepreneurial journey and he was someone I could leverage as a guide.
It took me a while to realize that their dreams and goals were different than mine and If I tried to copy, I wouldn’t be working toward my “North Star” and would inevitiely fail.
We can’t do it alone but we also can’t be held back from achieving our greater mission in life by matching others.
It can be a balancing act, but following your intuition and using others as the guide and not “the way” will help you level out your path and be able to follow your “north star” much more easily.