10% Ahead Is 100% Helpful

Last week I made a new friend, Guinevere Stasio, because we were sitting next to each other at an event. We both were invited to speak from stage and Guin said something that I want to share with you, that I’ve known to be true my whole life but never had the right words to express it. 

Whether you want to make a massive difference in the world or not, most of us on our personal development journey want to be helpful for others. Whether it’s providing mentorship or offering a helping hand, it feels good to be of service.

But sometimes we question what help we have to offer. If we don’t have things completely figured out for ourselves, how can we help someone figure things out for themselves? That’s where Guin’s quote hit home. She said:

“10% ahead is 100% helpful to where someone’s at right now.”

We’re all a work in progress. Even if we have our own problems, we’ve already solved many problems for ourselves that other people are experiencing right now. That’s what you can help them with - where they’re at right now.

Does that mean you can help them every step of the way? No. But that’s not a requirement to help them today. And as long as you stay one step ahead, you’ll always be able to help them with the next step.

Here’s another way to think about it. Let’s say you’re playing a video game. You haven’t beat the game yet, you’re on Level 5 out of 10. Because you haven’t beat the game yet, you might think that you can’t help people with it. But of course you can. You have the experience to help someone beat Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4… Because you already have! 

The same goes for everyday guidance. Be generous with the lessons you’ve learned and seek to serve. You have no idea how many people need your help. Don’t deny them that opportunity, and don’t discredit how much you have to offer.