A mentor is like a mountain hiking guide.
You are still gonna have to climb, it will still be tiring but you are not lost.
Don't waste your time wandering, pay the cost and get guidance.
That is the shortcut you are looking for.

Deposit some amount of energy in relationships.
It is an investment.
It comes back to you in greater measure sometimes.
It diminishes sometimes.

But a few will be life changing.