When it comes to learning new skills, having easy access to mentors can sometimes work against you.
On the one hand, there are definite advantages to having access to people who can show you how to do something the right way. In fact, what we call "tacit" skills, those that cannot be documented into neat processes, are often learnt by working under the guidance of someone who is more skilled.You learn things faster, you identify problems early, you make fewer mistakes, and perhaps from the standpoint of your career - you don't make any costly or fatal mistakes.
On the other hand, there is evidence that learning is more effective when it is not very easy - when there is some struggle involved. This is linked to the principle of desirable difficulty - learning is deeper and more sticky when you have to put in more effort, and make mistakes along the way. Of course you need to ensure that the effort involved is interesting, and the difficulty is at a level that makes you stretch but is essentially achievable. Also you must ensure that the mistakes are reversible, not fatal or career limiting, and that you actually learn from your mistakes.
Another important consideration when building skills is to ensure that you don’t focus exclusively on the “how” - the steps or process that allows you to accomplish something, but also pay attention to the “why”. Unless you understand the underlying principles, the reasons why certain steps are necessary and how they work, you will not be able to adapt to less than ideal or novel situations (which are a given in the real world of work). This can be a serious limitation in working independently - the very definition of being skilled.
This has important implications for how you should approach learning from a mentor:
Of course, these same principles apply when you mentor others. Help your mentees acquire critical skills and become truly independent.