You may wonder whether you are making a difference in your protégé's life. It may be years before he or she realizes the positive effects of your mentoring, so you may not be able to recognize that you are having an impact. To alleviate the situation, it is helpful to periodically assess your mentoring relationship. Together with your protégé, periodically re-examine your objectives to determine if you are both benefiting from the relationship and if it is meeting the expectations you set during your first sessions. You may discover that you want to revise your expectations and goals.