All I believe that some mentoring or guidance will get me there a little more efficiently
Mentoring keeps coming up.
Now I mean no disrespect, but it sounds like you want someone to hold your hand.
With all the pros on youtube sharing their hard earned wisdom, and with the mp3 clinic here all too willing to lend a hand, you've got it made.
As others have said practice doing it. How do you think the masters learned in a pre internet world? They did it. And if they were fortunate enough to make coffee and sweep the floor, and put away mics and cables in a studio, they kept their eyes and ears open to gather the tricks of the trade.
Nowadays it's easy, just do a youtube search and find out everything you need to know. For free!
Start posting in the mp3 clinic, maybe sign up for an online mix academy.
But do it, suffer on through. Just like you did when learning to play the guitar.
Brings to mind an old Ringo Starr song. "It don't come easy".
There's a line in there;
"you've got to pay your dues if you want to play the blues, you know it don't come easy"