(2 mins read)
In our life we experience many different phases of personal growth. When we are young, full of energy, passionate and ambitious, we experience moments of growth almost every day. We meet new people, we engage in interesting discussions, we solve complex problems, we get promotions, we enjoy challenges, we learn a new skill, or we look for answers to difficult questions. When we get older, we deal with routine and familiarity, we prioritize practicality, we are less interested in the unknown, we prefer old and proven ways of doing some activities, or sometimes we are just too tired to practice something new. We make ourselves too comfortable in our comfort zone. However, there is only one problem, the comfort zone is a nice spot, but nothing grows there.
Research says that there exists a strong correlation between personal growth, self-motivation and curiosity. When we are curious we embrace change, expand potential and supercharge personal growth. We enjoy the new and unknown, we are not afraid of testing, touching, experimenting, taking risks or making mistakes. Self-motivation brings the energy needed to wake up every day and to push us hard outside our comfort zone. And we need a lot of energy to leave it, because our comfort zone is like a black hole which exerts such a strong force that almost nothing can escape its gravitational pull.
Is there any place where we could find that energy? Yes, it is… it’s our childhood. We need to go to the basics and to continue with our childhood fun and curiosity.
In the eyes of a kid, the world is an enchanting place filled with countless mysteries waiting to be unraveled. From the moment they begin to explore their surroundings, a spark of curiosity ignites within them. Young children have a remarkable aptitude for acquiring motor, social, language skills, numeracy, literacy, and basic cognitive concepts. The research says that until they are 5 years old they “graduate” from three universities. What is interesting is that every day in the morning, when they wake up, with a smile on their face they engage with many things which are new, unknown, unfamiliar. Without thinking too much they start exploring the world around them. Child curiosity is a remarkable gift, one that has the power to shape their lives and ignite a lifelong love affair with learning.
Below there are 7 habits which could help you to be more curious:
- REFLECT – reflect on your thoughts, beliefs, actions, or mistakes. Continually strive to understand yourself better. Allocate 15-30 mins every day for you and your thoughts only. During this time you can think, meditate, and pray.
- ASK QUESTIONS – connect with other people and just ask questions about their life, work, experience, learning, mistakes, failures. Be curious, be like a sponge and absorb as much new information as you could.
- KILL YOUR ROUTINE – routine tasks, patterns, repetitions are known and controllable, but they are killing your curiosity. Kill it first! Come up with new ways of doing stuff which needs to be done. Wake up an hour earlier, change your jogging path, buy new books and clothes, stop drinking coffee, if you work from home, go to the office, if you work in the office, work from home one day, or go to bed one hour earlier. There are millions of ideas. Be limitless and creative!
- READ, LISTEN, WATCH – read blogs, articles or books. Listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts. Watch documentaries (limit junk series on streaming services) or subscribe to interesting YouTube channels. Absorb new information in an area that interests you.
- START NEW HOBBY – think about an activity which you always wanted to do, but you Never have had time for. Once you identify it, just do it! Subscribe to a magazine, enjoy jogging in a park, join cooking classes, buy a pot and organize a little garden on you kitchen’s windowsill, use your camera and take pictures, edit them and publish them on Instagram, paint your first “Picasso” type of art, take some music lessons, or start playing chess.
- CONNECT WITH INSPIRING PEOPLE – Reach out to people whose thoughts or activities may inspire you. Connect with them and enjoy interactions with humans.
- TRAVEL – buy a ticket to a country or a city you always wanted to visit. You could go there for weekends or vacations. Travel is a quick way to meet new people, explore other cultures, dive into their history, and broaden our horizons.
Be remarkable in challenging your comfort zone or building a plan on how to leave the black hole.
Curiosity fuels personal growth by inspiring us to explore new ideas and experience, broadening our perspective. It ignites a growth mindset. Curiosity sparks creativity, problem-solving skills, innovation, and embrace experimentation of new ways of working or adaptability.
Play with your curiosity and have joy.
Every Day Development 