Curiosity: The Essential Ingredient For A Successful Business
I believe curiosity is an essential ingredient for building a successful business, and it's the best antidote to imposter syndrome or that relentlessly negative self-talk. Embracing an attitude of curiosity during the dumpster-fire that was 2020 was the most empowering thing I did for myself last year, and I know it will help you! Coming from this place feels expansive –– it reveals what might be possible.
The alternative is an attitude rooted in criticism or judgment. Judgment, while discerning, tends to limit your viewpoint narrowing your perspective. It is so easy to be judgmental of yourself, but this very rarely seems to be helpful. We jump quickly to conclusions about why our effort didn't produce our ideal result, but we neglect to get curious.
Curiosity doesn't limit possibilities.
It creates new realities.
Curiosity isn't for doubters. It's responsible for questions like; How might I capture light into this here glass bulb? Or I wonder if we could put a man on the moon? Curiosity doesn't limit possibilities. It creates new realities.
So, how can you bring more curiosity to your business and your life, for that matter?
Become a Scientist
When you become a scientist, you hypothesize, you test, and you're willing to continue trying despite any failure. You don't see a lack of result as a failure. To you, it's simply an indicator that your approach didn't work. You are willing to try something new until you get the result you want or until you discover a new goal to pursue. A scientist isn't ashamed of their experiments or wrapped up in emotion. They see any outcome as an opportunity to learn, collecting data and information about how to improve for the next time.
Demonstrate Empathy
Demonstrating empathy in your business with your customers, employees, or even yourself is necessary for continual growth. Empathy does not assume anything. It seeks to understand. It's a posture that ignites curiosity, helping you to ask the right questions. When you approach people with empathy, you try to understand the problems first. Once you discover the problem, you can then ask the appropriate questions to solve it.
Incorporate Daily Learning
A simple way to bring more curiosity into your business is to learn something new every day. Pick a favorite blog, podcast, or Instagram account that inspires you and helps you ask great questions. Create a daily habit to strengthen your curiosity muscle. Try asking yourself what new thing can I learn today? You can even try writing down what you learned every day to really ingrain the habit of curiosity.
Imagine believing in something impossible
If you think that something in your business is impossible for you, try imagining what it would be like if that impossible idea were reality. Who might you have to become when reaching for something that feels beyond belief? What would it be like to be a person who achieves that impossible dream? Take on the attitude of a dreamer. Start to envision a future that you think is out of reach. Get curious about impossible futures, and ask questions not based on criticism, doubt, or judgment but with the openness to believing that maybe this dream of mine could someday come true.
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