Four Mindset Mistakes We Make with Curiosity-And How to Avoid Them

In our busy lives when we think about curiosity, we may see it as a luxury we don't have time for, versus a necessity for a fulfilling life. This is why I'm excited to re-launch next month my online course, Rediscovering Your Curiosity, where we will delve into these mindset mistakes, how to avoid them, and how to reignite your curiosity for a life of growth, adventure, and joy. If you're interested, sign up here for my free class on February 14 (Valentine's Day!) that will share more insight into the power of our curiosity and give you a preview of my class. (There will be a recording if you can't make it live). Registration will open up in the next few weeks for my online course, and I encourage you to sign up for my free class on Valentine's Day to learn more!

What are these mindset mistakes we make with curiosity? I share four here, illuminated by my own experience, and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: "I'm just not a very curious person, so there's no point in trying to work on it."

You ARE curious, just like everyone else. In fact, you were born with powerful, natural curiosity. You maybe just have not tapped into it in a long time, which is why you don't feel that you are curious. Research shows that we humans are born with an extremely powerful sense of curiosity-we can see it in babies as they try to reach for things and in toddlers as they ask a ton of questions. However, many factors over our lives cause us to suppress our curiosity, from wanting to avoid appearing like we don't know something, to feeling pressured to always be productive, and other factors. The good news? Your curiosity is still there within you, waiting to be reignited. Don't resign yourself to feeling like you can just live life without this curiosity-you owe it to yourself to awaken your curiosity for a more joyful life.

Mistake #2: "Curiosity is for children, not adults."

While we as a society may associate curiosity most often with children (because children are so good at being curious) it is just as much for adults too. In fact, we wouldn't have all the amazing inventions and discoveries-from airplanes to cell phones to Snuggies (!)-without curiosity. But it's not just for people who want to invent something-curiosity benefits all of us adults. Research shows that curiosity makes us better problem-solvers and leads to improved learning, perseverance, and performance at work. In addition, curiosity is associated with greater psychological well-being, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and empathy for others. Now that you know all these curiosity benefits for adults, the question is: why wouldn't you want to become more curious?

Mistake #3: "I'm too busy to pay attention to my curiosity, let alone to follow it."

I get it, life is chaotic and busy. As a Mom of two young kids, I really get it. But let me ask you a question: how do you feel, on average, going through life without fully paying attention to your curiosity? Let me guess: Overwhelmed, stressed, burned out, stuck. I understand, because I felt that way too before I really focused on intentionally nurturing my curiosity and started living a more joyful, adventurous life. This doesn't mean that your other responsibilities will disappear, or that you will be suddenly incredibly happy in your job instead of miserable. But it DOES mean that you will learn how to get curious about yourself-your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and limiting beliefs-as well as your interests and what scares and excites you a little bit-and start living a more curiosity-inspired, fulfilling life without having to make major changes like a job or relationship change (unless you want to). Let's put it another way: What's the risk of not taking the time to awaken and follow your curiosity? It is a life that is both chaotic and dull, productive yet not joyful, playing it safe instead of pursuing a joyful challenge. You are meant for more than that.

Mistake #4: Believing that your career is your priority, and your curiosity comes second (or third, fourth, etc.) when you have time for it.

This one hits hard for me because for a long time I was following this belief without realizing it. I had worked hard to earn my Masters and climb the career ladder in my field. While I was pursuing my curiosity through my hobbies, I still didn't see how my curiosity could help me in my career. But I have since learned that by tapping into our curiosity, we can actually deepen our impact in our career AND live a richer, more joyful life in other aspects of our lives as well. When we cultivate and apply our curiosity toward our work, we are not only better at what we do-through better problem-solving skills, better relationships through increased empathy, better at identifying root causes of problems and collaborating toward meaningful solutions; we are also more creative and innovative because we can make unexpected connections across topics and disciplines that we are curious about to apply to our work, leading to new and unique approaches and solutions that we would not have otherwise discovered without following our curiosity. This is what I am doing now by taking my experience and skills as a teacher, policymaker, advocate, and Mom, and helping people cultivate their curiosity for greater well-being and helping teams apply it for greater collaboration and impact. It is saying "yes, and" to both a meaningful career and exploration of our curiosity, not an "either/or"; and it is through following our curiosity that we can become better in our career and in all other aspects of our life.

If you're interested in learning more how I can support your journey toward a life that centers and celebrates your curiosity, sign up for my free class on February 14. I look forward to seeing you there!

I also encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter, The Weekly Spark, for weekly inspiration to spark your curiosity. Subscribe on my homepage. Here's to rediscovering our curiosity!