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Curiosity killed the cat? It Breeds Success too
Being curious about the world has some distinct advantages. It is an excellent way to expand your options and open yourself up to new opportunities. Without stepping outside of our comfort zone, we cannot grow. Curiosity means a thirst for knowledge and new experiences, and not being afraid to ask questions. Plus, even questioning the answers you are given sometimes. Staying curious and open minded is more important today in our innovation driven economy than ever before. Nurturing this neglected skill will not only help you get ahead. It will also help you see around obstacles and think more creatively, as well as become a more interesting person.
Here are five ways you can use curiosity to breed success in your own life;
- Venturing outside your field of expertise
Innovation tends to stagnate in isolation. Finding out about the latest developments in other industries can inspire you to apply similar ideas or technologies to a problem you are currently working on. You need not to look too far to find great ideas either. Sometimes getting to know what your colleagues in other departments are doing can be enough to spark creativity within your own team. At the very least, you will make new personal and professional relationships, which will add value to your life and potentially help with your career.
- Making new friends
New friends and acquaintances breed new opportunities for both businesses and your personal life, offering you experiences that you would not have been open to otherwise. These opportunities will expand your comfort zone and contribute to your success. Developing new relationships requires a degree of curiosity about other people and can raise your emotional intelligence. It also raises your ability to empathize with people from different walks of life. Also, having a large support network and collection of personal relationships goes a long way in developing confidence and self-esteem.
- Becoming an expert
Mastering a skill or subject requires totally immersing yourself in it for an extended period of time. This is made infinitely easier if the subject is something you enjoy and are able to stay curious about. Oftentimes, passion starts off as an early curiosity towards something and develops over time as you become more aware of the nuances and complexities of the field. If you have not yet found your passion, nurturing curiosity and trying different things will help you to discover what excites you and what holds your interest long enough to become an expert at. You could also learn by teaching others and benefit the world by sharing your knowledge.
- Enhancing problem solving skills
The creative component of critical thinking is often overlooked. Often, challenges seem greater than they are when you have been working at them for long periods of time. Sometimes a change in perspective, or a break away from routine is all you need for that “Aha!” moment of inspiration.
- Knowing that you can never know everything
Being curious also encourages a humble attitude. The more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn. People who lose their childlike curiosity of the world, tend to drift into a certain kind of arrogance. They might think that they know or have seen it all, or that what they don’t know is not important enough to look into. However, the opposite is true. No matter what you think you know, there is always more to explore and experience.
