By If you spend any time with children you might cringe at how relentless they are when asking questions about the world around them. This child-like curiosity is so important to reconnect with, when learning to be more mindful, reach your goal, and grow in general.
Curiosity is a key aspect of mindfulness, especially when just getting started. You have learned what feels good and what feels bad. Mindfulness can impact many aspects of life, by slowing down by asking “why you’re doing something”, ”why you don’t want to do something” then contemplating your answers.
Let me set the stage, you just got home from work, you’re tired, stressed and now just looking to relax, so you find yourself staring blankly into the depths of the fridge. We have all been there standing in front of the fridge looking for something, not sure what but something. A basic question to ask is “Am I hungry?”, sometimes we are bored, emotional, stressed, tired, and we are not physically hungry but we want to eat something to fill the void. By taking the brief moment to ask “Am I hungry?” or “What exactly am I looking for?”. You can notice whether or not you are hungry or are looking for something else that would meet your current needs. You can also go deeper if you notice that you seem to find yourself staring aimlessly into the fridge, “Why do I always find myself at the fridge when ____?”.
While mindfulness is more about general curiosity about your current state, setting goals is about getting curious about what is driving you towards your future. That’s why when writing a goal that you really want to reach “why” is the best question to ask. Asking yourself “why do I want to achieve this” is the foundation of motivation, determination, and tenacity. The stronger the why the more unshakable you will become. If you connect your answer to your values, emotions, and priorities, even if you stumble you will find a way to get back on track.
Curiosity is key to growth! Growth is based on an understanding of where you are, where you want to be, and why you want to be there. This can be applied to any area of life. There are risks if you start without knowing where you are starting from. Take physical fitness as an example, if you don’t understand your current fitness level you risk injury, and burnout. Whereas identifying where you are starting from, can help you figure out what skills, tools, and support you need to grow at a sustainable rate, reduce complications, and make it so that what changes you are making last long term.
So get in touch with your inner toddler and get curious.
