I often get asked what is the secret ingredient to success, and while many have their own definition of it like hard work, belief, dedication, perseverance, there is one word that I believe leads to more success than others. I have examined over 200+ entrepreneurs in our academy who also live and breathe this, but because it is part of their DNA now they simply forget to bring it up and talk about it. That ingredient is curiosity. Thats right, just about every entrepreneur I have ever met or interviewed can attest to this. They are naturally curious, and this is typically why their curiosity leads them to new ventures, new solutions, new successes, and new beginnings.
The power of curiosity is directly linked to your belief, because the more you see what is possible, the easier it becomes for your mind to comprehend the reach get there. Too many people forfeit the idea of curiosity by having a predetermined notion of just about everything. This is the single most dangerous trap you can put your mind into. Think about how much you miss if you already think you know what to look for.
If you have a predetermined notion of what success is, then your mind is trained to look for those symbols you identify to be success which means that you can only identify those symbols. I broke this down in Third Circle Theory; when you identify with something, you tend to see more of it than any other time.
For example, if you buy a new white Mercedes, you start to notice every other white Mercedes on the road even though a few weeks before you bought the car you never saw them. Now you can’t stop seeing them at every corner. This is the power of connecting thought to observation, and the same happens for success, except not in a good way. By predetermining success attributes, you are limiting what you see which can lead to killing your curiosity.
Think about why those who follow one MLM keep falling for more MLMs: because they identify with the idea of passive income and being self-employed without any real skills or experience, and those who seek ways to get rich quick keep falling for the same schemes over and over. This is partly because they identify with the same symbols time and time again (such as expensive cars or watches — the rewards of hard work) as a measure for success. By focusing on the rewards, they forget to be curious about the work itself and miss the bigger idea on how to get to the rewards.
This is the same problem many face when searching for love by having a predetermined notion of symbols that signify love such as holding hands, walks on the beach, great vacations, or perhaps riding a motorcycle together. Whatever the case may be, this predetermined notion prevents the ability to discover love itself which is a feeling; not logical. Rationalizing prevents the ability to investigate and adapt to eventually feel love or being loved.
The idea of curiosity is for it to lead to learning, and the best way to be curious is to change how you think about it. Think about these 4 steps to help you awaken your curious side:
There is a difference between being nosy and being curious.
Trying to learn is different than knowing every detail of something. Make sure you don’t get confused by focusing on irrelevant aspects of why you want to learn. If you want to learn a process, stick to the process itself and not all the chatter.
There is no right or wrong, there is only perspective.
Too often we have a predetermined notion based on our own perspective, which we must learn to put aside for the sake of remaining hungry and curious for knowledge. The goal isn’t to establish whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, but rather take in the information and understand it is only someone else’s perspective we are learning.
Take it in for what it is, not what you think of it.
A very common mistake people make is the attempt to immediately relate our opinions to what we discovered instead of simply paying attention. Most of the curiosity comes from the need to validate instead of simply learn. Make sure to not confuse validating your belief with being curious and expanding your awareness. Those are two very different things and both hold very different outcomes.
Simply investigate yourself and your existing environment.
Instead of looking for what to investigate, focus on getting to know and understand the things you interact with every day as it is. From the people you do business with, to their business, and even the brands you use everyday. Be curious as to how they became what they became, how they do business, and why they do what they do.
The idea of being curious is about enabling your mind to constantly be in discovery mode. While everything you discover may not be of interest or worth pursuing more information on, the things that are wouldn’t have been found without your curiosity. This is why curiosity is perhaps one of the greatest tools all of us have at our disposal, so use it wisely and more importantly, use it often.
