These days I turn my full attention to playing games with my 1-year old son. It amazes me how engrossed he is in the game of passing a small ball. Everything is new for him, everything makes him look with admiration. He crawls around the apartment and explores. I look at him while he makes that face when he connects the dots on how a thing works. It is absolutely fascinating to watch this process. And then it struck me: where did my curiosity go? Did I turn into a boring adult? Can I go back?
I read a lot of stuff on the topic and now I want to share with you my insights.
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
First and foremost: be here and now. You can not be curious if you are doomscrolling on facebook or looking at instagram photos. Now you will argue that you are searching for inspiration and ideas on facebook. But you know what? Most of the content in fb is shared, which means that you can find it elsewhere on the internet. Social media is a tool for distraction, not concentration.
EXPERIMENT
Make everyday activities an experiment. Play with the settings on your coffee machine. Put more or less coffee/water, check the difference in the taste and write down the results. Refuel your car at a different gas stations and check if there is a difference in the driving. Put an additive and see if there is a difference. Detect the time you need to go from point A to point B. Install 10 weather apps and check which one is the most accurate in the course of a month. The list can go on and on, but you got the idea.
READ. A LOT.
You can find life changing ideas by reading a lot. Read everything – books, newsletters, blogs, magazines, newspapers. Do not limit yourself only on topics that interest you, find something new. Best option is to join your local library and just go through the shelves.
OPEN YOUR MIND
Bertrand Russell said it better than me:
Let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.
TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY
Search for an interesting fact. Check a word in different language. Ask someone who is an expert in a field. The more facts you devour, the bigger chance to connect the dots into a groundbreaking idea.
Forgetting that the child you were before lies somewhere deep in you can result in losing all your creativity and curiosity. But with a little self awareness and concentration you can regain the qualities you once had. Stay young. Stay curious.