Curiosity
My boss has this practice and he encourages us to practice each year, too. It’s based on the book One Word That Will Change Your Life. In short, it challenges us to select a word that will become a guiding principle throughout the coming year. He’s chosen his words, and thus words for our company, like “invest,” “strengthen,” “sprout,” “flourish,” and “invest.” I’ve chosen words like “play” and “create.” But honestly, I have not practiced this one-word thing every year.
As the year-end approaches, I’ve given some thought to what my word for 2025 would be. The word that keeps popping up is “curious.” I’ve always been a lover of ideas. That’s one reason I majored in philosophy. Learning about what people think, and the why's that shaped those thoughts, have been an interest for most of my life. And each year, I still select a philosophy book to reach, just to keep my chops up. There is a world full of things I do not know or know about, and I have enjoyed uncovering some of those things.
After some recent reflection, though, I have realized that I have stopped caring about ideas. I’ve grown content in what I know, or what I think I know. I rest in what I am interested in. As I pondered this, I have come to the conclusion that my contentment has led to a sort of stagnation. So, I want to reignite curiosity in the coming year. I want to be more inquisitive. But how?
Whether it’s your word or not, curiosity is a great muscle to flex! Curiosity strengthens brain cognition and relationships. It helps us deal with change and problem solving. It reduces boredom and builds empathy. And it opens us up to a sense of adventure. In order to be more curios in 2025, I’ll make an effort to exercise one or more of the following exercises each day:
Challenge My Assumptions – As much as we hate to admit it, we are not always right. Practicing the freedom in “not knowing” can actually open us up to knowing more.
Ask Questions – Questions have fueled every piece of creativity and innovation the world has known. And questions were the starting point for every meaningful relationship around us.
Listen – We often listen so we have a strong response. Those responses are typically opportunities for us to puke up what we think we know, or to judge, based on what we know. And that is no way to fulfill the exercise of challenging assumptions.
Be Aware – When we stare at our phones in fear of missing out, we are most certainly missing out. There are people and the world around us to draw inspiration from. Be present to the people around you and receive the present that is handed to us in nature by being more aware. I promise there is more of interest outside of your phone.
Try Something New – When something piques your interest, dive in. That effort will not only engage your mind, but will make the world better. Who knows, a new interest coupled with your questions could be the next big thing the world is waiting for.
“Curiosity” is my word. I already have a book in queue to inspire and ignite my curiosity. But it requires more than a read to develop curiosity, it takes daily practice. And so each day, I’ll endeavor to exercise one or more of the above practices to make 2025 my “year of curiosities.”
What would your word be for 2025? How will you graft that into daily practices?
