8 Ways to Increase Your Curiosity

Why increase curiosity? It keeps your brain sharp and allows for more creativity. More creativity leads to better problem-solving. Better problem-solving makes you better at your business. Scientists have proven that your brain is being shaped, molded and changed by your experiences every day. This is referred to as neural plasticity. Curiosity and exploration create new neural pathways and increases neural plasticity. Here are 8 ways to increase curiosity:

1. Enter into every situation with a clear mind.

When you clear your mind and enter into an event as you would have as a child, you see things differently. You understand them in a different way. You learn.

2. Question everything.

Ask lots of questions. Keep asking why. Why do we do business the way we do? Pay attention and think of things in a different way.

3. Cultivate new interests.

Stop saying you're bored. Explore things you are interested in. Google something you've wondered about. Try using the metric system. Learn a new language.

4. Change your expectations from negative to positive.

When you expect negative outcomes, that's what you'll get. You cut off half of your possibilities, half of your possible results.

5. Become familiar with coming in contact with the unfamiliar.

Get out of your comfort zone. This leads to asking more questions, learning new things, and thwarting boredom.

6. Do something in a different way.

Break up monotony and habits by switching things up. Take a different route on your morning walk. Change one thing in your daily schedule. Try eating with chopsticks at lunch (if you don't already).

7. Overcome your fears.

Do something you've been avoiding out of anxiety or fear (no matter how small). The more curious you are, the less afraid you'll be in general and vice-versa.

8. Be amazed by everyday things.

The taste of coffee. The way you breathe. The orbit of the moon. The beauty of a flower. The complexity of music. The simplicity of comfort.

When you do these things, you are not only increasing your curiosity, but also training your brain to create new neural pathways. Increasing neural plasticity helps us with learning, memory, and also when used deliberately, breaking bad habits, increasing happiness, and recovery from stress or medical events/disorders. Amazing.