If you’re reading this article, you already possess an essential quality for career growth: curiosity.
We typically think of curiosity as a strong desire to know or learn something, but it’s so much more.
When you’re curious, you’re open. Open to exploring new ideas, experiences, and possibilities. Open to meeting new people and learning new things. Open to leaving behind outdated mindsets and limiting beliefs to make room for your highest and best self.
And it’s that openness—that curiosity—that fuels career growth.
Here are five reasons why:
1. It impacts your mindset
It’s impossible to grow without curiosity. In fact, it’s central to what Dr. Carol Dweck defines as a “growth mindset,” or one in which you believe you can improve and tend to have a desire to learn.
Shifting your mindset to one of curiosity means that you view the world through the lens of what’s possible, not merely what is. You understand that you need to put in the work to accomplish your goals and are eager to improve.
Part of this process is asking yourself, “What am I drawn to? What am I avoiding?” Your answers may surprise you and spark a new quest for self-discovery and clarity.
2. It helps you reframe things
When you approach your life and career with curiosity, you tend to frame things differently. Suddenly, the world is full of opportunities and possibilities. You no longer feel stuck; you’re stretching your boundaries, considering—and trying—new things. So instead of finding reasons to say no, you embrace the chance to acquire new skills and challenge yourself.
3. It’s tied to greater awareness
Curiosity isn’t limited to external events; it also extends to better understanding how you move through the world.
Many make the mistake of assuming that things happen to them. But this is a shortsighted and inaccurate view and one that can cause future issues.
Consider, instead, how your actions and interactions impact what happens around you. For example, ask yourself, “What are people thinking when I’m doing ______? What if I tried something different?”
Being receptive to learning more about the effect you have—good, bad, and otherwise—will help you gain valuable insights about your behavior that you can then enhance or consciously diminish. Your growth is linked to your awareness of yourself, others, and situations and how they are all interrelated.
4. It makes you more positive, attracting others
Curiosity has other benefits as well. You naturally become more positive, and this attracts other interesting and accomplished people into your world, from whom you can learn and form new connections. By drawing in others, you’ll expand your opportunities for growth.
5. It creates (and maintains) positive momentum
Many of us allow fear—of the unknown, of success, of failure—to hold us back. But being curious can help us move forward in a positive way.
Curiosity is the antidote for a dull, passive, and mediocre life where you feel like you’re merely going through the motions. It’s hard to be negative, unkind, unhappy, bored, or stagnant when you’re learning new things, meeting new people, and open to life’s possibilities.
But perhaps the best thing about having curiosity is that you transform into a lifelong learner, which is what personal and professional growth is all about.
