Curiosity Strategies: Overcoming Assumptions
Your Curiosity Strategies
There are nine sub-factors under this main category of assumptions. After taking the Curiosity Code Index, it is important to look at the things we can do to overcome how assumptions impact us.
Will Not Like: We often assume we will not like things for various reasons. It could be that they sound funny, no one we know has ever done them, or a multitude of other reasons. But, of course, some of that could be just what we were raised to believe, and it could take some adjusting to ask ourselves why we don’t think we will like something and what is the worst that could happen if we tried it.
Never Liked In Past: Somethings we label things as boring. Maybe we played a game that was not fun with one person, and then we tried playing it again with someone else, and the game was much more fun. Sometimes the situation we were in when we did something similar makes us extrapolate that this new thing will be boring. As we age, things we used to find boring can sometimes become more exciting. The key is to give those things another attempt.
Sounds Boring: It is easy to get into the groove of things that we liked in the past. We might binge-watch a show because it is like another show we selected. We might read many mystery novels because we read a good mystery novel. Whatever we like, we want to get more of it. However, sometimes that might make us avoid trying new things that we might also like. During the week, it helps to work to read one article about something that we never thought about because we spent so much time reading about the things we know we like.
Too Much Work: Sometimes, we don’t read or learn about things because it is too time-consuming or takes too much effort. Sometimes we think that way because we assume we must read an entire book quickly or read an entire newspaper. Maybe we put too much pressure on ourselves to learn too much rather than sample things. When people write a book, they don’t write it in one sitting. Instead, they take baby steps to the end goal. Setting long-term goals with intermediate shorter steps can help us learn new things and not make us feel like we must spend so much time and effort.
Better Not Knowing: There is a saying that no news is good news. Sometimes people assume that if they don’t hear or read about something, then it doesn’t exist. However, a lot exists; we need to uncover that information to explore it. There is no such thing as wrong knowledge. If we find out about poverty, it might seem like something we would rather not know. However, by finding out about it, we might be able to do something about it. Putting out heads in the sand does not make problems go away.
More Might Be Expected: It is common for people who come up with great ideas at work to get rewarded with more work. This can discourage some people from offering suggestions. The key is to have good communication between employees and employers. Setting clear expectations about what happens when a good idea is presented can help. Employees are more likely to contribute ideas if they get rewarded instead of punished with more work but no more pay. If more is expected of those who submit ideas, it is reasonable to ask for more in return for the extra work. Negotiation can be an essential tactic here.
Others Received Little Benefit: Sometimes, we learn about things that do not necessarily change our lives immediately. However, often that information is stored away, and it becomes foundational for learning something else. For example, we might not see the value of taking math until we need to figure out a percentage to pay our waiter in a restaurant.
Sometimes seeing others toil at learning something can make us believe it is futile if they do not achieve what they expected. However, even a negative result in research can tell us something we need to know about what doesn’t work.
Will Not Get Me What I Need: Sometimes, we tell ourselves that we have worked so hard, but we have not achieved our goals despite our efforts. Often people need help realizing how to push themselves over the last stage to obtain a goal. It often helps to surround ourselves with mentors and people who know more than we do. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know, and being around other people who have been there and done that can shed light on how to get over the next hill.
Why Bother: Sometimes, people like to limit themselves to a few areas of interest because they don’t see what is in it for them. Sometimes it helps to have life coaches who can paint a picture of life if goals are met. If people have yet to experience things, they don’t know the joy those experiences can bring. That is why it is essential to ask people about what they have achieved and how it made them feel. Getting a mental picture helps us to focus on the end goal.