Add a sprinkle of curiosity into the mix

There’s not enough curiosity in our jobs, and there should be. Curiosity can be an excellent alternative to anxiety or uncertainty.

Instead of, “I’m worried about how this will turn out,” curiosity turns that on its head to, “I wonder how this will turn out.”

Anxiety and uncertainty don’t help. They only spiral you downward. Curiosity and wonder do help. They propel you upward.

Curiosity begs experimentation, which means you have to make a decision and proceed in order to discover the answer. Worry only traps you in paralysis. Curiosity opens up possibilities and leads somewhere. Anxiety is a cloud that is hard to get out from under.

But interestingly, they are two sides of the same coin. You can approach the same situation from both angles. If you are worried about a career decision, debating whether it really was the right one for you and your family, apply some curiosity to alleviate the burden. “I wonder if…” is a more useful tool for managing the emotion around a decision and your next steps than “I’m worried that…”

The next time you are worried about a work project or a career decision, dig up some curiosity for yourself! Counter the negativity of your situation, and use it to find a way for you to get out from under the stress.

You might also like:
A refreshing lens on proactive vs reactive
Revisit the career stories you tell yourself
How to position for change: who are you, exactly?

Do you have a stressful work situation you’d like to do some brainstorming about with me? Sign up for the Skill Masters email list and you’ll get a link to drop something into my calendar for us to chat!