A lot of what we do in our everyday lives takes place in a results-oriented mindset. It sort of has to be, in order for us to
function. We need to calculate how much gas we use. How much food to buy. Whether or not this action or that will have
the consequences we desire. Are exercising too much or (as is usually the case) too little? Do we cut back on eating out
this month? All very eminently practical decisions to make.
But when it comes to growth and exploration, we sometimes have to step outside this mindset. If not, things can become
very limiting. For instance, how do we know how long it will take us to learn to swim? How long will it take our tomatoes
to grow? Sure, we can have reasonably accurate answers to those questions, but there comes a point in which actually
getting answers can prevent us from doing new things.
Like in the previous example, maybe you think it will take 3 months to learn swimming, and you’ve done your sums and you
think that it’s not worth it to pay for enough lessons to get to where you want to be. Well, that may be true, but how do
you know that? Maybe it won’t take as long as you think. Maybe it will take longer but you won’t mind. Maybe there will be
so many beautiful people at the pool swimming will be the last thing on your mind.
Results matter, whether at work or in your chequebook. But results can also shackle us to ideas of value that prevent us
from seeing life in a new way. There is a value in doing new things, in trying out unknowns, which can’t be “pencilled in”
neatly. Say we want to try making a wine cabinet, instead of buying it. It may take us that many more man-hours, and extra
work, but it will be a new experience. If it doesn’t work out, well, we’ve learnt to buy furniture instead of making it
ourselves the next time.
Explore! Do new things. And sometimes do old things in a new way. Like if you’ve always played a game a certain way…try changing
the rules. Rent a different genre of movie. Go to a dance class even if you’re never done so before (I did this once and even
though I ended up dropping it, it was an interesting experience!)
When was the last time you did something just because “you wanted to do it?” How about doing something silly for a change?
I’m not advising you to go out and TP your neighbour (unless it’s Halloween or their birthday) but you could, for instance,
wear a Mickey Mouse hat when you’re out shopping. Just once, for fun.
The psychologist Caroline Dweck talks about a growth-oriented mindset as opposed to a fixed one. In the latter, people who
were tested with this mindset thought they had “done it all” in a certain field – that there were no more challenges for them.
Whereas people with the former found that they could always learn more – and guess which group was found to be happier
and learn more and faster!
So do yourself a favor and get exploring. You never know what you’ll find!