Curt Rosengren recently shared some suggestions from a book he is reading to help experts spend some time remembering what it means to be a beginner in a field. I found it interesting because I do consider myself an expert on a couple of topics, but I feel like I spend a lot of my time practicing the behaviors described.

Most of them center around the fact that beginners are learners first and foremost, and they exhibit strong learning traits like curiosity and a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them. really, these are traits experts should be cultivating within themselves anyway. It’s part of keeping up with your industry or niche. It’s also how trends and new discoveries are identified. Who wouldn’t want to do those things?

For my part, I just like playing “What if” games with my work, and then experimenting to see if my ideas will work. It sounds like a mad scientist in her lab, but it’s those same traits at play that beginners use to help themselves grow. It’s how I, established in the fields I feel comfortable with, find new ideas to chase.

Posted by Rebecca in Uncategorized