Channeling Your Curiosity - And Driving Serendipity
There is an abundance of advice these days. Hacks and shortcuts are what people search for. There's a reason they don't work:
They're generic and based off some peoples experiences
We're different people. What works for you may not work for me.
We're driven by different things
“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.” ― Richard Feynman
What's The Underlying Problem ?
The word 'why' is seen as a problem. As kids, we ask a lot of questions and we soak things up like a sponge. Curiosity is a dying skill. Unfortunately, as adults we stop questioning and start accepting.
Here's what this has resulted in:
Boredom - We're monotonous
Lack Of Interesting Pursuits (or so we tell ourselves)
Settling for what's in front of us (but cribbing about it)
How And Why Do I Change This?
Personally, I feel guilty on days I do things mindlessly. I cannot sustain this on a long run.
My 'why' is simple: Rekindle my curious self so I can pursue things I truly care about.
Action ☝: Spend some time reflecting on things that interest you. It can be anything from "How did the Sphinx come into existence" to "What happened to the Beatles?"
What Next? Take Action On Your Curiosities
Pick one thing you've listed down. Start laying the foundation.
Google your topic - see where it takes you.
If it's an actionable topic, try putting it to practice. If it's knowledge based, you could dive into it deeper.
Ex: A google search of 'Richard Feynman' shows his wiki page, books about him and lectures on YouTube.
Choose your poison and jump in.
This shouldn't be a problem because you reflected on your interests. If it doesn't interest you, it wasn't internal but influenced (and that's okay).
Learning things outside your work or academic discipline is one way of exploring different paths in life.
The chances of Serendipity (events you didn't seek) increase massively.
“Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you'd like to act.” ― Bob Dylan