A silly black and white graphic of three cats poking their heads through a paper surface.
When you feel your mind is straying from your natural inclination to be curious, come back to these seven steps to staying curious.

7 Steps to Staying Curious

Sometimes it seems as though our culture has a curiosity problem. We discourage children from voicing the “whys” and “hows” that pop into their heads, and encourage folks of all ages to put their heads down and not ask too many questions. Even Mother Teresa listed “avoid curiosity” in her Guide to Daily Living. With phrases like “curiosity killed the cat” swimming in our minds, we start to lose touch with the joy of inquisitive thought. But as human beings, curiosity is innate. Not only that, it’s vital. Curiosity is an essential part of human survival, happiness, health and relationships.  As a digital marketing agency, we at Bullseye Media understand that curiosity plays a major role in the creative solutions and innovative strategies we develop. We know your wild and beautiful mind is capable of making daily discoveries and connections that will enrich your life and the work you do as well. When you feel your mind is straying from your natural inclination to be curious, come back to these seven steps to staying curious

1. Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking a question, even if just to ourselves, is a desire to know the world better. Questions fuel creativity and innovation by giving us the chance to know more deeply, to think about how things are connected and to infuse purpose and insight into our actions. This holds true even for questions that have no answer. 

2. Go Down Rabbit Holes 

Allow your curiosity to guide you. When something piques your interest, follow it. Learning more about things that interest us not only engages our mind, but colors our world. Start indulging these curiosities daily, even if it’s just a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the history of digital marketing or a deep dive into Dolly Parton’s elusive marriage.

3. Listen

“Active listening” has become a bit of a buzzword, but nevertheless it’s an important skill to develop. Listening intently, without thinking of your response or allowing your mind to judge the information, helps your brain build its curiosity muscle. Staying curious, after all, is about seeking new information and not simply applying that which you already possess. 

4. Look at Stuff, Not On Your Phone. 

Even digital marketing specialists need to unplug to keep our curiosity pumping. Go on walks as the seasons change. Wander through the library. Go to a museum. Look at the sky. Meander aimlessly through the grocery store. Seeing and noticing the world around you stimulates your brain, leaving it open to curiosity. This also helps train you to get comfortable with the type of ponderous thought that inspires, and is inspired by, curiosity. 

5. Write Things Down

Get a little notebook and keep it with you. When you have a passing thought or a turn of phrase crosses your mind, write it down. If you see something you want to think about later, write it down. Write down the dreams you can remember and the goals you want to achieve. The act of writing by hand slows us down, lights up our brains and stimulates curiosity. Don’t worry about penmanship or sounding silly. This is just for you. 

6. Memorize Knowledge

We carry around tiny computers with all the world’s knowledge and most of its secrets. So why commit things to memory? Memorizing knowledge enriches your creativity and fuels innovation by making the old information accessible and new connections possible. It gives you the a-ha moments that are like candy to the curious mind. 

7. Let Go of the Need to Be Right

You don’t know everything. I don’t know everything. Nobody knows everything. And that’s wonderful. Replace the need to be right with the desire to learn. Being in a state open to learning is what curiosity is at its core. Letting go of the need to be right allows you to approach even complex situations or ideas with openness and intrigue. 

Stay Curious with Bullseye Media

The word “wonder” comes from the Old English wundor, which means “marvelous thing, miracle, object of astonishment.” The act of wondering, and expressing that wonder with a question, is a gift of the human mind. Curiosity drives the work we do at Bullseye Media. We seek to learn the deeper story of brands, the reasons for consumer behaviors and the trends and issues of the world that can impact or inform our work. The result is creative and innovative content and strategies that help our clients achieve their goals. It’s also pretty fun.  So now that you know how to stay curious, take your curiosity to the DMs and contact Bullseye Media today, and let us get curious about how we can build your brand. 

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