Break Pattern & Be Innovative

Fifteen years ago, I spent about half of my time doing work that I considered an expert. I am an experienced software engineer and I have developed a product that people really like and use. When I work on the product, I feel confident and competent. I know what will happen and how to comply. For the rest of the time, I felt that I had been thrown into the abyss without a floating device. I‘m doing marketing, operations, finance, and even some temporary design work. I haven’t done it before, but now this is my responsibility.

Although JotForm has grown into a true technology company, I was the only one trying to solve the problem on the laptop at first. If you have ever started a business, this sounds familiar. At first, I felt that I was a failure. But he is more energetic than in the past few years. Every day feels like an opportunity to try new things. This is the joy of beginners. The beginner sees the possibility that the expert sees the problem. We can all benefit from a beginner‘s mindset, even, perhaps especially, in areas in which we are experts.

Benefits of the Beginner Mindset

The Beginner Mindset can seem counterintuitive, especially if you are very skilled in your field. Isn‘t it your job to be an expert? To illustrate this point, I will turn to the Zen Buddhism concept of the right faith. Shoshin means setting aside previous assumptions and opinions and dealing with a topic with a truly open mind.

Compared with experts, beginners have fewer restrictions on their thinking mode. For example, a beginner will never say: “But we always do this.“ True innovation means getting rid of existing models and systems, which means you have to forget them. It’s Not Easy You can’t forget your hard-earned experience that has spanned years or decades.

What you can do, however, is lead with curiosity. Question your thought patterns and challenge the assumptions, first identifying them and then criticizing them without judgment.

What still makes sense? What is based on historical data that is no longer relevant? Stay away from solving problems immediately, and explore endless possibilities by publishing “wish” statements. By unraveling the vision from the roadmap in front of you, you can truly achieve innovation.

Asked “stupid” questions. It seems silly to ask seemingly obvious questions, especially in a room full of experts, the answer seems obvious. However, the answer will provide clear information. By reexamining your decision-making process, you can stop limiting your knowledge and discover new opportunities you’ve never seen before.

Get Started Now Children are great at learning.

This makes sense. Basically, everything they did was done for the first time. They are learning to walk, exercise rules, basics of mathematics, language, handwriting, basically how the world works and what to do in it. The older we are, the fewer things we need to learn. Our brains have become less adaptable, and it has become more difficult to master new things. Good news: The more you do, the better you do. Not only what you want to learn, but also the learning itself. This is because even if the adult brain is not ready to learn, they still have neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt to new challenges. It is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more powerful it will become.

The benefits of learning exceed the skills acquired.

Those who continue to learn as they age will establish and maintain their brain connections and stimulate brain regions that build new memories. This can improve memory and cognitive control. In short, the best time to learn is before the age of 12. The second best moment: now. You have been learning French for the past two years. You have reached the highest level of Duolingo and can read articles on Le Monde with minimal Google translation support.

You froze when a woman came to take your order. Of course, some of them may have stage fright, but this response may be driven by the development of context-sensitive skills. If you are used to writing or learning languages ​​on your own, translating these skills to the outside world can be difficult and even frustrating. By learning skills in different environments, you will develop behavioral flexibility. Behavioral flexibility is the ability to act in changing conditions or environments.

Think of it this way: Novice drivers can drive on clean roads. A good driver can drive safely in different weather and traffic conditions. An excellent driver can adapt to any conditions of any car. Of course, anyone with a study permit should not deliberately develop this flexibility. When learning a skill, scientists recommend “repeating but not repeating.“ What they mean is to practice the same skills under different conditions to develop more complete skills.

Try to apply your existing skills in different environments and through different media. In addition to developing skill flexibility, you will also be surprised by creative solutions. Let go of yourself All learning is accompanied by some degree of failure. As an expert, doing something wrong or being overshadowed by others can be particularly painful. Although this mode of thinking is completely understandable, it is very limited. Learning is both a fragile behavior and a competitive advantage. Exercise can be very uncomfortable. Discomfort is where growth occurs. So what is the push–up equivalent of learning a new skill? Look for people who challenge your thinking and come up with new ideas.

Also Read: Keep Yourself Accountable Now

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