How to leverage your curiosity to reach your objectives

30th December 2023. One sentence from a book unlocked a burning question I kept having in my mind for all these years.

It started with...

In the past 8 years, I have talked about all kinds of topics around tech, business, and marketing on social media.

I started talking about business communication, then digital marketing, then the broader concept of digitalisation, followed by Web3, then AI automation, then back to Web3…

Overall, I am passionate about sharing insights online about the topics I am interested in, but somehow over these years, I could not stay consistent for a long period of time, sticking to the same topic.

After every 2 to 3 months I used to stop, choose another niche topic, and start again. Again, with the same enthusiasm and passion.

Why was this the case?

New passions and interests can sometimes drive us away from our objectives.

Every time I used to stop posting about a specific topic, I had a different reason why I was taking that decision.

The most recurring reason was that I was too curious about too many topics and every time I was thinking “This is not for me, I like more and am better at [next topic].”

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I think it was getting me somewhere? Yes.

However, there was still something hidden between the lines that made me quit every time.

I can’t deny it, I was very busy. It has never been my only focus. But still, what was the real reason behind my constant conscious decision to quit and change topics?

Stick till the next paragraph, and you will find out.

First, what did this lead me to?

I gained a lot of knowledge in many fields, becoming a great generalist with cross-field knowledge that made me grow quickly in several industries and obtain what I wanted at that specific point in time.

But ultimately, I didn’t manage to grow significantly in one industry only, which was the initial objective every time I was starting in a new niche.

And here comes the interesting part, if the goal was to be successful in that specific industry, how come I was so convinced that quitting was the best decision?

What I learned

I opened this article with one premise. One sentence from a book that answered my burning question.

“ When we think we have maxed out the potential in a situation, starting over is how we think we’ll get ahead.

The problem is this becomes a vicious cycle of taking on the next new thing with renewed enthusiasm, energy, natural abilities and effort.”

- Gary Keller and Jay Papasan (book: The One Thing)

In short?

I have realised that, among other minor reasons, I was in a vicious cycle that made every new beginning exciting and my mind convinced and satisfied with the partial new knowledge I acquired at that time.

It felt like it was enough to have gained more knowledge and experienced part of the full journey I programmed in my mind.

It was a conscious decision to quit, but I was lacking a strong purpose and the ability to go through the boring times.

How do I move from here?

You need to be consistent (duh! 😜). No, you need to be consistent not only with the actions you perform but with your beliefs and objectives as well.

And trust me, there is a huge difference between the two. The first one makes you a robot, unbeatable. The second one allows you to make sense of your actions, giving you the ability to constantly think and evolve.

↪️ Try to adopt this mindset:

• Choose something you are passionate about (curiosity/hobbies, that can have highs and lows in terms of intensity of interest)
• Grow one main job that can derive both from skills or passion (this has to stay consistent over the years, and can change only if new opportunities arise, not if another passion comes along the way).

If you are able to leverage your constant curiosity, in a way that doesn't hurt your need to start and grow your business, you win.

Mind: here it is an extremist and oversimplified thought on how to make sure you reach your work objectives while still ensuring you have enough time for your passions and curiosity - and most importantly, you don't mess around among the two.

The combination of these two aspects is key, but one should not necessarily determine the end of the other one (my mistake).

Let’s learn together!

Learning opportunities come from taking action, so be out there! I will gradually start sharing more about what I learned in my journey with the hope that this will be helpful and inspiring for other people who are pursuing a similar journey.

This being said, if you also have experienced something similar, I’d be happy to hear about your journeys.

All the best,

Chiara