Even though we just experienced a fresh start to the new year, people often freak out in these first few months, feeling like they should already have “it” all together. The point of making resolutions is to carry them throughout the year, but there is a lot of (self-imposed) pressure for instant results.

This is why I love springtime! Every season change is a new beginning, but there is something especially wonderful about spring. The flowers start to bloom, the air shifts, and magic abounds.

This month, I am going to show you how you can apply the beautiful principles of nature’s own refresh button to your life and health, starting with embracing a beginner’s mindset.

When was the last time you started something totally new, something you didn’t understand or know anything about beforehand? If you’re having a hard time remembering an example, don’t worry! Oftentimes, we find it difficult to try new things for fear of embarrassment or failure, but keep in mind that no one was born an expert, even child prodigies (sorry, Mozart!).

We all started as a beginner at every single thing that we’ve ever done in our lives, and we often forget that very important fact!

When we begin a new job, for example, we have an expectation that we should know everything and be super effective right out of the gate. We worry that we’ll be fired immediately if we don’t, but that is such an unnecessary stress to put on ourselves! Obviously you bring your background and experience to a new workplace, but it still takes time to learn the new functions and personality of a new workplace.

So, when you embark on learning something new, be open and willing to be a beginner again. Learn your lessons with patience, excitement and optimism. Sometimes things might get difficult before they get easy, but change is usually a bit uncomfortable at first.

As we learn something totally new and unfamiliar, the key is to step into the unknown and trust that it will be okay.

This concept of embracing an attitude of openness and eagerness when learning something new is also called Shoshin in Zen Buddhism, but I like to call it channeling your childlike curiosity. There are tons of benefits to your mind, body and soul when you look at a new experience or task with fresh eyes. It can shift your perspective of everything, if you let it.

Here are 5 benefits to embracing being a beginner again.

1) It’s Just Easier!

Let’s face it, the concept of “fake it until you make it” is just plain exhausting. Pretending to know something when you don’t limits how effective you can be because you’re constantly playing catch up instead of just admitting you need help. It delays progress, which is frustrating to you and everyone around you.

So do yourself a huge favor and ask for help when you don’t know something! Ask questions, be curious, be open to learning from others. You’ll be surprised how many people love to help! Dive into the process of learning with excitement, and you will find creative fulfillment and joy along the way without the headache.

2) Freedom to Fail.

Any real success you’ve had in life has a corresponding amount of failure. As a beginner, you have a distinct advantage: you have nothing to prove! As adults, we’re usually our harshest critic. We set the way-too-high expectation to prove our worth to ourselves, and then when we don’t meet it, we let the negative talk flow.

On the flip-side, kids just want to learn. They’re not disappointed in themselves if they aren’t super fast at a new game or activity. If they fall on their tush trying to walk, they simply get back up and try again. So embrace that childlike curiosity and wave bye-bye to the stress of worrying if you’re right all the time.

 

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.”
– Thomas Edison

 

3) It Inspires Innovation.

You’ve heard the expression, “That kid is the next big thing,” right? There is a reason. Those superstars are new to the game, living the dream with their beginner’s mind.

As a newbie, you have the freedom to try seemingly wild things and change direction whenever you want – no questions asked. Ultimately, we don’t know what we don’t know, so when you’re just starting out (or starting over), you have permission to experiment, discovering new skills, methods and passions you never knew existed before. In an expert’s mind, there are only a few ways to do things, but as a clean-slated beginner, the possibilities are endless – how exciting is that?!

 

“Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
— Steve Jobs

 

4) It Boosts Your Brain Power.

You don’t have to be a young whippersnapper to rise to the top of the pack. Every time you work towards learning something new, it helps to keep your mind snappy at any age.

In fact, according to Dr. Ipsit Vahia, director of geriatric outpatient services for Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, “New brain cell growth can happen even late into adulthood. The process of learning and acquiring new information and experiences, like through structured classes, can stimulate that process.”

Even regular complex mental activities (like reading and talking) may “also help delay onset of common brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia”. So, don’t let your mind slip in lazy mode. Channeling your childlike curiosity will keep your grey matter sharp and resilient.

5) You’ll Be a Better Human Being.

Let’s be honest, sometimes we humans get frustrated with beginners. I see it a lot on the ski slopes, when someone is slow or wobbly, or holding up the route. Or when a barista is just learning the register and there is a long line at Starbucks. You get the picture.

It’s easy to grumble impatiently, but once you’ve embraced the beginner mindset, you’ll find a new appreciation for other beginners. And remember, we were all beginners at one time! With that in mind, we inevitably become more kind and go out of our way to be more helpful because we understand the courage that it takes to publicly struggle and appreciate their willingness to grow.

Our patience, encouragement and praise flow easier because we don’t expect the world from a beginner. We expect them to be a beginner. This shift opens us up to new opportunities and connections we wouldn’t have seen by acting impatient and grumpy.

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The unexpected detours we take in life almost always require us to start over in some capacity: breakups, marriages, having children, new jobs, moving, serious illness—or when we choose to learn a new sport or skill. So there are lots of moments to step into uncertainty with fresh eyes and childlike curiosity. While the unknown is a little scary, it can also be super empowering. Letting go of the familiar can even lead to some deep healing.

So where can you start to apply a beginner’s mindset to your life? What have you been too fearful to try or learn? I challenge you to start today with a new perspective and be sure to post it in the comments so I can offer support and cheer you on!

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LOVE + childlike wonder!