The city was\u00a0teeming\u00a0with life! Yet\u00a0somehow\u00a0it felt like I was noticing this for the first time.<\/strong><\/p>\n My experience had\u00a0transformed<\/strong>\u00a0from it\u2019s previous state.<\/p>\n Seeing such familiar sights as in a new way felt like a real gift.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a concept from Zen Buddhism used to describe this mindset, where everything is fresh and new. It\u2019s called\u00a0\u201cBeginner\u2019s Mind\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0and it\u2019s the subject of this article.<\/p>\n \u201cThe real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.\u201d Beginner\u2019s Mind (aka Shoshin) is exactly what it sounds like: a term used to describe the mindset of a true beginner.<\/p>\n When you are new to something, you don\u2019t know anything about it. In order to open your mind to learn, and develop understanding, you adopt a unique mindset.<\/p>\n In this state of mind, you are:<\/p>\n Just think back to what it\u2019s like when little kids learn about something. Children are\u00a0overflowing\u00a0with questions. Their imaginations run wild. They ask both simple questions that are obvious, and profound questions that you\u2019ve never considered.<\/p>\n Children are natural at this, because they\u2019re always beginners at something. But as you get older, it\u2019s easy to lose touch with the qualities of mind that once came so naturally.<\/p>\n Most people spend their lives trying to become experienced in a field, expert in a subject-area, or skilled at a craft.<\/p>\n Beginner\u2019s Mind seems to run in opposition to that trajectory. Because of this, the idea can feel uncomfortable!<\/p>\n Why would you abandon what you know about the world, even for a moment? Experience is indeed a wonderful thing. It often helps you do things at a higher level.<\/p>\n But knowledge and understanding of how things work can prevent you from seeing clearly what\u2019s in front of you.<\/p>\n After all\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIf your mind is empty\u2026it is open to everything. In the beginner\u2019s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert\u2019s mind there are few.\u201d Cultivating beginner\u2019s mind gives you the opportunity to see the world around you with fresh eyes.<\/p>\n The benefits of this mindset cut across many factors of life, and contribute to:<\/p>\n With all those benefits in mind, you might be wondering\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHow can I start to\u00a0cultivate beginner\u2019s mind on a regular basis?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Below are a number of practices to get you started.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re used to knowing what you know, thinking like a beginner\u00a0can be surprisingly challenging!<\/p>\n To make the process of cultivating beginner\u2019s mind in a given scenario easier, try these\u00a010 exercises:<\/p>\n \u201cWe begin with beginner\u2019s mind, and then, if we\u2019re lucky, we deepen it, or return to it.\u201d At the onset of a new experience, it\u2019s impossible not to have the mindset of a beginner.<\/p>\n But as time moves along, these attitudes drift away. As knowledge and understanding root themselves in your mind, your aperture of consideration narrows.<\/p>\n Cultivating Beginner\u2019s Mind is a way to reverse this limiting tendency.<\/p>\n Seeing things anew brings fresh perspective to old sights, and opens up a world of intrigue and possibility in every day.<\/p>\n The best part about beginner\u2019s mind is that it\u2019s always accessible. Every week, every day, and every moment is an opportunity to begin again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I used to\u00a0commute\u00a0to downtown Chicago by\u00a0train every day. At first, I enjoyed this new facet of life. The\u00a0novelty\u00a0of the experience made it fun and exciting. But that fresh feeling quickly washed away, turning my commute into a repetitive\u00a0inconvenience.\u00a0All this extra time spent getting from one place to another! I\u2019ll admit, at the time, it felt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[311],"tags":[583],"class_list":["post-5630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-insights","tag-shoshin","enable-dropcap","disable-2-columns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n~ Marcel Proust<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat is Beginner\u2019s Mind?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nThe Curse of Knowledge<\/h2>\n
\nIsn\u2019t it better to have expertise, knowledge, and understanding?<\/p>\n
\n~ Shunryu Suzuki<\/p><\/blockquote>\nBenefits of Beginner\u2019s Mind<\/h2>\n
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10 Exercises to Develop Beginner\u2019s Mind<\/h2>\n
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\nWhat have you assumed to be true about this experience or topic? Can you 100% know that it\u2019s true? What would happen if\u00a0you did the opposite?<\/li>\n
\nWith known topics, you tend to operate on autopilot. By deliberately slowing down, you can force yourself to experience each step of a given activity more deeply. Physically slow down your movements, and your mind tends to\u00a0follow.<\/li>\n
\nWhen you think you know how something will go, resist the temptation to\u00a0assume. Instead, take time to wait and see. Can you really know that it will happen in the way you assumed it will?<\/li>\n
\nTry to distill the topic or exercise into a simpler form.\u00a0What are the basic elements at play here? How do they relate to one-another? Which elements are most important? Which could you get rid of?<\/li>\n
\nAsk someone to explain a problem or subject to you in as simple language as possible. Don\u2019t assume anything. Ask them the simplest questions, like\u00a0\u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cHow does that work?\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cWhy do you do it that way?\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cCan you say more about that?\u201d\u00a0(Or, swap roles, and try your hand at\u00a0explaining it in the simplest language possible.)<\/li>\n
\nIt\u2019s fine to make hypotheses about how something will go. But \u201cshould\u201ds attach yourself to an outcome. Let go of any expected outcome to remain open to broader possibilities.<\/li>\n
\nIf you were learning archery for the first time, and had a quiver full of arrows, you might not consider your first shot very thoroughly. After all, if it doesn\u2019t go well, you know you have more attempts.\u00a0But what if the instructor only gave you one arrow? How might you approach things differently if you knew you only had one shot at it?\u00a0 Seek understanding, and do so mindfully.<\/li>\n
\nThe ego likes to protect itself by knowing things and being right. But being\u00a0right\u00a0is rarely the real goal. Focus instead on seeing reality as it is, without bias.<\/li>\n
\nOpen your senses to what you\u2019re experiencing, as if you\u2019d never experienced it before.\u00a0What do you see\/hear\/smell\/feel\/taste? What patterns exist? What is confusing? (Why?) What makes sense? (Why?)<\/li>\n
\nIn mindfulness meditation, the practice is to non-judgmentally observe the rising and passing of thoughts, emotions, and sensations in the present moment. In meditation, notice\u00a0when you begin to expect how things\u00a0should<\/em>\u00a0go, like what you\u2019ll feel, or what you\u2019ll think. This awareness of expectation provides an opportunity to let go, and return to your breathing. Remind yourself that every meditation is different, and that each\u00a0breath is unique. Then, open yourself to the next breath\u2026And the next\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nBegin Again, Begin Again<\/h2>\n
\n~ Joseph Goldstein<\/p><\/blockquote>\n