A great quote on curiosity as an engine for growth from the book Curious? by Todd Kashdan (p. 19-20).
By being curious, we explore.
By exploring, we discover.
When this is satisfying, we are more likely to repeat it.
By repeating it, we develop competence and mastery.
By developing competence and mastery, our knowledge and skills grow.
As our knowledge and skills grow, we stretch and expand who we are and what our life is about.
By dealing with novelty, we become more experienced and intelligent, and infuse our lives with meaning.
When is the last time you approached your performance with true curiosity? If you haven’t been genuinely surprised, fascinated, or engaged with your performance lately, see if you can bring an attitude of curiosity back into it. What do you find most interesting or enjoyable about your performance? How has this changed over the years? When is the last time you learned something new about your performance? When is the last time you gave yourself credit for learning something new about your performance?
Curiosity and mindfulness go hand in hand, and both are the opposite of bored, stagnant, and disinterested. If you are curious, you will be more mindful. If you are mindful, you will be more curious.
And in either state it is impossible to be bored because you will notice the nuance, the difference, the uniqueness of each moment.