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If you’ve been following along on exploring-art.com for any length of time you know that I read way too many personal and business improvement books. I read way more than I ever get around to reviewing. 

Frequently, as demonstrated by my Atomic Habits review, there’s a significant length of time between finishing the book and figuring out what the useful nugget was.

The Greatness Mindset is another book that I read, thought about writing about… didn’t… and then many months later… I realise that besides the initial burst of inspiration there’s one thing from the book that has really stuck with me… and that is… The idea of seasons.

Not as in the  seasons of the year, but seasons of one’s life, of one’s inspirations, of one’s goals. This idea, that it’s okay for your interests, goals and mindsets to shift overtime. I usually carry a sense of guilt when my interests shift. Thinking of this shift instead, as a seasonal and a normal evolution, I’ve found to be quite liberating. I’d say the book overall is worth a read! 

So what’s my current season? My current season manifests with a battle cry of “NEMO!” 

• Nurture Curiosity 
• Enhance Experience 
• Maximize Mindfulness 
• Outshine your former self! 

Nurture Curiosity

I’ve been thinking a lot about a gradient of engagement, from:

• Closed / Opposed 
• Indifferent 
• Curious 
• Intensely Curious 
• Experienced / Trying it

And I’ve been thinking to lead a rich life one needs to spend more of their idle time in the “Curious” space. So I’ve been thinking about attempting to look for and seize opportunities to nurture my curiosity. What’s interesting about what’s happening right now? How can I be more inquisitive about that? How I focus more on that?

Enhance Experience 

Time is limited, which is another way of saying, in any given life you’re only going to have a finite number of experiences. How do you make the most of each of them? How do make sure your fears, insecurities or uncertainties aren’t robbing you of the opportunities you could be enjoying in your finite time? For those experiences you do engage with, how do you ensure you get the most out of them? In terms of enjoyment? In terms of learning. In terms of growth. 

Maximise Mindfulness 

Maximising mindfulness is a method to nurture curiosity and enhance experience. Being present. Being aware of your inner self and the always evolving circumstances imposed by your human apparatus. Using that awareness to better execute actions and focus that will engage your interest, feed your curiosity and lead to enriching experiences.

Outshine your former self!
I think it is common to compare yourself to others and/or focus on material, external indicators of success. As Admirable Ackbar would say… “It’s a trap!”

The real goal should be building confidence, joy and love within yourself, through your own daily routine. This whole magnificent opportunity, known as life, will end before you know it. Did you spend your journey working on self improvement, self love and joy and by extension creating joy and love for those around you? It’s not a linear journey to be sure. However, the feeling that you’re a bit more in touch with your inner-self than you were 10, 20, 30 years ago, is a reassuring one. Especially if you’re feeling progress towards more readily being able to tap into joy.

So, I’m embracing my season of NEMO! Nurturing my curiosity, seeking out enhanced experiences and trying to improve my mindfulness as I navigate daily interactions that could otherwise be navigated on autopilot. Less time on autopilot, more time being intentional, and hopefully getting better and better at it. 

What’s your current season’s mantra? What are you working on? Thanks for reading!