Your expert lens is foggy
Perhaps it’s time to switch to a beginner’s
Good morning!
I have no doubt that you are all experts on your own lives. I feel that—at 42—I’m definitely an expert on my own life and know myself better than anyone. But research has found that experts can also suffer from a "blind spot.”
The research indicates that experts can sometimes be too far removed from the way that beginners learn. Experts may also miss opportunities to improve because they aren’t seeing their field “with fresh eyes” as a beginner might. A beginner may ask a question like “why do you do it that way?” And the expert may answer “because that’s the way I’ve always done it.”
One thing for you to think about
The demographics of my newsletter is 30+, so all of you have lived long enough to have been wizened by the ways of the world. In many ways, your wisdom is your armor, protecting you as you negotiate the world and make your way personally and professionally toward your dreams.
But your armor may also be narrowing your vision—adding blinders that prevent you from seeing all of the possibilities and improving on the ways “you’ve always done things.”
What I’d like to challenge you with over the next few days is to consider an area you’ve been struggling in, and approach it with a set of “WHY” and WHAT IF” questions that a beginner might ask.
For example, if you’ve been following this newsletter since the beginning, you know I struggle with dating. In June, I asked myself “Why am I only considering this type of person?” and “What if I try going out with a new type of person who has recently expressed interest?”
Well, folks, the answer is that my dating life has gotten a whole lot more exciting recently! More on that later 😉
Discovery: Every day is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and others. Reflect on these ideas and consider sharing.
Two things for you to ask yourself
Challenge your expertise by looking through a beginner’s lens. Ask yourself why and what if.
Why am I doing this type of professional work? What if I tried another type of professional work—would I be happier?
Why am I still doing the same boring exercises? What if I tried a new form of exercise that I’ve always been interested in?
Why am I using a shitty product when I know I can design something better? What if I designed my own?
Use these questions as journaling prompts.
One thing for you to try
Should you find yourself struggling with the why and what if questions, ask a true beginner to tell you what they think while looking through their lens. You aren’t obligated to take their advice, but it could help with those blinders and open you up to possibilities you haven’t considered in the past.
Experiment: Growth happens when you step outside of your comfort zone and make brave choices. Reply to this email or leave a comment and let me know how it went.
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