Beginner's Mindset

I've always been and always will be a student.

It's the beginner's-mind energy and excitement that come with being a student I like.

Having said that, there's a difference between being a beginner and maintaining a beginner's mindset.

I've known many experienced pros in a variety of industries who stayed stunted mentally and financially because they held the belief they were "just a beginner" for way too long. This put them into a low-confidence loop they couldn't break out of. So, they lowballed their costs, rarely shared their work with others, and actually avoided new opportunities.

On the other hand, maintaining a beginner's mindset - a way of approaching the world and your work with creative curiosity, eagerness, and a sense for what's possible - is a great way to stay motivated, remain in perpetual learning mode, and encourage steady growth.

It can be a delicate balance between thinking of yourself as a beginner and maintaining a beginner's mindset. But stay alert and recognize when you should leave the former behind and embody the latter.