Wing Chun Kung Fu & Kali Eskrima
In Reading (Berkshire, UK), Wycombe (Buckinghamshire, UK), Dartford (Kent, UK), Agrino (Greece), Paris (France)

The Critical Importance of Beginner Mind

Extracts from an article by Pamela Slim published on Escape from Cubicle Nation (02.2007)

We all get cocky sometimes and think we know a lot about a lot of things. This is probably true; your life experience and education have given you a rich body of experience that you should be proud to share with others.

However, if you go into entrepreneurship for the first time with an attitude that you know everything, you will quickly be humbled by the reality that what you think you know, you really don't. It is a better strategy to approach your new venture with "beginner mind."

What is "beginner mind?"

Beginner mind is a state of being where you approach learning with no judgment, censoring, editing or preconceived expectations.

When you are in a state of "beginner mind," you think things like:

• Wow, this is cool! I wonder how it works?
• That is interesting! Why do you think that?
• I want to learn as much as I can about this topic!
• I really don't understand this person, but I wonder what makes him tick?
• What else? Tell me more.

It is in direct opposition to its cousin "expert mind" where you think things like:

• When is this person going to stop talking so I can share what I know?
• This person is so wrong in her explanation and I can't wait to prove it to her
• I tried that already and it didn't work
• This is a total waste of my time.  I am learning nothing.

"Expert mind" can be very dangerous as a new entrepreneur, since you are in a phase of discovery where you need to soak in as much as possible about your new area.

I could always spot the difference between "beginner mind" and "expert mind" when I taught martial arts classes in San Francisco. A "beginner mind person" would come into class, introduce himself humbly, and follow all instructions in the first class. He would pay attention, ask lots of questions and carefully watch how I did the movements.

An "expert mind person," by contrast, would strut in the class and immediately tell me that he was an experienced martial artist. As I was trying to explain the movements, he would focus on watching the more advanced students work out. When I gave a point of direction or corrected a position, he would get a slightly annoyed look on his face as if to say "who are you to tell me what to do?"

The interesting thing is that many times the "beginner mind" person had just as much experience in other martial arts as the "experienced mind" one, he just had a different attitude toward learning. By coming in with a fresh perspective and seeing the art as a beginner, he picked up techniques much quicker and in the long run developed more talent.

Cultivating a beginner mind as an entrepreneur will greatly increase both the depth and pace of your learning, and make the process fun and exciting. You will find that more people are willing to talk with and support you when you are open and non-judgmental.