Throughout this blog, I’ve mostly avoided saying things like “You need to do this” or “You need to do that.” Whenever an author tells me what I need to do, I roll my eyes. How do they know what I need? They don’t even know me. It always sounds a little self-important, like someone pretending to give universal advice when they’re really just talking to themselves.
But every now and then, rules deserve to be broken. So I’m going to say it…
Innovators need to be curious. And innovators need to get a little uncomfortable.
Curiosity is the fuel that moves everything forward. It’s what makes you stop in the middle of the street because you noticed something unusual. Most people shrug and keep walking. But the curious ones stop and look closer. Curiosity is what makes you ask, “What if I tried this another way?” It’s also what gets you into trouble sometimes. And that’s fine. The old line about “curiosity killed the cat” probably came from someone who didn’t want the cat poking around where it wasn’t supposed to. But it’s ok to be the cat who pokes around. Go ahead, poke around. Don’t stay in line. Turn over rocks to see what’s crawling underneath.
And with curiosity comes discomfort. That’s how you know you’re stretching. There’s a saying that you should do one thing every day that makes you uncomfortable. I like that, but not because struggle is noble or pain builds character. It’s because discomfort means you’re growing. Like a lobster pushing open its old shell. Discomfort is caused by learning something your old habits can’t handle yet. Sometimes you push against a wall and the wall moves. Sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, you learn something about where your limits are.
Of course, sometimes you push hard and keep pushing and eventually you come to realize you’ve reached a dead end. That’s a different kind of discomfort, the kind that comes from trying and failing. Every ambitious person knows it. And that’s a realization that can hurt. But it’s better than the paralysis that comes from staying inert. At least failure gives you information. It shows you the edges of what’s possible. You can work with that.
Uncertainty is the innovator’s playground. It’s not always fun, but it’s where the interesting stuff lives. When you already know the outcome, there’s nothing left to discover. It’s like watching a movie where you can predict the ending in the first ten minutes. You stop caring. The surprise, the tension, the “I didn’t see that coming”… That’s what keeps you engaged. That’s what creativity feels like. It’s unpredictable and messy and often uncomfortable, but that’s what makes it alive.
The goal isn’t to be comfortable with discomfort. That’s not realistic. Nobody enjoys sleeping on a cold cement floor just to prove a point. The goal is to stay open long enough to learn from uncertainty instead of running from it. Innovation grows in that space between what you know and what you can’t quite see yet. It’s like opening a door without knowing what’s on the other side. Maybe the room on the other side is just an empty gray box. Or maybe it’s a room full of fascinating people you’re meant to meet. You open the door in either case. Because if you don’t open the door, you’ll never know what’s behind it. Curiosity makes you reach for the handle. Tolerance for uncertainty lets you walk through.
People mix up the words fall and fail all the time. They’re spelled almost exactly the same, and people often use those two words interchangeably. Failing and falling. But they’re not the same. Falling only becomes failing if you don’t get up again. If you fall and stand back up, you’re not failing, you’re learning. You’re improving. When you fall and get back up, you’re doing something that is approaching the exact opposite of failing. In a way, falling down is part of the work. It’s rehearsal for getting better.
That’s why curiosity and discomfort are the essentials. One gets you moving; the other keeps you honest.
There’s a term in Zen practice called beginner’s mind. It means approaching everything as if it’s brand new, without the weight of your past successes or the fear of repeating old mistakes. It’s a reminder to stay open, especially when you think you already know. That’s how you stay inventive.
So yes, I believe innovators do need to be curious and need to accept some level of discomfort. Those open the doors to everything else.
