The Importance of Keeping A Beginner’s Mind (Day 22)

The moment you become complacent is the moment you stop growing.

I learned this lesson the hard way at the poker tables.

It was 2016 and I'd spent the past 5 years battling my way to the highest stakes. I had beaten the best, earned their respect and was now making good money. I was still putting in long hours, but I'd completely stopped studying. Deep down, I believed I knew everything I needed.

Then a wave of new players entered the scene. They came in hungry. They brought fresh strategies. They saw spots I hadn’t studied in years. And slowly, my edge started to slip. I wasn’t able to adapt and for the first time in a long time, I felt behind.

It took me a month to sharpen up again. But even that was reactive. I only returned to learning once the pain of decline forced me to. And that whole experience left a mark — it made me realise how easy it is to get complacent and let go of the very thing that helped you grow in the first place.

The Trap of “I Know This Already”

Since then, I’ve noticed this pattern everywhere — not just in poker, but in business, health, and even content creation.

You get decent at something. You reach a level where people compliment your work or ask for advice. You know the fundamentals, and you apply them well enough to get solid results.

But then something subtle happens.

You stop reaching. You stop questioning. You stop studying like a beginner. And it’s not because you’re arrogant or lazy — it’s because you feel like you get it. The lessons feel familiar. The strategies sound repetitive. You scroll through a podcast or a book and think, “Yeah, I’ve heard this before.”

But here’s the thing: familiarity is not the same as true understanding.

Knowing of something is not the same as embodying it. I’ve read dozens of business books. I’ve taken courses on marketing and psychology. But when I reflect honestly, I realise I’ve only implemented a small fraction of what I’ve learned. I reached “good enough” in each area, and then I coasted.

I see the same thing in fitness. I’ve been training for years. I understand nutrition, sleep, recovery. But how much am I still experimenting? How much am I still testing and pushing the edges of what I think I know?

There’s something dangerous about being good at something.

If you're not careful, it can quietly kill your curiosity.

Which is what makes good the enemy of great.

Learning Isn’t a Ladder, It’s a Loop

We often imagine learning as this upward climb. We proceed step by step, level by level, until we arrive at “knowing.” But real learning isn’t a ladder. It’s a loop. And if you want to keep growing, you have to keep cycling through that loop again and again.

Here’s how I think about it:

• You try something.

• You reflect on what worked and what didn’t.

• You make sense of that feedback.

• You apply the insight and try again.

That’s the learning cycle. It’s not glamorous, and it’s never really “done.” But it’s how we deepen understanding and refine skill.

When I plateau, it’s rarely because I stopped trying. It's because I stopped reflecting. I was still doing, but I wasn’t paying close attention to the feedback. I wasn’t looping. I was just repeating.

Returning to a Beginner’s Mind

So lately, I’ve been asking myself: Where have I stopped learning because I think I already know?

Sometimes it’s subtle. Like in business, I got to a level where I could attract clients and grow an audience. I learned enough to get by. But I didn’t keep going. I didn’t ask, “What would it look like to get world-class at this?”

Or with content, I created hundreds of videos, built systems, got good at scripting. But then I settled. I didn’t keep studying creators who are miles ahead. I didn’t seek out feedback. I didn’t re-enter the loop.

And why? Because I stopped seeing myself as a beginner.

That’s the ego trap we all fall into. We identify with what we’ve learned. We build a little house out of what we know. And then we protect it — when what we really need to do is keep tearing it down and rebuilding it stronger.

The Beginner’s Mind Isn’t Weak, It’s Strategic

There’s a misconception that a beginner’s mind is naive. That it lacks confidence, direction, or knowledge. But in reality, beginner’s mind is one of the most powerful positions you can hold.

It’s not about pretending you know nothing. It’s about refusing to close the door on learning.

That mindset doesn’t just keep you humble, it keeps you learning, evolving, and growing while others coast.

A Simple Practice That Helps Me

When I notice myself slipping into the “I know this already” mindset, I pause and ask:

Where have I stopped learning because I think I’m already good at it?

Usually one answer comes up instantly.

And when it does, I try to re-enter the loop. I try to reflect more, open up curiosity and think about how I can do things better.

It’s uncomfortable, but growth often hides behind that discomfort.

The Real Skill Is Staying Open

If I’ve learned anything from years of coaching, competing, and building—it’s this:

Success isn’t just about learning fast, it's about being willing to learn again.

To return to first principles.

To question what you “know.”

To listen like it’s the first time.

To practice like a beginner, especially when you don’t feel like one.

That’s the real work. That’s how you keep levelling up.

Because at every level — novice, intermediate, even expert — the moment you think you’ve arrived is the moment you start slowing down.

So don’t aim to be the expert.

Aim to be the one who’s still learning.

Still testing. Still curious. Still open.

That’s the mindset that builds something special over the long run.

That’s how you stay sharp and keep learning, no matter where you’re at.

Adam