In case you missed it, July 8th is National Be a Kid Again Day.
At first glance, it sounds like one of those holidays invented to give us an excuse to eat ice cream, stay up too late, and feel nostalgic about simpler times.
But the older I get, the more I think there’s something genuinely valuable hidden in the idea.
As kids, we naturally possess qualities that help us learn, grow, and experience the world with a kind of openness that’s hard to explain until you’ve lost a little of it. Somewhere between responsibilities, deadlines, and the pressure to have everything figured out, many of us leave those qualities behind without even realizing it.
The funny thing is, many of the same traits that help children grow are the very traits that help businesses grow too.
I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
Curiosity Is Often Where Growth Begins
Spend a few minutes with a child and you’ll hear the same question on repeat:
“Why?”
Why is the sky blue? Why does that work? Why can’t I do that?
Children ask questions without worrying whether they’re smart questions. They explore ideas simply because they’re interested. They don’t need a reason beyond curiosity itself.
Somewhere along the way, many of us stop doing that.
We get comfortable with what we know. We get busy. We settle into routines and start believing we should already have the answers instead of continuing to ask questions.
But when I look at the business owners who keep growing, one thing they almost all have in common is that they never really stopped being curious. They’re still learning, still experimenting, still willing to challenge assumptions and explore possibilities others overlook.
The businesses that stagnate often assume they already know enough.
The businesses that keep growing are usually led by people still willing to ask why.
When Did We Become So Afraid to Be Beginners?
One of the biggest differences between kids and adults is how they handle being bad at something.
Kids expect it.
Nobody hands a child a bicycle and expects a flawless first ride. Falling is part of the process. Wobbling is part of the process. Scraped knees are part of the process. And none of it means they’re not a cyclist — it just means they’re still learning.
Adults hold themselves to a very different standard.
We want the first video to be polished. The first presentation to be flawless. The first website, offer, or marketing campaign to succeed immediately. And when it doesn’t, we sometimes take it as evidence that we’re simply not good at it.
But that’s never how growth has worked.
A few weeks ago, I decided to try baking my own bread. My first loaf was a disaster — too much water, not enough flour, and somehow I managed to produce something that not even my dog Hailey was interested in tasting.
The second attempt was better. The third one was something I was actually proud of.
The lesson had very little to do with bread.
It was a reminder that improvement almost always comes after imperfect attempts, not before them. Children understand this naturally. Adults often need to relearn it.
The people who make the most progress aren’t always the most talented. They’re usually the ones willing to look a little foolish while they’re still figuring it out.
The Things We Probably Shouldn’t Outgrow
As we get older, life gets serious. We have responsibilities to manage, people counting on us, and more competing for our attention than we can keep up with.
Those things matter. I’m not suggesting otherwise.
But I do think we sometimes lose something valuable in the process.
Children get excited about simple things. They’re present. They’re fascinated by possibilities. They notice details that adults walk right past. And they don’t spend nearly as much time worrying about what everyone else thinks.
Imagine what our businesses might look like if we held onto a little more of that.
What if we approached challenges with curiosity instead of frustration? What if we saw mistakes as part of learning instead of proof of failure? What if we spent less energy trying to appear like we have it all together and more energy actually trying new things?
Those aren’t just life lessons. They’re business lessons too.
A Few Things Worth Carrying With You
I’m not suggesting we should all start acting like children. Experience matters. Wisdom matters. Knowing what you’re doing matters.
But maybe there are a few things kids understand better than we give them credit for — things worth holding onto as we build our businesses and navigate everything that comes with it.
Stay curious. Ask questions even when you think you should already know the answer. Try things before you feel completely ready. Let yourself be a beginner sometimes. Celebrate the small wins instead of rushing straight to the next problem.
And every once in a while, put down the to-do list.
The work will still be there tomorrow.
Running a business means wearing a lot of hats — and sometimes the best thing you can do is get a little support so you can focus on the work that actually lights you up. If that sounds familiar, I’d love to chat. Schedule a free discovery call and let’s talk about how Thayer2Design can help.