Acting like a rookie has nothing to do with your experience in the field, but instead is a matter of how you think. Being a veteran in any job position can cause people to automatically default to their comfort zones. Instead of settling for the familiar, anyone can choose to engage a rookie mindset. Avoid slipping into the veteran modes of being a caretaker or overall settler. Instead strive to inhabit the rookie modes of being a firewalker and pioneer.

Liz Wiseman is the president of her own leadership research firm, The Wiseman Group. She has extensive experience teaching leadership to executives and emerging leaders alike. In her book Rookie Smarts – Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, Wiseman explains the value of recapturing a rookie mindset that is constantly learning and exploring new ways of getting the job done.

“When the world is changing quickly, experience can become a curse, trapping us in old ways of doing and knowing, while inexperience can be a blessing, freeing us to improvise and adapt quickly to changing circumstances,” writes Wiseman. “Fortunately, even the most experienced professionals and organizations can tap into their rookie smarts. Those who choose to live and work on a learning curve will experience greater vitality in their careers and will be well positioned in the new game of work.”

People become keenly aware of what they do not know when they are placed in an unfamiliar and challenging role, and quickly get to the job of figuring out what to do. While everyone else is following conventional systems, embracing the notion that no idea is too radical often leads to doing something great.

Let’s take a look at the 10 rules to follow in order to start thinking and acting like a rookie again.

Do all you can to get fired:

Years of experience can act as a burden that leads you to overthink things and second-guess yourself. Instead of living in fear of job security, you must recapture the rookie thinking of pushing the limits and working hard just to survive. In order to be a perpetual rookie, you must become a lifelong learner who is passionate about finding out all there is to know about your industry. Maintaining a humble, nothing-to-lose attitude will help you to learn from those around you and make work your play.

Throw away your notes:

Approaching every task with fresh thinking is one way to stay rookie smart. Throwing away your notes, either physically or metaphorically, will help you to get out of your rut and wander beyond the familiar. Discard the tired ways of doing things and start over. This includes any cheat sheets, overused speeches or templates for what you do. Being unencumbered by habit is the best way to generate fresh rookie-style thinking.

Get out and surf with amateurs:

If you want to be a perpetual rookie, get in the habit of working alongside actual rookies on a regular basis. The more time you spend with amateurs as opposed to highly experienced peers, the better. If you want new ideas, the best place to look is at the bottom of the organization. Newcomers bring with them a fresh way of thinking that you can learn from. Taking the time to ask them for their ideas will help you to see things through their eyes.

Shift from leader to learner:

Getting into the rookie mindset is as simple as changing your title from “leader” to “learner”. A psychological phenomenon called the “confirmation bias” states that the more we are deemed to be experts in our field, the less we will search out information which proves us wrong. Keep an “I don’t know” list and be candid about the things you aren’t sure of. Doing this will help you to avoid falling victim to the confirmation bias and act as a constant reminder that you are a lifetime learner.

Step into your discomfort zone:

There are signs that will let you know when it’s time to take on a new challenge, such as when you are operating on autopilot or you’ve stopped learning something new every day. Taking on a challenge you are unprepared for is a good way to force you to get into rookie mode. Stepping out of your comfort zone by pushing the outer limits of your industry will force you to sink or swim. Doing something very different will significantly accelerate your learning.

Take small steps often:

In order to develop and maintain rookie smarts, you have to take on assignments which are challenging and uncomfortable but not impossible. Take these opportunities as a chance to grow and learn from those who know more than you. Consult experts and seek out help to achieve your goals. Taking these small steps and achieving success will give you the confidence necessary to continue to push beyond your comfort zone on a regular basis.

Create rituals for renewal:

Another great way to stay a perpetual rookie is to establish some rituals to ensure your thinking stays fresh. Talk to a rookie, learn how to meditate or attend a conference in a field outside your own industry. These are just some examples of ways to reinvigorate your daily activities. The rookie rituals you establish should also be changed periodically, otherwise they will become habits that keep you from growing. Rituals are healthy, routines are not.

Rethink how you manage talent:

If you want your entire organization to exercise rookie smarts, you will need to re-evaluate the way you manage your employees. As part of your standard hiring practice, start looking for candidates with innate learning agility, rather than hiring for experience alone. A learning component should be standard in everyone’s job description, as well as the potential for lateral assignments that will allow executives to challenge themselves on a regular basis.

Give your rookies a voice:

The simplest way to become rookie-smart as an organization is to combine rookies and veterans. Put your new hires to work on your most challenging problems to help you generate answers, rather than assuming they are too new to be useful. Look at creating teams which combine the best of what rookies have to offer with the savvy of your veterans. This way, you will get the best of both worlds.

Let executives be rookies again:

Giving your executives permission to become rookies again is another great way to generate a corporate-wide rookie mindset. Pushing senior leaders to accept rookie assignments outside of their areas of specialization sets a tone for the entire organization. It demonstrates the benefit of learning and how accomplishing new things is essential for future competitiveness. New ideas and knowledge will naturally grow out of these initiatives.

Climbing new learning curves and stepping into zones of discomfort can be difficult. The alternative, however, is for people to fall into a rut of familiarity and routine. By letting yourself, as well as others within your organization, become rookies again, you will have the eagerness necessary to take on whatever challenges the future has to offer.

As Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki said, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.”