Never consider yourself unfree

Research tends to turn you into a true expert in one very particular neck of the woods. Certainly, now you know your way around that particular area. While it can be satisfying to become, remain, and profit from being an expert in one area, do not feel surprised if you want to explore a different region. Since curiosity was what got you where you are now—why would you try to lock it down now?

Consequently, there is another balance to be found and another decision to be made between deepening your established expertise in a field you know and branching out from where you are to a related field. Of course, you can stay, reap the rewards of your established insight and maybe even reputation, but also get the sense of slight boredom associated with intensifying rather than broadening your expertise. Or you can go on exploring, apply the self-leadership skills you’ve taken away from your last projects to find your own path, and enjoy a more diverse learning curve, bearing in mind that positioning on a subject takes longer than you might be willing to invest. Keep in mind also that, of course, there are not only these two extreme paths to choose from, but you can find your bearing between both. Why not, for now, decide generally to stick with your field and gradually branch out into promising new fields? Why not, for now, decide to look for something new to explore, but always keeping the generated insight as a useful support to interpret what you find and maybe even make connections between your old and your new field of interest?

Research both means exploration and building expertise. Some are more interested in the expertise, others in the sense of exploration. Both extremes come with distinct advantages and disadvantages, based on your priorities. Depending on what drives you today (this will likely change with time), feel free to pick your path between both perspectives for the foreseeable future.

(This is a preview section. The full chapter on this topic continues with the sections “Rough coordinates”, “Train of thought”, “In essence”, “To reflect”, “Two travellers’ tales”, “Devil’s advocate”, and “How to tackle”.)