Curiosity research

Big journeys are not reached by a single dive into the abyss. They are made up of many smaller journeys fueled by micro-curiosities, that is, small puzzles, mysteries, or challenges that are inside our comfort zone and that motivate us to explore our domain of interest. By breaking down an ambitious exploration into smaller, more achievable bits, w

This is what I call purposeful curiosity, the kind that gets you off your couch and propels you to solve complex puzzles. It is about immersing yourself into the unknown with clarity, passion, courage, and a positive, enterprising attitude. This kind of curiosity requires effort, patience, and resources and may lead you to exhaustion, but it is als

Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. Zora Neale Hurston

To get inspired, the preternaturally curious people I interviewed tend to ask five questions time and again: •What if? •Am I sure? •What’s next? •Have I looked closely enough? •Have I looked everywhere? Let’s ask these questions ourselves and go into a little more detail as we try to understand how they can help us become inspired.

Write a one-page story. Name the problem you want to solve or the world you seek to explore. Explain why you should care about this or why this journey is so hard. Finally, show how you see yourself setting this in motion. Make yourself the protagonist of the story. Use this story to think about the first steps or actions you would take to get star

Use these guidelines as you begin your research: 1. Find the leading blogs, podcasts, documentaries, and other publications in your new field. 2. Identify the top minds (e.g., academics, scientists, entrepreneurs, mavericks) in this field. Who else is emerging? 3. Look up the leading organizations and businesses (e.g., start-ups) in this area.

What doesn’t kill you makes you more curious: The more we put ourselves in situations or environments that are new to us and that challenge us, the more we develop skills and coping mechanisms to face those challenges. “Choose curiosity, don’t surrender,” our inner voice tells us. If we adopt this approach, something interesting will start happenin