You already chose something worth investigating.
In this step, we’re going to make sure you’re asking the right question about it.
Your job in this investigation isn’t to prove this path is right for you.
It’s to find out what’s true.
Most people approach career decisions with a question that is almost impossible to answer:
“Is this the right thing for me?”
That question asks you to predict a future you haven’t experienced yet.
Instead, turn the decision into something you can investigate.
For example:
Instead of:
“Should I become a physical therapist?”
Ask:
“What does a physical therapist actually spend most of the day doing, and would I enjoy enough of that work to want more exposure to it?”
Instead of:
“Should I major in computer science?”
Ask:
“What kinds of problems do people with computer science skills actually get paid to solve, and do I enjoy solving those kinds of problems?”
Instead of:
“Could I start my own business?”
Ask:
“What does running this kind of business require every week that I may not be seeing from the outside?”
The goal is not to find evidence that supports the idea.
Look for evidence that could change your mind.
That keeps this from becoming another exercise where you talk yourself into something you already want to believe.
Your Step 1 Move
Take the path from your Investigation Brief and finish this sentence:
“in this investigation, I want to find out…”
For example:
“in this investigation, I want to find out what being a physical therapist is really like day to day, and whether I’m interested in the actual work — not just the idea of it.”
Your question should be something the real world can actually help answer.
Then identify:
What do I currently assume is true?
and:
What could I learn that would make me think differently?
By the end of In this step, you should have:
One path. One question. One assumption you’re willing to test.
You are no longer trying to choose your future.
You’ve started an investigation.