The Energize Test
5 honest questions

1. Do you read about this field on your own time, just because it's interesting?

Not when you're forced to. Not for work. On a Saturday. With no one watching. The question is whether the field has gravitational pull for you when nothing is making you engage with it.

2. After a field test, did you lose track of time doing the work?

An informational interview, a shadow day, a volunteer stint. Did time disappear, or did you check the clock? The answer to that question is the closest thing to a fingerprint of fit you will find.

3. When you talk about this field, do you light up?

Or do you sound dutiful? The people around you can tell you the answer if you can't tell yourself. Ask them. Their answer is data.

4. Can you name three specific people in this field whose work you admire?

Three. By name. Not "the writers at McKinsey" or "the team at LinkedIn." Three actual humans you have read or watched and want to work alongside. If you cannot name three, the attraction may be to the category, not to the work.

5. If you could not get paid to do this, would you still do some version of it?

Volunteer board. Personal project. Coaching someone else through it. Pro bono. The question is whether the work itself is rewarding enough to do, separate from the compensation. If the answer is no, the move may still be the right one. But it tells you what the move actually is: a job, not a calling. That is useful to know.

8 to 10 points. Real energy.

The pull is genuine. The new field is not just attractive, it is energizing. Move forward with the toolkit (start with /tools/) and the digital presence work (/signal/).

5 to 7 points. Worth more field-testing.

The signal is mixed. Some real interest, some uncertainty. The right next move is not to commit to the pivot, it is to do more field tests. Three more informational interviews. A volunteer stint. Try to score yourself again in 60 days after more exposure.

0 to 4 points. Read this carefully.

The attraction may be to the idea of the field, not to the field itself. That is worth knowing before you make the leap. Two possibilities: either the field is not for you, or you have not yet had real exposure to the day-to-day reality of the work. Before you abandon the pivot, do one more substantive field test. Then score yourself again.

THE ENERGIZE TEST. Score 0 to 2 on each. Add up the scores.

1. Do I read about this field on my own time, just because it's interesting? Not when forced to. Not for work. On a Saturday. With no one watching.

2. After a field test (informational interview, shadow day, volunteer stint) did I lose track of time doing the work?

3. When I talk about this field, do I light up? Or do I sound dutiful? (Ask the people around you. Their answer is data.)

4. Can I name three specific people in this field whose work I admire? By name.

5. If I could not get paid to do this, would I still do some version of it? Volunteer. Personal project. Pro bono.

SCORING: 8 to 10 = real energy, move forward. 5 to 7 = mixed signal, more field-testing. 0 to 4 = attraction may be to the idea, not the field. Do another field test before deciding.