The moment I realized I wanted something different—but didn’t quite know what that was—I entered a season I now call my "Discovery Period." It wasn’t about making a bold leap overnight. It was about gently peeling back the layers of what I thought I should do, and asking: What’s truly calling me?

Whether you're pivoting industries, exploring a side hustle, or just feeling like something is off, this stage is sacred. It's where insight meets experimentation. And it deserves structure, not just scattered Google searches at midnight.

What Is a Discovery Period?

Your Discovery Period is the intentional time you dedicate to learning about a new path before you fully commit.

This is the space to:

• Investigate options you’re curious about

• Explore your fears and blocks

• Map the unknowns

• Collect real-world insights

Eastern philosophies call this a time of svadhyaya—self-study, curiosity, and sacred reflection. In Western thought, it's akin to “hypothesis testing” in behavioral science.

Either way, it’s about designing before diving.

"Don’t rush clarity. Seek discovery."

Step 1: Identify Your Ignorance Debt

I learned this from Alex Hormozi—ignorance debt is the price we pay for not knowing what we need to know. For me, early in my entrepreneurial journey, it was marketing and sales. I had a vision, but zero strategy.

I turned that around by doing one thing: Obsessively studying, testing, and learning.

📝 Exercise: 

What’s the one area you feel totally behind in? What knowledge gaps are holding you back from even beginning?

List 3–5 areas and rate your current understanding (1–10).

Then list one small step you could take to close each gap (book, course, person to talk to).

Step 2: Create a Discovery Plan

Let’s get concrete. Choose 1–3 options you’re considering and answer:

What do I not know yet?

• Daily responsibilities?

• Salary benchmarks?

• Growth paths?

• Company stage pros/cons? (Pre-seed vs Series B vs enterprise?)

How could I find out?

• Informational interviews

• Shadowing someone

• Freelancing

• Volunteering

• Courses or certifications

📝 Exercise:

For each option, write:

• What I’m exploring:

• What I’m unsure of:

• What I’m curious about:

• How will I learn more?

Step 3: Conduct Informal Interviews

Talk to people who are living the life you’re considering. These don’t need to be formal.

Think: a 20-minute coffee chat or a quick DM on LinkedIn.

Examples of Questions to Ask:

• What does success actually look like in your role?

• What’s one thing you wish you knew before starting?

• What are the biggest challenges day-to-day?

• What’s the career trajectory like here?

Pro tip: People LOVE being asked for their wisdom. Just make it personal and specific.

Step 4: Feel Into the Risk

Sometimes we don’t move forward because the idea feels risky. But when we sit with those fears and actually name them—they often shrink.

📝 Exercise:

What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

For each path:

• What am I afraid of?

• Is it actually likely?

• Could I handle it?

• What support or safeguards would help me manage it?

👉🏽 Western cognitive psychology calls this exposure therapy: the act of confronting fear in small doses. Buddhism teaches this too: fear dissolves when we stop resisting it.

Step 5: Test It

“Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.” — Marie Forleo

If you’re dreaming about launching a coffee shop, work as a barista for a few months. If you’re curious about coaching, offer three sessions for free. If you’re excited about moving into tech, shadow a PM or contribute to an open-source project.

Real-life data > perfect plans.

📝 Exercise: 

Write 1–3 small experiments you could run this month to test each option.

Example:

• Help a friend build a Notion system for her startup

• Teach a mini-workshop at a local co-working space

• Apply to a weekend hackathon and see how I feel in a builder role

Optional: Discovery Isn’t Just for Pivoters

You don’t have to be switching careers to explore. Maybe you’re happy where you are, but want to:

• Grow into leadership

• Launch a new product line

• Take your side project full-time

👉🏽 This same process applies. Discovery isn’t just about change—it’s about intentional evolution.

Recap: Your Discovery Period Blueprint

Step 1: Identify Your Ignorance Debt

• Where do you feel behind? What’s stopping you?

Step 2: Build a Discovery Plan

• What don’t you know yet?

• Where will you get the answers?

Step 3: Talk to People

• Conduct 3–5 informal interviews with people already doing it

Step 4: Sit With the Risk

• What’s the worst case? Can you handle it? Prepare for it?

Step 5: Experiment

• Try small versions of your big dreams. Track what energizes you.

Final Words: Discovery Is Not a Delay. It’s the First Step.

If you’re in the fog, you’re not failing. You’re preparing.

Use this season to gather clues, collect data, and learn the language of the next chapter of your life. You don’t have to know the final destination—you just have to be willing to explore the map.