I have anxiety and therefore have some low-key control issues. I'm at the point of my program where we're exploring our research topic before formally declaring it.
Since I was advising for this program for more than six months prior to matriculating, I've felt internal pressure to nail my research topic down asafp. Nbd.
After a minor breakdown a few weeks ago (I was overwhelmed by all the topics I was considering), E gave me a sense of direction. [He basically challenged me to do something where our two domains overlap, since I have a casual familiarity with his field and it's super relevant to mine]
I realized a few minutes ago that I don't have a working research question or general sense of the shape of my study... And I'm OKAY with that! I am still so early in reviewing the literature, finding the gaps, and generally learning as much as I can. Right now, that's enough. And it's thrilling.