What Jane Goodall can teach us about following your curiosity

In light of the recent passing of Jane Goodall, I wanted to dedicate this next career journey breakdown to her.

Her life’s work, spanning nearly seven decades, wasn’t just about studying chimpanzees. It was about what happens when someone fully commits to following their curiosity, trusting their gift and listening to their ‘callings.’

Her story beautifully embodies so many of the ideas we talk about over here: breadcrumbs, the thread, the Zone of Genius, and the power of small experiments.

1. The First Breadcrumb: Wonder

Jane Goodall’s fascination with animals began in early childhood. At four years old, she famously spent hours hiding in a henhouse to observe how a hen lays an egg, returning home with a sense of awe and discovery.

What’s remarkable is how her mother responded. Instead of scolding her, she listened to Jane’s story with full attention. That moment mirrored back her curiosity and taught her that her wonder was valid — something to be trusted, not suppressed.

Every calling starts with curiosity. Sometimes, all it takes is one person who recognises the spark and helps us believe it matters. Reach out to the people in your life who see you fully, ask them what they believe your unique contribution is.

2. Try Before You Leap

As a young woman, Jane didn’t have a degree in science or zoology. She worked as a secretary and waitress to save money for a trip to Africa, a dream she’d had since childhood.

That trip became her defining turning point. In 1957, while visiting a friend in Kenya, she was introduced to Dr. Louis Leakey, the renowned anthropologist and curator of the Coryndon Museum in Nairobi. Leakey was looking for someone with patience, curiosity, and attention to detail — qualities Jane had in abundance.

He first hired her as his secretary, but soon realised she was the right person to lead an ambitious field study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania.

While their meeting wasn’t a random coincidence, it wasn’t planned in a career sense either. It was an organic opportunity that arose because Jane had followed her instinct to travel to Africa and shared her love of animals with the right person. Because Jane had followed a lifelong breadcrumb (her fascination with animals and Africa) even without knowing what it would lead to, serendipity happened. That’s the premise of the Try Before You Leap method–it helps you find clarity through action, and it also inevitably creates opportunities.

3. You Don’t Always Need a Degree

When Jane arrived in the forest of Gombe in 1960, she wasn’t a trained scientist. She didn’t follow a strict research protocol or use academic jargon. Instead, she relied on patience, intuition, and observation, qualities that many experts at the time dismissed as “unscientific.”

It was precisely this unconventional approach that led to her most groundbreaking discoveries: she was the first to observe chimpanzees making and using tools, hunting cooperatively, and showing complex emotions like affection and grief.

Her findings not only redefined what it meant to be human, but also changed the way science understood animals forever.

You don’t always need a degree to do meaningful work. Sometimes the world’s most transformative insights come from those willing to look differently, listen deeply, and stay curious longer than anyone else.

4. The Zone of Genius

Jane’s genius lived at the intersection of science and empathy — a combination that was radical at the time.

• Passions (what): animals, the natural world, the planet, understanding behaviour, connection, and storytelling.

• Purpose (why): “To foster compassion and respect for all living things, inspiring individuals to take action to protect the environment and make the world a better place for people, animals, and the planet”

• Gifts (how): patience, deep observation, compassion, empathy, emotional intelligence, communication, storytelling, and translating complex science into human insight.

Her scientific contribution was immense, but what made her truly unique was her ability to humanise her findings, to bridge the gap between knowledge and heart, with the goal of making a better world for all.

5. Evolving the Work

In later decades, Jane’s focus shifted from research to education and activism.She founded the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots, empowering young people worldwide to take action for animals, people, and the planet. She became a UN Messenger of Peace, an environmental advocate, and a global voice for hope.

She often said she felt guided by a “still, small voice”, what she called her conscience, urging her to use her platform to protect life on Earth.

“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference.”

Our purpose isn’t static. While its essence stays the same, it expands and evolves as we do. What begins as personal curiosity can evolve into service and mission.

Before we wrap up, I want to add a small but important note.

Jane Goodall’s story is extraordinary, a rare example of someone who seemed to have a singular purpose from a very young age. Her gifts were recognised, nurtured, and celebrated early on, and she went on to create an enormous impact on our planet.

But I share her story not as a benchmark, but as inspiration. I truly believe we all have our own unique curiosities, gifts, and contributions — our reason for being here. That purpose doesn’t need to be world-changing or altruistic in the traditional sense. For some, meaning is found through work that touches many; for others, it’s through small, everyday acts of care, creativity, or connection.

Jane Goodall’s career journey reminds us that:

• Your curiosity is never random. It’s information.

• You don’t need to have it all figured out before you begin.

• Trusting your gift, even when it feels small or impractical, can lead to a life filled with meaning.

If you’re standing at a crossroads, start with the next breadcrumb.

Follow the quiet pull. See where it leads.

Love,

Naama

P.S. If you’re craving clarity on your next chapter, my Try Before You Leap guide will help you turn your ideas into small, practical experiments, so you can move from thinking to doing, one step at a time.