I'm in the process of revising my research statement and have been reflecting. My approach to research seems strange when I look at other people's research statements. I don't have a north star. I'm always either just chasing shiny objects, pursuing questions that I can't fathom how to sell to other people, or I'm just sifting through the sand for questions that seem like the sort of thing I can answer. 

Every time someone asks what I'm currently working on, I'm frozen because immediately I'm confronted with a list of 10+ projects I've unwisely mentally listed as "active". When I look at my published works, my works in progress, and my future plans, I almost start to see a narrative coming together. But trying to really put it together, I come up with something that sounds implausible. It makes it hard to write a research statement that feels completely honest.