As anyone who has attended my trainings will know, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). I see it is part of my job to undermine the all-pervasive dominance of REF in UK academic life, by encouraging researchers to stop chasing their 4* impact case study, and remember why they originally fell in love with research. Most people didn’t fall in love with impact – they fell in love with curiosity and that’s what drives them to this day. My message: do impact if you want to, and do it for your own reasons, not because REF, your funders or your University want you to do impact. If you’re motivated by curiosity, ask if engaging with people outside the acade