You're not Lost , you're in the Lab
Reflecting on an experimental lifestyle and reading Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
I just read the book Tiny Experiments by Anne-laure Le Cunff and it made me realize that perhaps I’ve been in a mindset that’s too linear lately. The core thesis is that we should be in a experimental mindset with our lives rather than setting big goals. I’ve been thinking I have to make the right choice on what to do with my life or where to live, rather than seeing life just as a series of Tiny Experiments.
Last year I made a friend who also organized his life as a series of two week dev sprints, where he would record what he wants to accomplish in the next two weeks, and record his thoughts and feelings while going through these two weeks and document the results as well. He pitched this idea to me as something he’s been really enjoying and allows him to discover more about himself
At the time I thought this idea was interesting, but it wasn’t until I read Tiny Experiments that I understood this type of thinking on a deeper level. This type of thinking focuses more on the process rather than the end goal or the destination. Requires a high level of curiosity and ambition, and also setting your goals at a right level of commitment, which is similar to Atomic Habits (starting with the easiest version of your habit). However the author clarifies that a tiny experiment is different from a habit. A habit is something you want to do for a long period of time. Where as a tiny experiment can be anywhere from a few days to a few months.
I think one tiny experiment I can do is to fast for 24 hours every week. I just did my first one today and I find that the clarity and focus I have is a lot better than usual.
Another tiny experiment that I want to do is to write 5 short reflections a week. Writing on every week day will help me cultivate the habit of writing and also build on this craft and also give me more ideas for content I can make.
Yesterday I had the idea of a concept called Micro-Rituals, which is a ritual you create that helps you unwind before bed. I feel like this idea is similar to a tiny experiment except a micro ritual is specifically something that helps you to get into the mood to fall asleep. This book actually had something similar called the Kairos Ritual where it prompts readers to come up with a ritual that helps them check in with themselves.
The question I don’t get is why don’t more people do Tiny Experiments? I guess there are quite a lot of things that hold people back. This book did talk about a few mental scripts that hold people back. They are living through the past, trying to do what the crowd is doing and pursuing a “passion”.
It was surprising to me that the author considered following a passion even a script that could hold you back. Because I actually been subscribing to that idea thinking that when we follow our passion we live our happiest lives. But then I realized that following your passion if you don’t know what it is, takes you too far away from doing anything. And I really like how this book simply focuses on the here and now and what you can do today. Of course if your passion is already something you do everyday then there’s nothing wrong with continuing it.
__
Sidenotes:
This app I’m writing on today is pretty cool as there’s a timer and helps keeps me on track to keep writing without getting distracted by other tools (it’s called Freewrite).
I really like reading and working in book stores. There’s just something about being in a place full of knowledge and also being away from computers and opening up a book instead.
This app that I use also plugs in what I wrote to chatGPT to ask it for reflection, and boy am I impressed by the understanding that it has developed, the last part even sounds poetic.
ChatGPT noted that it seems like I’m already conducting a series of Tiny Experiments with writing on this new tool, and working in cafes, fasting, etc. And that Tiny Experiments is like playing Jazz.
Being a digital nomad is the ultimate experimental lifestyle, and helped me learn a lot about where I want to live (I did this for three years on and off). I think I just need to start applying this mindset to my career and other aspects of my life!
I was just watching Anne-Laure LaCunff’s talk about about here about this.