One of the biggest takeaways from our summer of Tiny Experiments is that it’s okay to try something. You can always stop, or pivot, or even do a complete 180… and it’s fine. It’s all fine.
Several of the experimenters in our group never planned to share their experiment with anyone publicly. It was a private exercise in willpower, skill-building, or task exploration. Wonderful.
Other experimenters did their mini-ventures in full view of their audiences. They knew it might not work out. So what? They were putting themselves out there with permission to flop or bail on the project entirely.
If that makes you nervous, think of it this way: In 10 years, no one — including you — is likely to remember what you did for 10 days in August as a tiny experiment. Big risks are scary, and rightfully so, but little experiments, like posting daily for two weeks or spending 15 minutes reading to an AI tool, needn’t carry the same weight.
Life is trial, error, and luck. And, as one of my favorite financial writers is fond of pointing out, “Luck never finds you in your apartment.” If you want something new to happen, you have to leave your comfort zone. It might go well, right from the start. It might be a disaster. Either way, it’s material for a writer, and a learning experience for you as a human.
So, this month, whatever you’re thinking of doing or daydreaming about trying… go for it! Design a minimum viable experiment or tiny challenge for yourself and see what happens (and if you feel like sharing your adventure, drop a note into our LinkedIn community!)