I’m starting a tiny experiment.
The idea came to me through a book recommendation shared by a friend in my women’s business group. The book is called Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World. The premise immediately caught my attention, mostly because it challenges something we’re so deeply conditioned to believe.
We live in a world that loves goals. SMART goals. Measurable goals. Stretch goals. We’re taught to decide exactly what we want, map out the steps, and push until we get there. And if we don’t? We tend to blame ourselves. We didn’t want it badly enough. We didn’t try hard enough. We failed.
I’ve lived this way for years. And to be fair, there is an upside. Setting goals this way has forced me to confront my relationship with failure. It’s helped me toughen up, learn resilience, and understand that not everything works out the way I plan it. You don’t “succeed” at everything — and learning how to recover from that does matter.
But this book flips the idea of success entirely on its head. This book focuses on the process, the how, and not just the outcome. I have found in myself how dangerous being only achievement-focused can become. We tend to overidentify with achievement instead of our values and authenticity, and when we hit the mark, we often don’t feel fulfilled in the way we thought we would. And the goal post continues to move.
Instead of defining success as achieving the outcome you set out to reach, Tiny Experiments defines success as learning something new.
That stopped me in my tracks.
What if success isn’t about hitting the mark, but about noticing what happens when you try? What if curiosity replaces shame? What if forward motion matters more than precision?
So here’s my tiny experiment:
I’m committing to writing about something that inspires me — formally — at least once a week. Maybe more. But I’m trying to take my own advice here and start small. And per author Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s process, I’m going to 1) set a doable duration of one month, then 2) check back in to assess how I felt during the experiment, and 3) decide if I want to continue, adjust or stop.
And I’m taking you along with me.
Today, I’m inspired by the concept of tiny experiments themselves.
In an age of constant busyness — and increasingly, AI — I want to make sure I’m still exercising my own mind in ways that feel meaningful to me. Writing has always been a place where I process, connect dots, and find presence and peace. This feels like a way to stay awake to my own inner life.
My hope is that these small sparks of inspiration might spark something in you, too.
Some of what inspires me that you might see coming down the pike:
- Books — I’ve fallen back in love with reading over the last year, and I’d forgotten how much peace and presence it brings me. And concepts like this expand my mind.
- My clients — always with privacy and ethics intact — but inspired daily by the courage, honesty, and growth I get to witness.
- My kids — who constantly give me a beginner’s mindset and remind me of what’s important.
- People doing good in the world — often quietly, often imperfectly, often without applause.
That said, I’m open to where this takes me, and excited to see where I may become inspired. This isn’t about perfection. It’s not about consistency for consistency’s sake. It’s not about building a brand or proving anything.
It’s just a tiny experiment.
And if all I learn is something new along the way? Then, by this definition, it’s already a success.
P.S. if you are interested in the concept, but don’t have time to read the book, check out this podcast episode where Le Cunff explains the idea of Tiny Experiments.
