The Power of the Tiny Experiment

We’ve all been there: we set a goal to wake up early or drink more water, we miss one day, and suddenly we feel like we’ve failed the whole week. That all-or-nothing pressure is the fastest way to burn out and abandon our progress.

This is where Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a researcher in neuroscience and mindfulness, suggests a different approach: The Tiny Experiment.

Data Over Disappointment

Instead of looking at a missed habit as a failure, Le Cunff encourages us to look at it as a scientist would. If the habit didn’t happen, the "experiment" simply gave us data.

I help moms look at the why. If your 2-minute pocket didn't happen today, we ask:

• Did the environment have too much friction?

• Was the anchor the wrong one for your current morning?

• Was the action too big for the actual, messy pocket of time you had?

Patience as a Practice

Our lives are constantly shifting—the traffic on changes, the school schedule fluctuates, the kids get sick. When we view our wellness as a series of experiments, we give ourselves permission to sway.

You aren't failing at being a better version of yourself; you are simply gathering the information you need to design a life that actually fits the woman you are today.

Further Reading: Personal Science: Self-Experimentation from Quantified Self to Qualified Self by Anne-Laure Le Cunff at Ness Labs.