Every January, millions of people write their goals for the year. By March, most have been abandoned. New goals are set in spring, and again in September. This cycle of setting and failing leads to self-blame. Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a former Google digital health executive and now a neuroscientist, experienced this cycle firsthand. She was a champion goal-setter with quarterly OKRs and personal goals, yet felt like the Red Queen from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass—running just to stay in place.
After retraining as a neuroscientist, Le Cunff learned why goals often fail. Goals work well when the destination is known and the path is clear, such as buying a car that fits three kids for under £25,000. But for life's most important questions—career, relationships, health—the destination shifts as we grow. Chasing goals in these areas is like locking in an answer before understanding the question, leading to frustration and self-blame.
The Experimental Mindset
Scientists embrace uncertainty. They wonder if something will work, design experiments, and learn from outcomes. Le Cunff calls this the "experimental mindset." Instead of asking "Am I there yet?" you ask "What can I learn?" This approach helps try new methods, pay attention to results, and change direction based on evidence. The life you build becomes yours, not a copy of someone else's blueprint.
To apply this, start with observation. Spend 24 hours as an anthropologist, noting what gives energy, what drains it, who you enjoy talking to, and ideas you can't stop thinking about. Le Cunff, who has coached thousands, guarantees you'll spot areas ripe for experimentation: routines on autopilot, commitments accepted as part of the job or relationship, and habits sabotaging health.
Designing a Tiny Experiment
An experiment needs only two decisions: something to test and a trial period. It can be reduced to one line: "I will [action] for [duration]." For example, "I will spend 30 minutes a day reading newsletters for a month" or "I will block out one afternoon a week for deep creative work." These small actions don't require overhauling your life but can lead to unexpected opportunities. Le Cunff committed to writing a weekly newsletter for 20 weeks, which led to a consulting business, an online community, and her first book—without ever setting a goal to become an author.
Career as a Laboratory
Career is deeply tied to identity, making experimentation feel high-stakes. Economic uncertainty adds to the instinct to avoid risks. But staying stuck in the wrong career also costs time and energy. Instead of waiting for a big change, try small experiments: "I will have three coffee chats with people in jobs I'm curious about this quarter." None of these require a major overhaul, yet they can open doors.
Experimenting in Relationships
Relationships often fall into patterns that calcify without intention. An experimental mindset helps notice defaults and test improvements. For instance, replace one weekly catchup call with an activity together for six weeks, or contact one lost touch person each week for a month. Each experiment teaches what nurtures important relationships. For romantic relationships, a friend of Le Cunff ran experiments: singles events, friend introductions, different apps. Instead of asking "Was that person The One?" he reflected on what he enjoyed and learned about himself. This helped him realize he wanted someone he could talk honestly with, not just someone impressive.
Experiments can also be done with others. Parents can test replacing screentime with reading before bed for two weeks. Couples can try new date-night ideas. Friends can commit to trying something new together.
What Does 'Healthy' Look Like for You?
Wellness is saturated with one-size-fits-all goals: 10,000 steps, eight glasses of water, lose X pounds. Most people either force compliance or feel like failures. The experimental mindset reframes wellness: instead of adopting others' definitions, run experiments to find what works for your body, mind, and life. Even training for a marathon benefits from experimentation—testing how your body responds to training, nutrition, and fatigue. The finish line is fixed, but everything in between is experimentation. Whether training for a marathon or trying to sleep better, design your own experiment: "I will exercise in the morning instead of the evening for two weeks" or "I will cut out processed food for a month." Each iteration provides real data about your own body, building a definition of healthy tailored to you.
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff is published by Profile at £10.99. To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
