The first rule of experiments: don’t make them a should. The moment an experiment becomes an obligation, it loses its power. Experiments should feel like a Sunday drive where you don’t know where you’re going—not a commute you have to make by a certain time.
“Don’t make it a should. You’re always looking for a way of finding an experiment and the mindset that makes it playful and fun and a discovery process.”
This means: wander where there’s pain or curiosity. Keep time-bounded structure (at least a week is useful). Keep stakes low. Follow wonder, not obligation. Think of yourself as a kid building sand castles—you’d like a big one, but the whole thing’s going to be gone soon, so enjoy playing in the sand.
Brett’s freewriting experiment illustrates this perfectly: rigid “write every morning for 10 minutes” became another obligation. Redesigning it as “put the notebook where I’ll walk past it” allowed the practice to integrate naturally and joyfully.
Related Concepts
- Should creates stress, not change
- How you do it determines if you do it
- To-do lists can be inner critic