All Life is an Experiment

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

     Your life is a journey with an unknown destination. We all have an idea where we want to go and possibly how we want to get there but the reality is we don’t know exactly what will happen. The only way to change the unknown to a known is to experiment. The more you experiment in life the more you will definitively learn how to get closer to your unique destination. Therefore the more you experiment the better.

What is an Experiment?

     Dictionary.com defines an experiment as a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.: As stated earlier your destination in life is unknown and your purpose in life is to discover the unknown. Therefore experiments play a vital role in that discovery. Without experiments you leave life to chance. There’s a chance you may uncover an unknown just by simply being in the right place at the right time. There’s a chance that you may uncover an unknown from an intuition that tells you to read an article or listen to a podcast today. There’s a chance you may discover an unknown by word of mouth in your social circles. Yes there is always a chance.
However, why leave life to chance? That is why Ralph says the more experiments the better. The more you can discover the more unknowns you can uncover. These experiments don’t have to be large in nature either. They can be small. They can be short. The key is that you look at them as experiments and be willing to learn from their outcome. You should be experimenting constantly in all aspects of life. You should make it a habit to experiment. By creating the habit you take more control of your life and leave less of your results to chance. That is an awesome position to be in; control.

You Have Many Options

     Get started experimenting in all aspects of your life. Experiment with a different way of exercising to see how it impacts your fitness. How does your body respond to compound body weight exercises vs. heavy cardio? Experiment with different ways of eating to see how it impacts your health. What happens when I concentrate on eating plant based foods vs getting heavy amounts of protein? Experiment with different ways to earn and save money to see how it impacts your finances. Can I sell this unused item in my house on Ebay? What happens when I bring my lunch to work for the next 3 months instead of going out to eat? Experiment with different ways to manage your day at work to see the impact it has on your career. What if I only look at my emails once every 2 hours and clear out my inbox each time? What if I make if I stop emailing someone after 2 replies and pick up the phone to solve the matter? Experiment with different ways to interact with others to see how it impacts your relationships. What if I go a full day without saying anything negative regardless of the topic? What if I decide not to eat lunch alone for the next 6 weeks? Experiment with different ways to relieve stress to see how it impacts your outlook on life. What happens when I decide to make it a habit to journal every day for the next 6 weeks? How will I feel after using this new meditation app for the next 30 days?

Be Deliberate

     The key is to be deliberate in your experimentation. Treat it just like you did in school. Set up your hypothesis. Set up your measurement plan. Define your start and finish. Conduct your experiment and analyze your results. After the experiment is concluded decide what you will do with the new set of knowledge you’ve just uncovered. No outcome is a bad outcome because every outcome will give you knowledge. Yes this sounds like a lot of work. Well maybe it is but it is worth it. Remember the goal is for you to take control of your life and not leave your success to chance.

     More knowledge ultimately means fewer unknowns. Fewer unknowns mean you will have more control in your ability to reach your final destination. Your journey is uniquely yours and you should own it. By owning it you are willing to do the work to gain the knowledge you need. Experiments are great ways to facilitate gaining that knowledge. The more experiments you do along your journey the better your life will ultimately be. Get started now and have fun with it. We are all looking forward to hearing about all the great experiments you’ve conducted. As always I wish you the best.

With gratitude,

Drew