Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

"I loved this profound, practical, and generous book." —Oliver Burkeman

A transformative guide to rethinking our approach to goals, creativity, and life itself from a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, and the creator of the popular Ness Labs newsletter

Life isn’t linear, and yet we constantly try to mold it around linear four-year college degrees, ten-year career plans, thirty-year mortgages. What if instead we approached life as a giant playground for experimentation? Based on ancestral philosophy and the latest scientific research, Tiny Experiments provides a desperately needed Uncertainty can be a state of expanded possibility and a space for metamorphosis.

Neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals that all you need is an experimental mindset to turn challenges into self-discovery and doubt into opportunity. Readers will replace the old linear model of success with a circular model of growth in which goals are discovered, pursued, and adapted—not in a vacuum, but in conversation with the larger world.

Throughout the book, you will ask hard questions and design simple yet meaningful experiments to find the answers. You will learn how to break free from the invisible cognitive scripts that shape your life, how to harness the power of imperfection, and how to make smarter decisions when the path forward is unclear.

This is a guide
Discover your true ambitions through conducting tiny personal experiments
Dismantle harmful beliefs about success that have kept you stuck
Dare to make decisions true to your own aspirations
Stop trying to find your purpose and start living instead

Tiny Experiments offers not just practical tools to make sure our most vital work gets done, but a guide to reawakening our curiosity and drive in a noisy, busy, disaffected world, so that we can discover and pursue our most authentic ambitions while making a meaningful contribution.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF containing the Experimentalist Toolkit, Reflection Guide, Glossary and Acknowledgments from the book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Psychology, Personal Development, Audiobook, Business

Audible Audio

First published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a first year PhD student and this book was recommended to me in a how-to-PhD newsletter. This book gave me everything I wanted to hear from a "productivity" or "career" textbook (if you read the book you know why these words are in quotation marks...): That happiness is more important than what most consider productivity and that Chaos, failure, uncertainty and disruption is a natural thing to consider in thinking about what you want to DO in your life instead of focusing on accomplishing. The author touches on many aspects of leading a meaningful and happy life that often get overlooked, e.g. the value of social connections and overcoming fears.

I loved the framing an the concepts, I loved the complexity, and I loved listening to the author in the audiobook. I actually implemented two small experiments already and already learned something about myself.

Still, it's a self help book, and being who I am I could not follow through the last two chapters (yet).

[Aniruddha Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally good.

I'm glad I got to know about this book and actually read it. I'll highly recommend this to anyone who feels demotivated or burnt out from chasing after the traditional goals set by the society. All age groups will benefit from reading this.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a member of the Ness Labs community, I had high expectations for this book, especially since the PACT framework was introduced in one of the author’s workshops. While the core idea is strong, I often felt lost due to the sheer number of examples provided, which distracted me from the central point she was trying to make. The examples felt underdeveloped, excessive, and sometimes out of place, making the book feel cluttered rather than insightful. I always appreciate simple and relevant anecdotes, but here it felt like she was constantly trying to show off rather than genuinely illustrating her ideas.

Concepts (mentioned originally when I was introduced to PACT) like the Wayfinder mindset, MoSCoW method, interstitial journaling, gardener/librarian/architect comparison, and the Eisenhower Matrix—which would have strengthened the approach—were missing.

The author does a fantastic job with short-form content, but in a longer format, it seemed like she struggled to choose a clear direction for structuring the book. A more thoughtful, well-organized approach would have done the framework justice. If you're new to these ideas, you might find value in it, but for me, it feels incomplete and disappointing.

[Books Before Bs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written with vast enthusiasm but lacking any new or revolutionary content, ‘Tiny Experiments’ reads like an eleven year old has mistaken common understanding for profound insight and has written a book to proselytise on this life-changing discovery.

Worse still, said eleven year old has failed to recognise the part privilege, support systems, natural temperament and luck play in many people’s success, and believes that following certain steps—just like a magic spell—will undoubtedly lead to the same success the people she mentions and she herself has experienced and so everyone ought to do it. (Spoiler alert: it won’t. And while some people might find the tips useful, many people will find the advice didn’t suit them in the past and doesn’t suit them still, or that it’s applicable in some contexts but not in others.)

I wanted this book to be as novel and transformative as it promised to be, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case for me, and I doubt it will be for anyone who’s over the age of 25, who’s read any kind of self-improvement material or who’s ever engaged in meaningful self-refection. That said, the book is readable, and it certainly isn’t the worst self-help/productivity book out there. I found it an interesting case study in how unacknowledged privilege can lead to distorted perceptions. In the spirit of ‘tiny experiments’, try it for yourself and see what you take from it. Just don’t expect it to be life-changing. (And don’t blame me if you feel it’s a waste of time and money!)

[Rick Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and practical. What a great idea and execution.

[Luco22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny Experiments is a different kind of book, in that it defies what you typically see in "Self-Help" nowadays. It's not a "follow your passion" type of book. Or a "follow this routine / practice to find happiness" type of book.

Instead, it replaces these concepts with a toolkit to help you experiment with those ideas that you always wanted to try, but were too: hard; big; vague; uncomfortable; or long.

It does this by helping you take that idea and transform it into a Tiny Experiment that is small, possible and super short (most impactful for me!). Then once you've completed it, or not (no judgment as it's just data), you can reflect on how it went and to see whether you want to Persist (start another cycle), Pivot (make a tweak and continue) or Pause (take a break).

Three Tiny Experiments in, I've been able to try out what an idea might be like. Tweak this to better align the idea with my actual life. Finish up with a counter experiment, to keep my biases in check. Through this short three weeks, I've been able to discovered three unique practices that I'll take forward to the life ahead.

So, if you've always had ideas that somehow slips away, Tiny Experiments may be the key to try them out and see for yourself if they are worth pursuing.

[Nadya Tsech · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the title and the concept of tiny experiments. However, the title felt misleading. I expected a book full of creative experiments, but instead, it was more of a pep talk for corporate professionals on a hamster wheel. If you’re looking for permission to step off the career ladder and try something different, this book might be for you—but it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

[Bejay Mulenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. As an entrepreneur going through a transitional time, the themes are proving very timely to what I am thinking next. I like the authors approach of experiments!

I’ve designed a few experiments for the rest of March that I am excited to test in both my life and business.

[Grace Gowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to reset my entire outlook life. Anne-Laure Le Cunff fosters and encourages readers to embrace uncertainty which is a welcome antidote to pressure of achieving perfection. As an ex-teacher and a life long lover of learning this is exactly the mindset we should be embedding at all ages. Having left the education system both as a student and professionally this comes as an important reminder to always be curious and always be learning. Would highly recommend if you too want to turn your life into a series of mini adventures!

[Charlotte Crowther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate Anne-Laure's fresh and creative take on success:
“Success is the lifelong experiment of discovering what makes you feel most alive.”

I hope you get a copy so it tickles your curiosity, opens your mind, awakens your adventurous spirit, warms your generous heart, inspires your tiny experiments, makes you laugh, and touches you as profoundly as it does me.

Thank you channeling Anne-Laure for your breadth of knowledge, somatic wisdom, relatable stories, useful mental models, and easy to use tools.

[Bálint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. What a shame, such a miss. The title and the subtitle sold me on reading the book (actually I listened to the audiobook with the author narrating, which was the first red flag).

For the first few chapters it was good - it made experiments a tangible thing, but then it went downhill reaaaall fast. I mean, it's just copy paste self help BS you have read a thousand times before, packaged in different words. The creator economy circle jerk is ringing hard here. Even before diving in, I saw the testimonials and recognized the same few people from the same creator circles. Another red flag (those people did not read the book, I bet my liver on that, at best skimmed a draft and just played nice with the fellow creator.).

The self help content itself is not inherently bad, it's probably totally fine for a twenty something year old who opened the internet for the first time. But the way it is presented (total chaos, scattered, directionless) with grandiose chapter intros, confusing examples are just jarring.

When she started to talk about learning in public I just fucking rolled my eyes. How is this relevant to tiny experiments? Meh.

With that said, I'm giving it two stars, because it actually got me to take action. My main take aways:
- design a SHORT experiment
- then evaluate and give yourself permission to stop if it ain't feelin' right.

That is it. It could have been a tweet.

Note: no offense, but the author's accent is possibly the worst I ever heard, so listening to the audiobook was a real struggle. I know it was a tiny experiment for her and I mean absolutely mean no malice, it's not something she has (direct) control over. But it made my ears bleed.

[Pamela Jo Mason · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this because the title was endearing, but it was too textbook and overwhelming. There was the usual ‘take the plunge, quit your job and follow your dreams’ theories, but life isn’t always so forgiving. I gave this book a clear chance, read it through, tried to find some takeaways, but it fell flat for me. 😕

- [ ] Disclaimer - I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

[Yuni Amir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transformative!

[Jacob Snider · Rating 3 out of 5]

For all its faults, this book has much to be taken from it. Especially by people who are only at the beginning of their journey to take a step back from burn out. With that being said, the author frequently quick fires different stories, analogies and ideas, but doesn’t give most of them enough screen time to fully develop. Even though the ideas are more mindful than blindly goal chasing in life, the book suggests a lot of reskinned versions of goal-oriented life. I would like to reiterate that there is still a lot to takeaway from this book. It is not bad by any means.

[Hanan Al Mahmoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible and unexpected find! The book delivers a refreshingly original concept with remarkable finesse. I didn’t want it to end, as it masterfully balances practicality and efficiency while offering a diverse set of creativity and life-planning tools.

I appreciate books that inspire self-improvement while maintaining an uplifting tone, especially when highlighting so many relevant areas for growth for me. The author’s warmth—likely propelled by her humility and generosity—enhances the impact of her thoughtful and elegantly simple life advice. This is undoubtedly a book I will return to time and again. Easy 5.

[bestie :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just what I needed to hear. Everything to help beat procrastination, plan for the future and just see where life goes. Would recommend to those who worry about little things with work and the future.

Thank you to the publishers for the advanced readers copy 😁😁

[Mary Ales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny Experiments is full of wisdom for this productivity obsessed world. Unlike many books in this genre (and I have read lots of them), Le Cunff offers practical tools for curious minds to expand and spread. I feel that I have come home. The tools are fantastic and practical - dare I say fun - to use. Plus-Minus-Next is my go to for weekly reviews and reflection. The book is honest and hopeful for living a generative life with others. Highly recommend.

[Morgane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Life-Changing Approach to Success

Tiny Experiments is a must-have if you're questioning your path to success. Anne-Laure Le Cunff provides an actionable, refreshing perspective—encouraging small, manageable experiments rather than rigid, overwhelming plans. Her approach redefines success as any positive outcome from new experiences, no matter how small. This book is both inspiring and practical, making it easy to apply its lessons right away. Highly recommended!

[simona.citeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foarte fain structurată și utilă.
Am avut zeci de idei pe parcursul lecturii și m-a determinat să iau câteva decizii.

[CatReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a French entrepreneur and an early career neuroscientist (she earned a PhD in 2024 in neuroscience from King's College London). Her 2024 book Tiny Experiments is in the vein of most modern productivity literature -- think James Clear's Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, Nir Eyal's Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and Laura Vanderkam's 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think for some high profile examples. This is a crowded, competitive field where novelty is hard to come by, and readers shouldn't expect wheel reinvention as much as wheel refinement with every new iteration.

Though I found the organization of this book to be repetitive (and had to slow down my usual listening pace as Le Cunff narrated the audiobook with her pronounced French accent), I do agree with her fundamental idea of taking iterative, consistent, maintainable steps over time, and building incrementally upon progress rather than expecting massive overnight changes to stick (these, not coincidentally, are also the main premises behind Clear and Duhigg's works, which also came borrowed from productivity, time management, and self-development books from last century). I think most of us who've successfully built long-term habits have figured this out for ourselves, whether we learned it from any of the aforementioned books, by observing relevant behaviors in those we've admired, or independently through trial and error. Le Cunff writes about tiny experiments she's undertaken in her life that have paid off, and also shares many examples from others in the productivity field and those who follow her social media content where they also use the same principles successfully, underpinning my prior points.

So is this book novel or ground-breaking? No. Do we need another book with the same underlying messages as dozens of others in 2025? Probably not. But will this book hit with the right audiences? Certainly.

My statistics:
Book 159 for 2025
Book 2085 cumulatively

[Justin Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I will [action] for [duration].”

That’s a tiny experiment; it constitutes this book’s key recommendation—namely, to make a pact (either with yourself or publicly) to complete some specific, doable action repeatedly (e.g., every day) over a set time period (10 days to 3 months), and track whether you did it binarily (yes/no). The tiny experiment tests the hypothesis that the specific action will improve the quality of your life. You generate such hypotheses by collecting data on yourself in the form of “field notes” (self-anthropology).

“Inspired by the experimental mindset taught in scientific training, I asked myself: What experiment could I run on my own life that would bring me an intrinsic sense of fulfillment, whatever the outcome?”

There are a few other useful insights in this book, such as the recommendation to conduct weekly “Plus Minus Next” evaluations (i.e., reviewing what went right, what went wrong, and what the plan is for the upcoming week) and the discussion of “affective labeling” (i.e., naming and writing down the emotions we are feeling at a particular time).

“[L]abeling our emotions relieves our brains of the burdensome task of processing them. Once you have those words, it’s much easier to investigate their cause and address the issues underlying those feelings.”

The problem with the book, however, is that most of it is self-help handwaving, interspersed with loosely related success stories (e.g., Amelia Earhart), quotes from other people, and brief discussions of abstract psychological concepts (e.g., self-complexity, sunk cost fallacy, transactive memory). In other words, most of the chapters include very few practical steps for improving your life, and instead contain generalized, “duh” statements such as:

“Communities can provide critical help when you are navigating new or difficult situations.”

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

“We each have within us unlimited possibilities; purpose is therefore never a singular discovery.”

“You could experiment with mediating, running, writing, taking phots, giving presentations at work, learning how to code, playing games with your kids.”

“Let’s be honest: Nobody really wants to live a productive life.”

“It means that instead of staring at a gruesome countdown clock, our most expansive, fruitful weeks may yet lie ahead. The shift from a quantitative view of time to a qualitative one is the first huge step toward a healthier approach to getting things done and finding a meaningful answer to how to make the most of our weeks.”

“We need to shift the focus form what we do with our time to how we experience each moment—what you might call mindful productivity. It’s a simple idea, that making the most of our time isn’t about doing more but about being more: more present, more engaged, and more attuned to the quality of our experiences.”

“Rather than being an indication of laziness or lack of discipline, procrastination points to nuanced psychological roadblocks that need addressing.”

“Decide on the parts of your life and work where you will drop the ball to achieve excellence in other areas.”

“That’s why the bravest thing you can do, sometimes, is to admit that a course of action is no longer serving you and to bow out gracefully.”

“Procrastination is not an enemy to be conquered but a meaningful signal that something is amiss—a mismatch between your rational aspirations (head), your emotional needs (heart), and your practical skills (hand).”

[Rohham Farzadnia · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب رو نشر «مون» با ترجمه «مهرسا شرع‌الاسلام» منتشر کرده.

یه سری نویسنده هستن که یه چیزی رو تجربه کردن و بعدش یه چیزی هم خوندن و اومدن کردنش کتاب. یکی مثل «دنیل اچ پینک» یا این نویسنده. که به نظر میاد مهرسا شرع‌الاسلام از این نویسنده‌ها خوشش میاد.

کتاب بدی نبود. شایدم خوب بود. یه جورایی با اون ساختاری که من همیشه مایلم دنبالش کنم متفاوت بود. کل کتاب رو میخوندی و تهش توی جمع‌بندی، مدلش رو معرفی کرد. اگر من بخوام کتاب رو بازنویسی کنم اول اون مدل رو ارائه می‌دم و بعدش توی فصل‌های مختلف دربارش توضیح میدم.

[E.M. Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World, a book we read through the Growclass book club and which I might not have picked up on my own.

Ness Labs is a similar community led by Anne-Laure Le Cunff, whose background is in neuroscience and entrepreneurship.

There are lots of resources to encourage experimentation and growth mindsets compared to my first years in the workforce, to the point where it's harder to stand out. As with more books in this genre, it's likely going to be most helpful to people early into their journey in these topics.

The section on procrastination as a player as opposed to a blocker in the creative ecosystem was most refreshing to me. Le Cunff describes three approaches to understanding why procrastination is showing up, and while I found them truthful, the argument was presented in a unique way.

I liked the Plus, Minus, Next exercise the most, and am currently doing a two-month experiment to see if a weekly reflection adds more focus and clarity to my consulting practice.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer this over Atomic Habits.

[Mohammad amin Abbaszadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

آن لور لکاف در «خرده آزمایش‌ها» که تحت عنوان «تجربه‌های کوچک رهایی بخش» به فارسی هم منتشر شده است؛ کاری فراتر از ارائه یک کتاب خودیاری انجام داده است؛ او یک نقشهٔ راه برای کاوشگرانِ درون طراحی کرده است. به عنوان کسی که سال‌هاست هم می‌نویسم و هم می‌خوانم، با طعمِ تلخِ کتاب‌های انگیزشیِ کلیشه‌ای آشنا هستم که وعده‌های بزرگ می‌دهند و در نهایت، تنها فاصلهٔ میان واقعیت و انتظار را بیشتر می‌کنند. اما این اثر متفاوت است. لحنِ نویسنده مانند یک همصحبتِ کنجکاو است، نه یک مربیِ آمر. او ما را به آزمایشگاهی به وسعت زندگی روزمره دعوت می‌کند و ابزارهایی ملموس می‌دهد: از «آزمایشِ توجه» تا «آزمایشِ مرزبندی». هر فصل مانند یک ظرف است که می‌توانی در آن، با تغییرِ یک متغیر کوچک، کل اکوسیستم افکار و عاداتت را مشاهده کنی. این رویکردِ علمی-شاعرانه، یادآورِ لذتِ خواندنِ متونِ کلاسیکِ ادبیاتِ علمی-تخیلی است که در آنها، ایده‌های بزرگ در بستر تجربیاتِ کوچکِ شخصی متولد می‌شوند.

تجربهٔ شخصی من با این کتاب، شبیه به مواجهه با یک دفترچهٔ یادداشتِ دقیق و زیباست که متعلق به ذهنِ خودم است، اما گویی پیش از این هرگز آن را نبسته بودم. لکاف با ظرافت، پلی میان عصب‌شناسی، روانشناسیِ مثبت‌نگر و خلاقیت عملی می‌زند. من به عنوان یک مهندس، سال‌ها اسیرِ ایده‌های عظیم و پروژه‌های بلندمدتی هستم که گاهی اوقات هم ناتمام می‌ماندند. این کتاب، مرا با قدرتِ رهایی‌بخشِ «کوچک بودن» آشتی داد.

کتاب «خرده آزمایش‌ها» دربارهٔ کنترل کامل زندگی نیست؛ بلکه جشن‌گرفتنِ عدم قطعیت و بازیگوشیِ فکری است. اینکه همواره کنجکاوی و در آزمایش‌های کوچک زندگی می‌کنی. اگر شکست بخوری، تجربه‌ای کسب نموده‌ای و اگر برتری یابی، حس خوبی خواهی داشت. لکاف نشان می‌دهد که چگونه می‌توان با کنجکاوی یک دانشمند و ذوق یک هنرمند، زیست و آن را فهمید. برای هر خواننده‌ای که از شعارهای کلی خسته شده و به دنبال روشی منعطف، انسانی و مبتنی بر شواهد برای رشد شخصی است، این کتاب همچون یک همراه خردمند و فروتن، سفرِ درونیِ ارزشمندی را آغاز می‌کند. اثری که نه ادعای دگرگونی یک‌شبه دارد، بلکه مسیرِ تکامل تدریجی را با گام‌هایی کوچک و محکم، روشن می‌سازد.

به عبارتی کتاب «خرده‌آزمایش‌ها» بر این ایده کلیدی استوار است که تغییرات بزرگ و پایدار در زندگی، نه از طریق اهداف بلندپروازانه و برنامه‌ریزی‌های سفت و سخت، بلکه از طریق انجام آزمایش‌های کوچک، متمرکز و کم‌هزینه قابل دستیابی است.

آن لور لکاف با الهام از روش علمی، پیشنهاد می‌کند که ما زندگی شخصی و حرفه‌ای خود را همچون یک آزمایشگاه ببینیم. به جای اینکه از خود بپرسیم هدف نهایی پروژه‌ی زندگی من چیست؟ فلسفه اصلی، حرکت از ذهنیت "نتیجه‌محور" به ذهنیت "فرآیندمحور" و "کنجکاوی‌محور" است. پیام نهایی کتاب این است که مسیر رشد شخصی، یک مسیر خطی و از پیش تعیین‌شده نیست، بلکه بیشتر شبیه به یک نقشه با تعداد زیادی مسیر فرعی و کوچه‌های کوتاه است که باید با کنجکاوی و شهامت آن‌ها را کشف کرد. این رویکرد، رهایی از کمال‌گرایی مخرب و بازگرداندن حس بازیگوشی و اکتشاف به فرآیند یادگیری و تغییر است.

[lina]

dnf at 39%

god knows i tried

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sometimes read the author's Substack so picked up this book when it came out. It pretty much reads as a mash-up of Atomic Habits and Design Thinking. Instead of linear goals, the author advocates for growth loops, consisting of experiments with taking action over a set time period or number of repetitions, then reassessing.

[Jack Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, Better than Atomic habits

[Nandita Damaraju · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book if you feel like you’re stuck in a bit of a rut (aka doomscrolling too much) and want a framework to get you out of it. The book suggests a series of “tiny experiments” you can try to figure out “what makes you feel most alive”.

I loved that the focus of the book was on better figuring out yourself and not feel like you’re wasting life away while chiding productivity hacks and external perceptions of success.

I will definitely be trying out a few suggestions in the book. But that’s where I’d give the book a 4/5. I felt like the book had way too many suggestions. I listened to the audiobook and when the author described a few moments in the beginning of the book I felt like she was literally talking about me and the prescriptions that followed felt like something I’d want to try. But as I read on, every scenario felt relatable and I almost lost track of all the prescriptions and experiments I can do.

If you’re a high energy person with multiple interests but feel like the lack of focus is bringing you down, this book will also serve as a source of validation. When society rewards focus and channeling your efforts into a single outlet, this book firstly, says it’s okay to feel drawn to multiple things and also cites umpteen example of people who are successfully doing so. If you’re someone who wants a portfolio career and want to figure out how do go about building one, this might also be the book for you.

[Anastas Kuyumdzhiev · Rating 4 out of 5]

най-обичам селф хелп, който накрая синтезира цялата книга в 3 страници
реално има яки идеи де