747: How to Get Out of a Rut, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Coaching for Leaders

Anne-Laure Le Cunff: Tiny Experiments

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and writer. She is the founder of Ness Labs and author of its widely read newsletter, a researcher at the ADHD Research Lab, and an advisor for the Applied Neuroscience Association. She is the author of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World*.

We all get into a rut sometimes. Once we notice we’re in one, our tendency is to work really hard to get out of it. In this conversation, Anne-Laure and I explore how starting with something tiny is often the better bet.

Key Points

• SMART goals assume we know exactly where we’re heading. Most of the time, that’s not clear.
• A tiny experiment focuses on outputs instead of outcomes.
• To build more comfort with uncertainty, find one small place to experiment.
• Our brain uses growth loops to constantly adjust our trajectory. We don’t go in circles; we grow in circles.
• Improving growth isn’t about knowledge or skill, it’s thinking about your thinking, questioning your responses, and knowing your mind.
• A simple, 5-minute tool is Plus Minus Next. It surfaces what’s working, what’s not, and your next steps.

Resources Mentioned

• Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World* by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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• How to Create Space, with Juliet Funt (episode 540)

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