The Science of Goal-Setting, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

We spend so much of our lives chasing goals: big ones, small ones, some we barely remember choosing. But what if the goals we’re working toward aren’t really ours? This week on Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff to talk about how we really achieve the lives we want to live.

Anne-Laure is the founder of Ness Labs, a popular online school focused on mindful productivity for knowledge workers. Her new book, Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World, offers an alternative to rigid goal-setting: a flexible, curiosity-driven approach to figuring out what matters most—through trial, reflection, and self-compassion.

In today’s episode, Jessi and Anne-Laure discuss:

• Why we put too much pressure on “capital P” Purpose

• How to design tiny experiments to better understand yourself

• The role of curiosity in redefining ambition

• The “Head, Heart, Hand” framework for navigating uncertainty • How to make peace with evolving priorities

• The dangers of hustle culture, and how to opt out

This conversation is a gentle invitation to slow down, reflect, and explore new ways of working that are more aligned with who you are rather than who you think you’re supposed to be.

Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours—live on the LinkedIn News page, every Wednesday at 3 PM ET.