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📚 Tiny Experiments, Machiavelli's Crazy Reading Routine, and more.

📚 Tiny Experiments, Machiavelli's Crazy Reading Routine, and more.

A&B #233

March 16, 2025

In partnership with

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

PS: I’m thinking of hosting a Reading Party in NYC next month. If interested, RSVP here.

This week’s newsletter was made possible by:

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📚 Book Summary:

Last week I asked you guys to vote on which book to summarize. The most popular book was “Tiny Experiments” by Anne-Laure Le Cunff!

This book provides you with a framework for upgrading any area of your life, big or small, by thinking of yourself as a scientist of your life.

If you enjoyed “Slow Productivity” or “Feel-Good Productivity”, you’ll like this book.

Here are 3 lessons from it:

📖

1) Design A Tiny Experiment

If you’re stuck in life or want to try something new, try thinking of yourself as the scientist of your life.

Instead of jumping to conclusions and making a major change in your life without any data, follow the same steps of a scientist: come up with a hypothesis, run a small experiment, collect data, and then come to a conclusion.

That’s what author Anne-Laure did when she first began her writing journey. She decided to run an experiment and publish 1 blog post every weekday for 100 days.

At the end of the 100 days, she had gained 6,000 email subscribers and dozens of consulting contracts for her business. That single experiment changed the trajectory of her life!

I ran a similar experiment in my life where I posted on Instagram every day for an entire year and it helped me build a massive following on the platform and turn my hobby of reading books into a full-time job.

To run your tiny experiment, follow this simple formula: “I will [action] for [duration].”

Here are a few examples:

I will paint for 1 hour every day for 7 days.
I will write for 30 minutes for the next 30 days.
I will stretch for 10 minutes every day for 10 days.
I will post 1 piece of content daily for the next 30 days.

Your experiment can be as long or short as you wish. The only advice you should follow is to choose an experiment that excites you and is aligned with your genuine curiosity.

Commit to your experiment and collect data as you run it. Once the experiment is over, look at the data and reflect on the results.

Ask yourself questions such as: Did I enjoy this task? What did I learn from the experiment? What did I learn about myself and the world?

When you start viewing life as a series of tiny experiments, you’ll be able to collect a lot more information about yourself, your interests, and who you want to become.

It’s a simple yet powerful exercise worth doing.

📖

2) The Secret To Better Decisions

After completing your tiny experiment, there are 3 paths you can take:

Persist: If you are enjoying the experiment, ride the wave of your current momentum and extend it.
Pause: If the experiment drained too much energy or negatively affected your life, consider quitting or putting it on hold.
Pivot: If you think a slight course correction could be beneficial, consider increasing or decreasing the scope of your experiment.

If you’re not sure which path to take, look at the external and internal signals:

External Signals: Was this experiment manageable or did it conflict with other commitments? Are there other things in your life that are using, or need, more of your energy?
Internal Signals: Did the experiment bring you fulfillment or was it a source of tension?

No matter which path you take, there is no right choice. It’s almost impossible to fail when you see everything you do as a tiny experiment. The goal is to collect data and discover more about yourself and the world.

As long as you keep on adapting, learning, and growing, you are winning.

📖

3) Treat Every Week Like a Tiny Experiment

One of the most popular tools that Anne-Laure teaches is called Plus Minus Next.

Here’s how it works:

Grab a piece of paper (or get a printable template here) and create 3 columns. Title the first one Plus, the second one Minus, and the last one Next. It should look something like this:

Here’s what you write in each column:

Plus: Include accomplishments in your personal and professional life. Reflect on moments that brought you joy, meaningful relationships, and things that improved your life.
Minus: Write down any challenges or obstacles that you faced. Mention setbacks, missed opportunities, or mistakes that happened. If you experienced negative emotions, jot those down as well and what caused you to feel that way.
Next: Use the insights from the Plus and Minus columns to shape your actions for the next week. Think about ways you can plan to complete unfinished tasks, set time aside for healthy habits, or prioritize important goals.

Let your mind flow while doing this exercise. It shouldn’t take longer than five minutes.

If you continue to do this exercise every week, over time you’ll collect a ton of data around what brings you energy and joy into your life, and what takes it away. Think of it as a feedback loop of learning.

Try it today and see what you learn about yourself!

✅ Actionable Advice

1) Start one tiny experiment in your life: "I will [action] for [duration].”

2) After you finish a tiny experiment, ask yourself where you want to persist, pause, or pivot.

3) Try the Plus Minus Next framework:

Share your wins in the Plus column, your challenges in the Minus column, and your actions for the next week in the Next column.

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