Life’s an Experiment

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s amazing how much the metaphors we use can be enabling or disabling.

For example, I used to think "in life there are no second chances" or "you never get a second chance at first impressions."

Once I adopted, "life’s an experiment", it was much more enabling.

It means, changing from getting everything right up front to boxing my risks, trying more, and learning and adapting as I go.

Test Your Results

My manager is very much into experiments around impact and improvement.

He’s got a research background, but he’s into applied research.

That works great for me because I’m a fan of learning what works over theorizing endless possibilities.

It’s about testing your assumptions. It’s about testing your results.

For me, the keys to metaphors are knowing which ones I use, and which ones are limiting.

I always need to ask, what’s the most enabling metaphor for the situation I’m in.

What will make me more resourceful?

For example, in a group like patterns & practices, experimenting and continuous improvement come with the job.

I’ll have more to say on metaphors another day, but in the meantime, I’ll leave you with this:

… do you know your 3 most enabling metaphors?

… do you know your 3 most limiting?

Hint – limits and opportunities are in the eye of the beholder.

Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.

Photo by hashmil