Steve Brewer

What do you think of when you hear the word experiment? One of my first thoughts is a lab full of people in white coats and goggles, pouring liquids into beakers and maybe hoping it doesn’t explode. (Isn’t there a Muppets episode with one of the characters causing chaos? I could be imagining that.)

At its core, experimentation is about creating a hypothesis (stating what you think will happen when you do something), performing the experiment, measuring the results, and learning what worked, and what didn’t. Often, we take what we learn and experiment again.

Experimentation is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. It seems to be showing up in many areas of my life these days. I like to think that I embrace the idea of experimentation. At home, I’m willing to try a new paint color; and not just a small swatch hidden behind the couch, but painting the whole room. Then I let it sit and “talk” to us. Sometimes we change it again, sometimes we keep it longer. It’s just paint, and a little elbow grease, to bring a new vision to life.

I’ve moved bushes, trees, and rocks all around my yard countless times, always with the goal of creating peaceful spaces that nourish us and let us enjoy what nature has to offer. I’m sure my neighbors have wondered, What is Steve doing this year in the backyard?

But I know there are other areas where I’m more resistant. Just starting this blog generates a lot of anxiety, worry, and questioning about whether it’s a good use of my time. Why is that? I’m doing it for myself. The whole point is the act of experimentation and learning.

I think I know the answer: fear. But that’s a whole other blog post (or year of writing).

My hypothesis for this blog is probably too broad, but here it is; by doing this, I will:

• Develop new skills like writing (and yes, using AI strategically; hello em-dash).
• Discover insights about myself that help shape the second half of my life.
• Support my mental health, especially around challenges like fear and anxiety.

Even as I write this, I feel a sense of freedom in the act of writing, editing, moving paragraphs around, and running it through AI to get feedback.

When we feel stuck, it can feel almost impossible to see a way forward. We get frozen in place.  I believe that experimentation, or more precisely, an experiment mindset can help unstick that stuckness.

One conclusion I’m coming to: we must be more action-oriented.  Experimentation is action-oriented.  There’s that old saying: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  We learn from doing, not just thinking.  Thinking about the color of a wall every day for two years doesn’t help anyone. Just put the damn color on the smallest wall in the room, shove the furniture back in place, and sit with it for two weeks.

What about stuckness in something deeper?  There’s a quote from Richard Rohr that I keep thinking about (paraphrased):

You can’t think yourself into a new life; you live yourself into a new way of thinking.

I love that. It captures the heart of experimentation:  Taking action. If you are paying attention feedback is 100% guaranteed.  The feedback might be positive or negative, it doesn’t matter. Just do it.  You’ll learn from it. And when you learn from action, you’re essentially performing an experiment with your life. You’ll find yourself thinking about things in new ways because of what you experienced.

If it feels daunting, it might help to realize you’re already someone who experiments.  If you pause and really think about it, you’ll find examples:  Trying a new recipe or even going to a new restaurant. Driving a different route to work. Pairing a top with a pair of pants you haven’t worn together before. Testing a new parenting tactic. Watering your plants in the morning instead of at night.  The list goes on and on.

You are already a risk-taker in small ways.  You just need to apply that same spirit to the deeper areas of your life.  I get it.  It’s hard.

I hope you start experimenting today.

I hope for new ways of being in and moving through this world… and thus, I must experiment.

Brewer