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# Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
- URL: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/book-tiny-experiments-by-anne-laure-le-cunff/
- Published: 2025-04-23T05:00:29.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-16T11:44:04.000Z
- Author: Matt
- Tags: Books

Anne-Laure Le Cunff believes small changes lead to big results.

In *Tiny Experiments*, she shows how you can build better habits, make smarter decisions and design a life you actually enjoy — one tiny test at a time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a thoughtful and practical way to try new things on a journey to increased purpose, and an antidote to the obsession with goals and strategies. 

Below, I'm sharing my notes from the book as well as some practical takeaways.

## What is a Tiny Experiment?

- A tiny experiment is a small, low-risk test you run in your life.
- It lets you explore new ideas without committing fully.
- You treat everything as a learning opportunity — not a pass/fail test.

**Example**: Instead of deciding to “become a runner,” you try running for two minutes a day for one week.

## Why Tiny Experiments Matter

- **Lower pressure**: You feel less fear because the stakes are small.
- **Faster feedback**: You get real-world data quickly, not just guesses.
- **Greater flexibility**: You can adjust or stop at any time.

Anne-Laure argues most self-improvement advice fails because it demands too much change too fast. Tiny Experiments create progress without overwhelming you.

By focusing on these low-stakes exercises you can live more freely in a world that is obsessed with goals. 

## Foundation Work

Anne-Laure suggests that a starting point for Tiny Experiments is to keep a 'field notes' journal of how life is going for you. By capturing feelings and emotions at regular intervals, you have a source of data about you and your world. 

This doesn't need to be a journaling exercise, but maybe just a note of random thoughts, ideas, emotions as they occur to you. 

The aim here is to create a 'trail' that you can review as data for your experiments. 

## How to Run a Tiny Experiment

1. **Pick a question:** What do you want to learn?  
*Example: “Will I feel more focused if I write first thing in the morning?”*
2. **Design a small test:** Choose a simple action you can take.  
*Example: “Write for five minutes every weekday at 8am.”*
3. **Set a time frame:** Give yourself an end date.  
*Example: “I’ll try it for five days.”*
4. **Reflect on the outcome - a**fter the test, ask:
  - What worked?
  - What felt easy?
  - What felt hard?
  - What would I change?

The author describes these steps as 'making a pact' with yourself. 

You do not label the result as “success” or “failure.” You treat them as information.

## Principles Behind Tiny Experiments

- **Curiosity over perfection -** Focus on learning, not proving you are right.
- **Iteration over intensity-** Improve through repetition, not massive effort.
- **Sustainability over speed -** Build habits you can maintain, not quick fixes.

Anne-Laure reminds us: “If it feels too big to start, it is too big.”. *I love this approach to thinking about something new.* 

## Real-Life Applications

Examples of pacts that can drive real world achievement and learning are throughout the book, I pulled some out that resonated with me"

### Building New Habits

- Instead of “meditate daily forever,”
- Try “breathe deeply for 30 seconds every morning for one week.”

### Making Career Moves

- Instead of quitting your job tomorrow,
- Try volunteering for a project in your area of interest.

### Improving Wellbeing

- Instead of launching into an extreme fitness plan,
- Try stretching for five minutes before bed for five days.

Anne-Laure refers to these ideas as “prototyping your life.” None of them feel like they are BHAG (big hairy-assed goals) but achievable nuggets that help you feel like you are making progress day by day. 

## The Mindset Shift You Need

Tiny Experiments encourage you to value **learning over winning**. In coaching, I often talk to people about using experiences as data for future improvements. By carrying out experiments, you are creating MORE feedback to learn and grow from. 

> Most people ask “How can I succeed?”, Tiny Experimenters ask “What can I discover?”

This shift builds resilience. It turns every outcome into progress.

## Favourite Quotes

- “Action is the fastest form of clarity.”
- “When you shrink the stakes, you grow your courage.”

## Practical Takeaways for You

- **Start ridiculously small**: If it feels easy, you are doing it right.
- **Frame it as an experiment**: You are testing, not committing.
- **Review without judgement**: Every result is useful.
- **Stack experiments over time**: Progress builds faster than you think.

## Questions to Ask Yourself

- What tiny experiment could I run this week?
- Where am I stuck because I fear getting it wrong?
- How would my life change if I saw everything as a test?

## Final Thought:

You do not need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to test, learn and tweak.

Tiny experiments make growth safe, doable and fun.

> What tiny experiment will you start today?