How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1037: A Better Approach to Chasing Goals: Tiny Experiments with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Mar 3, 2025

Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a former Googler and founder of Ness Labs, shares her insights on mindful productivity and systematic curiosity. She discusses the pitfalls of traditional goal-setting and the importance of embracing personal experimentation. Anne-Laure introduces the concept of tiny experiments, which promote joy and curiosity over rigid success metrics. She also highlights the 'arrival fallacy'—the misconception that happiness is solely tied to achieving goals—suggesting instead a focus on self-reflection and emotional regulation for meaningful fulfillment.

34:23

Episode guests

Anne-Laure Le Cunff

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Adopting an experimental approach to goals encourages flexibility and continuous learning, prioritizing exploration over a rigid, linear path to success.

The arrival fallacy highlights the dangers of believing specific achievements guarantee happiness, fostering a cycle of disappointment and unfulfilled expectations.

Deep dives

The Power of Tiny Experiments

Engaging in diverse experiences can lead individuals to discover sources of happiness that they never anticipated. Many people find joy not through a clear, defined vision but through experimentation and exposure to new ideas and perspectives. By stepping outside their comfort zones and trying new things, they may stumble upon unexpected pleasures. This approach emphasizes the value of exploration over adhering strictly to predetermined goals.

Intro

2min

Embracing Tiny Experiments

16min

Mastering Emotional Regulation for Goal Achievement

10min

Gratitude and Sustainable Solutions

2min

Exploring the Interconnection of Curiosity, Impulsivity, and Learning

2min

Navigating Goals and the Arrival Fallacy

3min

Anne-Laure Le Cunff explains the problem with how we approach goals—and why experimenting is key to fulfillment.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) The two approaches to setting goals

2) The fallacy that leads to regret

3) How to handle frustrations and disappointments

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1037 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT ANNE-LAURE —

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a former Googler who decided to go back to university to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. As the founder of Ness Labs and the author of its widely read newsletter, she is the foremost expert on mindful productivity and systematic curiosity. She writes about evidence-based ways for people to navigate uncertainty and make the most of their minds. She lives in London, where she continues to research and teach people how to apply scientific insights to real-world challenges.

• Book: Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

• Website: Ness Labs

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Tool: Roam Research

• Book: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides) by Marshall Rosenberg

• Book: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant

• Book: How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now by Stanslas Dehaene

• Podcast: The Hilarious World of Depression

— THANK YOU SPONSORS! —

• Earth Breeze. Get 40% off your subscription at earthbreeze.com/AWESOME

• BambooHR. See all that BambooHR can do at bamboohr.com/freedemo

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