Test. Learn. Repeat.

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I thought this would be a timely post that fits in nicely with the start of a New Year.

The time when people set new goals, plan the year ahead and ponder what will be ‘in’ and what can be left behind in 2025.

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And this got me thinking. We’re so quick to identify who and what we ARE, based on what we do. But equally, can’t we also find out a lot by testing what we’re not?

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Think about it. Everything you are and love now came from a new experience, a long time ago. You’re favourite food now was once a flavour unknown to you. And you had to try a lot of different (and perhaps unfortunate) things until you found what you liked.

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You don’t know if a career path fits until you’ve lived a few of its long days. Until you’ve had enough bad days in a previous job/position to figure out what you don’t want to do to make a living.

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You can’t meet the love of your life without putting yourself out there on the field and be willing to have a couple of mishaps, break-ups and unfortunate endings.

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As the saying goes, if you want to make an omelette – you’re going to have to break a few eggs.

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Every “nope, not for me” moment is actually, progress. It’s a step closer to the things that are for you.

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Trying new things isn’t about collecting wins. It’s about collecting data.

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Find out what is for you, and who you are…by testing and learning what things are definitely NOT for you.

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Each experiment teaches you something: this energizes me vs that drains me. This feels meaningful vs that feels hollow. I want to do that again vs thank god that’s over!

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By moving away from what doesn’t serve you, you naturally move closer to what does. You cross things off and, in doing so, create a more refined list of the things that matter.

The trick is to stop waiting for certainty before you act. You’ll never know if something is for you until you leap head first into it.

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And of course, sometimes it won’t be for you. That’s not failure - it’s feedback.

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“You’re not supposed to have it figured out. Go try 12 things and fail at 9 of them”

- Rainn Wilson

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So YES! Say yes to the pottery class. The new side hustle. The trip you have been on the fence about. Be brave and start that conversation with someone outside your usual circle.

Say yes to the things that scare you a little, because those are often the ones that teach you the most.

Life isn’t a test, it’s an experiment.

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This world is a freeplay game. You’re in creative mode.

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You learn by doing, by experimenting, by failing forward. And the more you test, the clearer your path becomes.

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So go on, try something new. Worst case, you cross it off the list. Best case, you find a piece of yourself you didn’t know was missing.