Anne-Laure Le Cunff

How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

Tiny Experiments

The core advice of the book is to follow your curiosity and conduct tiny experiments in your life rather than default to a linear path. Good concept, but it could’ve been an article. 

Cherry Chen 

Some good advice that I really liked, but perhaps a bit too much explanation for the value it provided. I enjoyed some of the insights and information presented, even if some of it mirrored a lot of my experience, although that's a good sign in this type of work that it's reasonable and realistic. 

The first idea that I liked was the idea of a pact, a certain time you choose to engage in an activity on a daily basis. With no focus on good/bad outcome. Additionally, we should plan for the worst possible day for the minimum of the pact. 

Kairos rituals -- like having coffee etc. to slow down and find time. The other element was that time is not that chart of boxes so often presented to us as a gloomy foretelling of how little time we have Le Cunff explains time is experience different by everyone and different moments feel faster or slower. Wow, I know I felt something off with that weeks in boxes way to look at things and I really appreciated that take. 

Living with the idea of generativity, to increase one's impact on others and the world, rather than to focus on legacy was also a powerful concept that adds necessary perspective to world so focused on productivity. 

Simpler concepts such as increasing your luck surface area also was something that has a deep gong sound of ringing true. As well as the resoundingly elegant idea to encourage curiosity (including creativity, fun, imagination, learning) by engaging on those winding paths and pacts. 

Having fun sounds much better than having a career. 

BC Hark

Some good advice that I really liked, but perhaps a bit too much explanation for the value it provided. I enjoyed some of the insights and information presented, even if some of it mirrored a lot of my experience, although that's a good sign in this type of work that it's reasonable and realistic. 

The first idea that I liked was the idea of a pact, a certain time you choose to engage in an activity on a daily basis. With no focus on good/bad outcome. Additionally, we should plan for the worst possible day for the minimum of the pact. 

Kairos rituals -- like having coffee etc. to slow down and find time. The other element was that time is not that chart of boxes so often presented to us as a gloomy foretelling of how little time we have Le Cunff explains time is experience different by everyone and different moments feel faster or slower. Wow, I know I felt something off with that weeks in boxes way to look at things and I really appreciated that take. 

Living with the idea of generativity, to increase one's impact on others and the world, rather than to focus on legacy was also a powerful concept that adds necessary perspective to world so focused on productivity. 

Simpler concepts such as increasing your luck surface area also was something that has a deep gong sound of ringing true. As well as the resoundingly elegant idea to encourage curiosity (including creativity, fun, imagination, learning) by engaging on those winding paths and pacts. 

Having fun sounds much better than having a career. 

This book is all about shifting your mindset from focusing on fixed goals to using your curiosity to guide you. It’s very well organized - each chapter is cohesive on its own but also fits well within its section and the book as a whole. 

It leans a bit more toward mindset shifts but still includes practical strategies. It does start to get a bit repetitive though, and the examples are more geared toward personal growth in the sense of work whereas it would have been nice to see more of a wholistic focus. 

Julia

This book is all about shifting your mindset from focusing on fixed goals to using your curiosity to guide you. It’s very well organized - each chapter is cohesive on its own but also fits well within its section and the book as a whole. 

It leans a bit more toward mindset shifts but still includes practical strategies. It does start to get a bit repetitive though, and the examples are more geared toward personal growth in the sense of work whereas it would have been nice to see more of a wholistic focus. 

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

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