Life as an Experiment - Beyond Bold Statements

God said, “Let there be light.”

Fred said, “This is the year that my business moves out of the garage and onto the cover of Inc. magazine.”

Guess who spoke something into existence with a simple declaration and guess who was frustrated, discouraged and embarrassed at the end of the year.

One of the problems with traditional mission statements and goal setting is that it depends on a simplistic notion of how people and reality actually work. The belief that plans will work as planned depends on at least a couple of underlying assumptions, neither of which is particularly well documented. The first assumption is that we are god-like, able to speak things into existence. The second assumption is that reality actually changes in sudden and dramatic shifts, like light springing into existence out of complete darkness.

Perhaps what is most unfortunate about these beliefs is that it so often leads to disappointment and a new belief: “I can’t change. This is just who I am.” Studies show that people who make declarations of self-change temporarily feel better but in just a few weeks nearly 90 percent are disappointed and left with a worse self-image. Worse, declarations that are unrealistic with regards to timing or payoff (the most common kind of declarations) reduce satisfaction with life by about 40 percent. Make a goal and feel worse about yourself and life in general in just weeks!

Declaration is the basis for a lot of change efforts, from diets and fitness programs to business and social success. Whether it is under the guise of mission statements, specific goals or bold promises, declaration is one way we try to assert ourselves onto reality. The result, often as not, makes about as much difference as bugs redirecting traffic.
“Men who have discovered the limits of arrogance make better company: You notice more when you're not running around imposing your will on everything.”
- Virginia Vitzthum
The approach to follow begins with the perhaps shocking notion that we are not god-like. We are unable to change reality – even to change ourselves – with bold declarations or through secretly scribbled notes in a planner or journal.

More often, change is the result of a different process – a more incremental and inquisitive approach in which we learn about our potential and our goals through experiences. Our goals direct our experiences and our experiences, in turn, shape our goals. The two interact in a cycle through which we emerge. The problem is, we too often leave both to chance rather than intention. The approach that follows is about turning your life into an intentional experiment – a wonderful experiment that promises at least as much delight, and certainly more surprise, than the realization of any goal you can declare now.