The Power of Trying (Even When You’re Not Ready)

How experimenting can help you navigate the grey zone.

Dear friend,

Maybe you felt it too - this year had a strange rhythm. Long stretches of stagnation. Things not quite landing. Ideas floating around without form. A sense of “almost”… but not yet.

For most of the year, I felt like I was waiting for something I couldn’t name. And then November arrived, and everything started to emerge.

Suddenly, movement was back. Opportunities, ideas, changes, decisions.

The truth is it wasn’t the universe suddenly accelerating. It was me finally moving.

A Story: A Month of Experiments

For months, I had ideas I deeply cared about - programs to create, collaborations to try, personal choices to make. But I didn’t move. In my mind, everything needed to be well-structured, thought through, planned, strategised, “ready.”

And without the perfect plan, I couldn't move.

I wasn’t stuck because I lacked clarity. I was stuck because I was trying to outrun uncertainty.

That’s what transitions do to us. When we don’t know what the next chapter looks like in detail, we cope with perfectionism, fear of failure, overthinking, worry about how others will perceive us - and endless planning without action. We quietly carry a lot of invisible emotional weight.

Then November came, and I’d had enough. I decided to try something different.

I let things be experiments.

Not long-term commitments. Not strategies. Not life-changing decisions. Just experiments.

And everything shifted.

In a month I launched Think Space sessions, began Mindful Monday gatherings, piloted Resettle & Thrive, tested new collaborations, moved to a new place, and started climbing again after ten years - simply, because it felt right to try.

A Thought: Experiments Reduce Fear

Experiments are powerful because they lower the stakes.

They assume a 50% chance this won’t work, and that’s part of the point.

An experiment invites curiosity instead of pressure. Joy instead of anxiety.

It says:
“I’m here to learn, not to get it right.”
“I’ll try this and see what happens.”
“I don’t need the whole map, just the next step.”

Research on psychological flexibility, especially in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), shows that when we approach uncertainty with curiosity rather than avoidance, our stress levels drop and our problem-solving improves (Psychological Flexibility as a Fundamental Aspect of Health). We become more resilient, more creative, and more willing to take small risks that lead to real progress.

Even small “learning steps” (instead of “performance steps”) can reduce fear responses in the brain and retrain our nervous system to feel safer trying new things.

So when the pressure drops, movement becomes possible again.

A Practice: Your Experiment Blueprint

Here’s a simple way to turn any idea, decision, or desire into a low-pressure experiment:

1. What feels “grey” right now?

Choose an area where you feel unsure, undecided, or stuck.

2. What do you already know?

Gather the pieces you do have, even if they’re small.

3. What you don't know yet?

Name the gaps without judging yourself.

4. What is the simplest version you could test?

What would take the minimum time, minimum effort, and minimum emotional cost?

5. Who can you ask for quick feedback?

One honest opinion can save you months of wondering.

6. What did you learn?

Even if the experiment “fails”, it gives you direction.

7. What else is there to explore?

Let curiosity guide the next small step.

8. How can you test the next version?

Experiments work in small iterations, not leaps.

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If this year felt slow or confusing or heavy at times, you’re not alone.
Transitions are rarely tidy.

But you don’t need the perfect plan to move forward.

You just need one experiment at a time.

One small step that says:
“I’m willing to try.”

And from there, things can begin to move again.

With warmth,