⛱️ I'm calling this "The Summer of Tiny Experiments."
As an educator, and as I develop ideas for Breakout RN, I have always held experimentation as a core value. When I heard about the book "Tiny Experiments" by Anne-Laure Le Cunff, it was an immediate "add to cart."
This article series, "The Summer of Tiny Experiments," is part reflective exercise and a sort of book review. And it is the last email series before my annual summer content break (starting June 13th.) It will be a unique perspective on the 'Tiny Experiments' book, viewed through the lens of a nurse educator. The aim is to encourage you to follow your curiosity and conduct your own experiment.
"Wait … we are doing an experiment?"
As nursing educators, we all encounter moments of uncertainty, burnout, or boredom in our work. Whether it's the start of a new clinical group or taking on additional responsibilities as a committee chair, these transitional phases, sometimes referred to as 'the messy middle', can feel overwhelming, confusing, or lonely.
I often felt this around the start date of my theory course, especially before the first day. Now, as more of a creator of nursing education tools, I feel this nervous energy around new decks. And especially during this first season of the podcast. And this is where an experiment can help you overcome the fear and just do small actions.
📆 Over the next three weeks, we will review the three steps of a tiny experiment. Starting with a pact.
"Is this like a promise of some kind?"
Sort of. It is a self-invitation. To try something new and follow your own curiosity. And it’s really simple. Here’s how it goes:
I will [action] for [duration].
🎯 When we write goals, they are inherently focused on an outcome. The goal is far off, and we feel miles from it. This perspective of success can feel daunting rather than inspiring. But when you make this pact, there is no outcome. It is just doing the thing, for a certain amount of time, and letting the chips fall where they may.
It should be simple and easy to repeat. You should be able to start it now, with your current resources and situation. And it doesn’t need to be measured, only tracked. A simple: Did you do it? Yes or no?
"But that sounds like a habit?"
This is different than a habit because it is time-bound. You are doing the action for a certain amount of time and then evaluating how you feel, whether you liked it or not, or if it brought you closer to a goal. A pact can become a habit through cycles of experimentation, and if it goes beyond the initial commitment, but it should start out in a time-sensitive container.
🔎First, make an observation about something in your life.
🙋Next, write a question.
💡Then, formulate an idea or hypothesis to answer that question.
🧪And finally, set up the tiny experiment.
Here is a quick chart illustrating how you could set up your pact:
Are you going to do this with us?
Of course! I actually have two pacts that I will make with myself (and all of you!) over the next three weeks.
🧘♀️I will stretch for 10 minutes per day for the next three weeks.
- I have built an exercise habit into my routines, but I struggle to do the stretching. It may be the quiet, the slowness, or the discomfort because I lack basic flexibility. Or that it’s only 10 minutes, so I don’t feel like it matters. But I am willing to sit in that for just 10 minutes and see what I find out.
👓 Have a moment of unfocused time each day for the next three weeks. Write about it in my journal the next day.
- I have a futuristic view of life. I find myself constantly looking ahead, to the next meal, what is going on next weekend, what can I prepare now that would help future me? And while that has benefits, I often forget to be in the “now.” I have three small kids at home right now, and they are at a wonderful age that is a perfect mix of general independence from me and still being imaginative and full of wonder about the world. I want to be really present for that. Maybe it is just sitting and watching them play outside or listening intently during a car ride.
These experiments are not work-related. I intentionally chose them because I a coming up on a busy season, the end of the school year, the start of soccer season, the beginning of summer, and these are steps to move slower, for just a few moments in the day.
I’m excited to try this!
I'm also thrilled to start experimenting together! Just start with an observation and then let me know:
What experiment would you like to try?
💌 Just reply to this email, and I will compile and post the responses anonymously.
I would love to put together everyone’s ideas and share them next week.
Next week, we will review part 2 of the Tiny Experiment process, focusing on mindful productivity. This part of the experiment involves managing your physical, cognitive, and emotional resources. You are not a brain on a stick. Your body, mind, and spirit have natural rhythms, flows, and rest periods. Honoring these can change your relationship to your work.
🎧 Latest Podcast
|
|
04: Cardiac Rhythm Escape Activity
A simple escape room-style teaching tool to practice dysrhythmias
|
📆 Just one more quick reminder that this newsletter will go on a summer break starting June 13th and returning to your inbox on August 11th! 🕶️
