Comments on: Learning via Self-Experimentation http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/ Helping You Learn Essential Business Principles Without Mortgaging Your Life Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:13:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Brian Hatano http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Brian Hatano Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:37:34 +0000 http://personalmba.com/?p=1094#comment-601 Great! I'm printing this out to start practicing! Great! I’m printing this out to start practicing!

]]> By: nilesh gaonkar http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/comment-page-1/#comment-558 nilesh gaonkar Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:12:33 +0000 http://personalmba.com/?p=1094#comment-558 Great Josh your articles are always superb make it more frequently Great Josh

your articles are always superb

make it more frequently

]]> By: Matthew Cornell http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/comment-page-1/#comment-531 Matthew Cornell Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:45:23 +0000 http://personalmba.com/?p=1094#comment-531 We're definitely on the same page here, Josh. I'm developing a philosophy of life called Think, Try, Learn: A scientific method for discovering happiness. We've started http://thinktrylearn.com/, and continue developing the ideas. We'll have an experimenter's workbook up next week (hopefully). We also add meaning and purpose to the emerging personal informatics movement, recently summarized in "Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain" http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-07/lbnp_knowthyself . Finally, regarding your suggestions around exercise, diet, and meeting new people (Akshay), I'll share a little guide I created that's extremely relevant to this discussion: "You Did WHAT? 99 Playful experiments to live a healthier and happier life" http://matthewcornell.org/products.html#you-did-what . They are tiny ones that side-step fear, and all are based on the health detachment that comes by making *observations*. This approach is more effective, in my experience, than large "all or nothing" techniques to making behavior changes. I've grouped them into categories including Mindset, Emotions, Relationships, Being present, Community, Just for fun, Health, and Work. And yes, saying hi to strangers is there! Let me know if you'd like to chat. I'd enjoy it. Matthew Cornell | matt@matthewcornell.org | 413-626-3621 We’re definitely on the same page here, Josh. I’m developing a philosophy of life called Think, Try, Learn: A scientific method for discovering happiness. We’ve started http://thinktrylearn.com/, and continue developing the ideas. We’ll have an experimenter’s workbook up next week (hopefully). We also add meaning and purpose to the emerging personal informatics movement, recently summarized in “Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain” http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-07/lbnp_knowthyself . Finally, regarding your suggestions around exercise, diet, and meeting new people (Akshay), I’ll share a little guide I created that’s extremely relevant to this discussion: “You Did WHAT? 99 Playful experiments to live a healthier and happier life” http://matthewcornell.org/products.html#you-did-what . They are tiny ones that side-step fear, and all are based on the health detachment that comes by making *observations*. This approach is more effective, in my experience, than large “all or nothing” techniques to making behavior changes. I’ve grouped them into categories including Mindset, Emotions, Relationships, Being present, Community, Just for fun, Health, and Work. And yes, saying hi to strangers is there!

Let me know if you’d like to chat. I’d enjoy it. Matthew Cornell | matt@matthewcornell.org | 413-626-3621

]]> By: Akshay Kapur http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/comment-page-1/#comment-528 Akshay Kapur Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:24:14 +0000 http://personalmba.com/?p=1094#comment-528 Josh, Great stuff! I tend to view life as one big experiment even though most who know me wouldn't think so. Odd. Anyway, as you explore physical trial and error, I love exploring mental. To (soberly) view life from different angles is always a thrill. Literally, step out of your box. Call it real life role playing, but think about how many opportunities you get to NOT be yourself. We like to think this only happens in transition stages, high school to college, job to job, but it's always available to us. The best way to test yourself and experiment is just by doing. For example, whenever I go abroad or on vacation, I take the opportunity to really push personal boundaries and see how I feel. I've somewhat of an introvert, so I test out my extroversion by just saying hi to random people, smiling ridiculously at everyone, and just engaging in conversation with a stranger as if I knew them for life. Some people do this naturally, but I feel my heart race, I'm a little uncomfortable, and I'm getting a high off of life. That's the thing. Life poses SO MANY possibilities that you can't just stick to being just one person all the time. I'm the biggest proponent of being yourself and the reason I'm saying this is because many of us don't know what we are unless we explore what we AREN'T. Whey does my heart race? Why is it uncomfortable? Well, that's not me. OK. But what is me is experimenting outside my limits and having fun with it. We are who we are, and I love the way you promote experimentation. We're only preparing ourselves for the major changes coming up, whether it be a new house, a baby, a divorce, a promotion, whatever. Those things WILL change you, so why not test within your own "comfort" zone first and be prepared! Josh,

Great stuff! I tend to view life as one big experiment even though most who know me wouldn’t think so. Odd. Anyway, as you explore physical trial and error, I love exploring mental. To (soberly) view life from different angles is always a thrill. Literally, step out of your box.

Call it real life role playing, but think about how many opportunities you get to NOT be yourself. We like to think this only happens in transition stages, high school to college, job to job, but it’s always available to us. The best way to test yourself and experiment is just by doing.

For example, whenever I go abroad or on vacation, I take the opportunity to really push personal boundaries and see how I feel. I’ve somewhat of an introvert, so I test out my extroversion by just saying hi to random people, smiling ridiculously at everyone, and just engaging in conversation with a stranger as if I knew them for life. Some people do this naturally, but I feel my heart race, I’m a little uncomfortable, and I’m getting a high off of life.

That’s the thing. Life poses SO MANY possibilities that you can’t just stick to being just one person all the time. I’m the biggest proponent of being yourself and the reason I’m saying this is because many of us don’t know what we are unless we explore what we AREN’T. Whey does my heart race? Why is it uncomfortable? Well, that’s not me. OK. But what is me is experimenting outside my limits and having fun with it.

We are who we are, and I love the way you promote experimentation. We’re only preparing ourselves for the major changes coming up, whether it be a new house, a baby, a divorce, a promotion, whatever. Those things WILL change you, so why not test within your own “comfort” zone first and be prepared!

]]> By: Chanda | BizDharma.com http://personalmba.com/learning-self-experimentation/comment-page-1/#comment-525 Chanda | BizDharma.com Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:16:12 +0000 http://personalmba.com/?p=1094#comment-525 Very worthy post Josh. I believe we all talk a lot about change but are very much a prisoner of our own schemas. It wont hurt even if an experiment fails. The joy of doing and failing is multiple times higher than that of sitting idle for that someday. BTW highlighting posts is a good idea, I could re-read it to remember well. ;) Thanks Very worthy post Josh.
I believe we all talk a lot about change but are very much a prisoner of our own schemas. It wont hurt even if an experiment fails. The joy of doing and failing is multiple times higher than that of sitting idle for that someday.

BTW highlighting posts is a good idea, I could re-read it to remember well. ;) Thanks

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