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What Is 'Testing'?

Testing is the act of trying something new, a way of applying the Iteration Cycle to your own life. You can't make positive changes unless you try something new.

Here's a simple structure to help you experiment:

1. Observations: what do you see that you want to improve?
2. Knowns: what do you know that is related to your observations?
3. Hypotheses: what might cause to contribute to your observations?
4. Tests: which hypotheses will you try?
5. Results: what happened after each test? Did it improve your observation?

Testing is the best way to ensure that your life gets better over time.

Over the time you discover Patterns, and you become better at knowing what makes your life better or worse.

Josh Kaufman Explains 'Testing'

I write best early in the morning, after ~8 hours of sleep.

After waking up, I drink two shots of espresso with a tablespoon of honey, eat 2-3 soft boiled eggs with salsa, and turn on a bright blue LED lamp that simulates morning sunlight.

Once I'm nourished and alert, I open up my computer, turn off my Internet connection, and start writing. Once I get started, I can concentrate for 3-6 hours without stopping if I'm not interrupted.

Writing is important to me, so this is what I do every day.

I've tested many different approaches, adding and adjusting many different variables. This is what works best for me, so I've made it a Habit.

Will this be my method forever? I doubt it-I'll eventually find other methods that work even better. My Experimentation never stops.

Testing is the act of trying something new-a way of applying the scientific method and the Iteration Cycle to your own life.

The most happy and productive people I know all have something in common: they're always trying new things to see what works. You can't make positive discoveries that make your life better if you never try anything new.

Testing doesn't have to be complicated. All that's required is choosing some part of your life to focus on, then trying new ways to get what you want.

You can test random approaches, or read about what works for others, then test the approach yourself.

Externalizing your results in a notebook can help you keep track of what you've tried, what works, and what doesn't.

Here are a few questions to help you discover things to start testing:

• How much sleep do you need to feel rested and alert?
• Which foods make you feel energetic after eating? Which foods make you feel ill or lethargic?
• When do you do your most productive work? Are there any patterns in your productivity?
• When do you get your best ideas? What are you doing when they occur to you?
• What is your biggest source of stress or concern? When do you start worrying, and why?

Once you've found a pattern in one of these areas, it's time to start testing. Consciously change your approach do one of these areas of your life and Externalize your results.

If you find a change useful, keep doing it - if not, stop doing it and try something else.

Testing is the best way to ensure your life gets better over time. By constantly trying new things, you're learning what works for you, and what doesn't.

Over time, you'll discover Patterns-things that make your life better, and things that make your life worse. The results of your experiments Accumulate, until they inevitably produce the results you want.

You never know until you try.

Questions About 'Testing'

• Are you constantly testing new things and methods of getting more of what you want?
• How can you make testing a part of your daily life?

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"Discoveries are often made by not following instructions, by going off the main road, by trying the untried."

Frank Tyger, political cartoonist and columnist

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