Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 15 years ago. It changed the smartphone industry. Apple has annually released a new iPhone since then. The iPhone is still evolving. Almost every great and successful brand changes over time.
Creativity and experimentation are crucial in almost all fields. In fact, they’re so important that entire departments have been set up in many companies to focus on exploring new ideas.
Life is also an evolutionary process; without deliberate intervention, we become versions of ourselves we don’t necessarily want. We are continually growing and learning, adapting to changes, and making discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.
There are no perfect people or perfect circumstances, or perfect outcomes. Life is messy, surprising, rewarding, unfair, challenging, confusing, inconvenient, and so much more — all at once! That’s what makes it so wonderful.
Learn to play the long game
“I have always been more interested in experiment, than in accomplishment.” — Orson Welles
Successful people spend countless hours practicing their craft, honing their skills, learning new habits and developing new techniques. When you become successful, invest in a creative process that allows keeping doing what brings out the best in you.
If you live your life on purpose, it pays to consistently invest in intentional habits, routines and behaviors that can guarantee the life you want.
Conscious living is a skill. You can improve your awareness of everything that can help you become a better version of yourself — deliberate living is a skill you must practice daily.
Even people who successfully design a better life maintain their sense of wonder and curiosity. They still upgrade what works. As long as you live, you must consistently take control of the direction of your life; otherwise, entropy (gradual decline into disorder) takes over.
Science is intentional, but its success depends on many experiments. Like any scientific process, life is an experiment in progress. You can experiment in lots of different ways and wherever you see opportunities to do so.
“The true method of knowledge is an experiment,” William Blake said. You can find what works with practice. All experiments won’t be successful, though, but you will learn from your actions. Even when you get things right, maintain your experiment mindset.
When we experiment, the outcomes aren’t always positive. Sometimes they are inconclusive or yield unexpected results. Sometimes experiments fail. Sometimes they succeed, but not in the way that we intended.
Your chances of seeing substantial results in life will decrease dramatically if you don’t maintain a scientific mindset.
All life is an experiment in progress
“Doubt the conventional wisdom unless you can verify it with reason and experiment.” — Steve Albini
Life experiments are not just about the short-term payoff of success. It’s about keeping your long-term goals in sight and continuing to practice even when it feels like you can’t get any better outcomes.
When you embrace the experiment mindset, you explore many possibilities for a better life. Even when you succeed, experimenting again means looking out for your future self. It also means forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone and investing in indispensable skills and routines that can stand the test of time.
Life is a process of constant self-discovery, but sometimes it can feel like you’re going in circles. Even when you think you have everything figured out, one unexpected event can throw your world into turmoil and leave you feeling lost and confused again.
Moments of crisis and success are also opportunities for growth. In fact, psychologists consider their rites of passage — specific developmental stages that mark crucial moments in anyone’s life.
These periods of transformation offer unique opportunities to discover hidden potentials within yourself and develop new skills that will serve as valuable tools for the rest of your life.
If you’ve recently experienced a significant shift in your outlook on life, that could signify that you’re going through an important transition.
Remember, there is no single right way to live. “Test ideas by experiment and observation. Build on those ideas that pass the test. Reject the ones that fail. Follow the evidence wherever it leads. And question everything, including authority. Do these things and the cosmos is yours,” says Ann Druyan.
Experiment with habits, behaviors, routines, and rituals and stick to what works for you. And when you succeed or get good results, keep evolving — a better future depends on it.
This article originally appeared in Medium.
