Guess what, guys?
E & E is actually more than just experimentation and evolution.
In fact, there’s a third– and equally critical– “E” in the process that I’ve been leaving out this whole time: EVALUATION.
Experimentation, EVALUATION, & Evolution: E (& E) & E!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
There’s no “one right way” to evaluate things– instead, evaluation is a personal process in which we each must decide what is most true for ourselves.
More important than the specific questions we ask ourselves is that we take time for reflection at all. You know how I always have those “Review. Reflect. Journal.” sections inside the homework documents? Guess what? IT’S FOR A REASON! Whether you feel like you’re getting anywhere with your personal reflection or not, studies show that personal reflection is one of THE most important things we can do when discovering our paths. And that is EXACTLY what we’ll be taking time to do in this week’s homework.
For some ideas on how to evaluate, watch the quick video below, professionally entitled “Say Eeeeeeeeee!”
In summary, some helpful questions to ask while evaluating your experiments are as follows:
Note that no matter which question you’re asking, evaluation always involves using your aliveness compass to guide you– this is how you can know whether you’re headed in the right direction (even when you may not know your exact destination). Take time often to pause, to pay attention to what’s happening within you and to your aliveness in this moment, and take note. Your aliveness will not lead you astray!
If you’re having trouble evaluating, remember that even the smallest positive evaluation is a good sign. That is, even the smallest of sparks eventually can (and very often do) evolve into full-on flaming, passionate pursuits. (In fact, passion often grows with time and competence– read, for example, Cal Newport’s findings that passion follows, rather than precedes, competence– and competence only comes with time and deliberate practice. See my blog post about Cal’s findings here.)
The bottom line? When you can be content in the process– when you are experiencing joy or excitement simply by “staying with the breath”– you’ll know you have “arrived.”
(Remember, though: There is no failure!)
If you didn’t yet complete your first experiment, evaluation is just as critical.
In this case, your evaluation will involve asking the questions, “How do I feel about having not completed my experiment? Do I believe my experiment is really worth doing, and why or why not?”
IF YES: Then ask, “What’s getting in my way, and what can I do to address it next time around?” (See the section on “Overcoming Stumbling Blocks” at Section 4.4.) Recommit to completing your experiment.
IF NO: Then ask, “What would be a better experiment for me?” Commit to following through on this new experiment.
Sometimes it takes awhile to find the “right type of experiment” for you, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you aren’t completely letting yourself off the hook– you want to stay accountable, but you also want to commit to an experiment that is right for you. Being honest with yourself and allowing for some wiggle room– without losing accountability– is the key.
Check out the homework document for more deets– it walks you through the evaluation process from start to finish.
Ok, so now you’ve completed your evaluation. What’s next? Evolution. Move on to the next section to learn more.
# # #
Next: Move on to Section 5.3: Evolve