How to Find Your Purpose (with Tiny Experiments)

Summary

Ali Abdaal shares five ideas for feeling less lost and making life decisions with less pressure. Drawing on neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s book Tiny Experiments, he argues that uncertainty and changing direction are normal parts of life.

1. Recognize the “Red Queen effect”

Modern life can feel like a race where you have to keep moving faster just to stay in place. Social media can intensify time anxiety by exposing us to people who seem further ahead.

Rather than trying to catch up, ask:

“What would my life look like if I didn’t feel I was in such a rush?”

2. Notice your invisible scripts

Unexamined assumptions can steer major choices:

• Sequel script: Choosing the next step because it follows neatly from what you did before.
• Crowd-pleaser script: Choosing what will satisfy others or earn approval.
• Epic script: Believing your next move must be bigger or more impressive than the last.

Naming these scripts can help you distinguish outside expectations from your own values.

3. Make room for in-between periods

“Liminal spaces” are transitions where you don’t yet know what comes next. They can feel uncomfortable, but you don’t have to rush toward certainty. Treat uncertainty as a normal stage of change—and an opportunity to reflect, rest, or explore.

4. Let go of the pressure to find one permanent purpose

Purpose need not be a single destination that explains your whole life. It can change with your circumstances. Try asking:

“What gives my life meaning right now, in this season?”

5. Run tiny experiments

When you’re unsure about a path, test it on a small scale rather than making an all-or-nothing commitment. Set an experiment based on a hypothesis, try it for a defined period, and use what you learn to choose a next step.

The suggested PACT criteria are:

• Purposeful: Meaningful or exciting to you.
• Actionable: Something concrete you can do.
• Continuous: Simple enough to repeat during the experiment.
• Trackable: Easy to check whether you did it.

For example, you could try a limited number of work shifts while exploring another career direction. The goal is to gather information, not to pass or fail.

Presenters and sources

• Presenter: Ali Abdaal
• Featured expert and author: Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World
• Other references mentioned: Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (the Red Queen); Roger Schank and Robert Abelson (cognitive scripts)
• Sponsor mentioned: Spotter Studio