Letting Go of Control Through Tiny Experiments

Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff was climbing the ranks at a big tech company, and had ambitious plans for her future—when a health scare made her rethink her relationship with control. In this episode, Anne-Laure explains why we cling to plans, scripts, and to-do lists when life gets uncertain, and how we can learn to meet these moments with curiosity instead. She talks to Maya about how to develop a more experimental mindset and embrace new possibilities within the unknown. Check out Anne-Laure’s latest book, “Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.” And if this episode resonated with you, check out a previous Slight Change episode, “When Productivity Becomes Pathological,” with Judith Joseph. Also, A Slight Change of Plans wants to hear from you! What helps you navigate moments of uncertainty? Maybe it was advice someone gave you, a mantra you now repeat, or something surprising you discovered in your own moment of transition. Share your reflections with us in a voice memo and tell us why those lessons have stayed with you. You can email your voice memo to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at (646) 397-8557. You may be featured in an upcoming episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.