Thanks are due to Shivani Bhardwaj for lending me her copy of this book. Here’s one of the appendices from it.

Experimentalist Toolkit

(A printable version available at https://nesslabs.com/toolkit)

Start by selecting the question that best describes the current situation and go to the corresponding quadrant.

• Where can I start?
• How can I maintain momentum?
• What can I do next?
• Who can I keep growing with?

The Tools

Pact: Commit to Curisosity

• Adopt an experimental mindeet with the Three Menal Shifts: from response 1 to response 2, from fixed ladders to growth loops, from outcome to process.
• Challenge cognitive scripts with Field Notes: take notes on insights, your energy, your mood and encounters.
• Design small iterative experiments with a Pact: I will [action] for [duration]. A pact is purposeful, actionable, continuous and trackable.

Act: Paractice Mindful Productivity

• Open magic windows with a Kairos ritual: a short ritual that is practical and enjoyable.
• Listen to procrastination with the triple check: Head—is it appropriate? Hand—is it doable? Heart—is it exciting?
• Leverage imperfection with the Ambition Dials: identify perfectionist patterns, challenge your unrealistic targetrs, choose progress over perfection.

React: Collaborate with Uncertainty

• Create metacognitive growth loops with plus-minus-next. Take note of accomplishments; personal or professional. Then identify challenges or obstacles and setbacks. Then use them to inform actions and next steps.
• Broaden the decision frame with the steering sheet (shown below).
• Dance with disruption with the two-step reset: processing the subjective experience, managing the objective consequences.

Impact: Grow with the World

• Unlock social flow with a Curisosity Circle: start scrappy, be up front, don’t overthink it, make it cozy, don’t hold the reins too tight.
• Learn in public with the Public Pillars: make a pledge, choose a platform, practice and iterate.
• Do generative work with the Five Keys: do the work first, grow lateral roots, prioritize impact over image, close the loops to open doors, play along the way.