Forget long-term plans. Start running smart experiments
30 May 2025
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
, Thomas Edison
Everything you’ve been told about long-term goals is wrong.
The most successful people don’t follow a straight path … they zigzag.
They set a direction, not a destination.
They take a step, learn something, (maybe fail a little), and adjust.
They move, notice, pivot. Again and again.
I track mine in what I call an Experiments Log - an idea I picked up from Daniel Pink’s “Book of Experiments” idea. He, in turn, credits David Epstein (author of Range) for popularising this approach: run small, real-world tests to figure out where you thrive.
No need for a 5-year plan. Try a 5-day one.
Here’s how the zigzag method works:
Pick a direction you care about. (Not a finish line. A feeling. A value. A domain.)
Take the next smart step (not the perfect one).
Write it down. What did it teach you?
Adjust and repeat. (Stay open to the zag to your zig).
Careers aren’t ladders.
Growth isn’t linear.
Progress doesn’t need a fixed path, it needs curiosity, and motion.
The magic isn’t in sticking to the plan, it’s in learning/failing fast, and course-correcting faster.
Remember, the path to extraordinary is walked with a thousand small steps, you’re doing great!
Barry Marshall-Graham
Executive coach and leadership advisor
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