Flourishing After Adversity

S2:E15 Stop Overthinking: Move Forward with a Life Experiment

• Laura Broome

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Tiny Experiments: One Brave Step Without the Perfect Plan

Host Laura Mangum Broome welcomes listeners to Flourishing After Adversity and encourages those facing grief, illness, loss, heartbreak, or unexpected change to keep moving forward faithfully and intentionally. She invites listeners to download her free guide, “Reframe the Spiral,” and shares how saying yes to being a podcast guest after publishing her book led, through small uncomfortable steps, to launching her own show. 

She explains that goals can create pressure by asking “did I succeed or fail,” while tiny experiments reduce overwhelm by asking “what did I learn,” helping people move without certainty, confidence, or a full roadmap—especially after adversity. She outlines three steps: choose one area you feel stuck, turn it into a small hypothesis-based experiment, and review what you learned. Practical tips include shrinking the step, setting a 3–7 day window, and naming the lesson quickly, then sharing, subscribing, and visiting iCope2Hope.com for support.

00:00 Stuck Without a Plan
00:23 Welcome and Free Guide
01:11 My First Tiny Yes
02:00 Goals vs Experiments
03:08 After Adversity Fear
04:00 Three Tiny Experiment Steps
05:03 Quick Practice Tips
05:42 Weekly Reflection Challenge
06:14 Recap and Next Steps
07:24 Closing Encouragement


Stuck Without a Plan

Have you ever felt stuck because you thought you needed a perfect plan before you could begin?  Maybe you've been waiting for certainty or confidence or a clear picture of where everything is headed,  but what if the next step isn't a perfect plan? What if the next step is a tiny experiment? If that's you, stay tuned to today's episode.

Welcome and Free Guide

Welcome to the Flourishing After Adversity podcast. I'm your host, Laura Mangum Broome. If you've been knocked down by life-- grief, illness loss, heartbreak, or, unexpected change-- you're in the right place here. We talk about how to keep moving forward one step at a time, not perfectly, not all at once, just faithfully and intentionally.

 Before we begin, if you've ever felt overwhelmed by negative thoughts after a setback, download my free guide. Reframe the spiral, five quick coping strategies to shift negative thoughts and reclaim your day. These are the same coping strategies I use when life gets overwhelming. You'll find the  link in the show notes.

My First Tiny Yes

A couple of years ago, after I published my book, flourishing After Adversity, I said yes to being a guest on a podcast.  That may not sound like a big deal, but for me it was. I'm an introvert, and sharing my story publicly was scary.  At that time, I didn't have some big master plan to start my own podcast.  I just took one step that felt a little uncomfortable and decided to see what I could learn from being a guest on someone else's podcast. And I discovered something. It wasn't as scary as I thought that one small yes. Led to another. And over time those conversations gave me the courage and clarity to start my own podcast. This podcast!  That's the power of a tiny experiment. 

Goals vs Experiments

So often we think we need a perfect plan before we begin. We think we need certainty, confidence, and a clear picture of where everything's headed.  But here's what I've learned. A goal often asks one question, did I succeed or fail?  And that question can bring a lot of pressure.

It can make you overthink.  It can make you delay.  It can make you wait until you feel more ready.  But an experiment asks a better question, what did I learn?  That one shift changes how you show up. It creates breathing room.

It helps you begin before you have everything figured out. It reminds you that progress isn't always about getting it right on the first try. Sometimes it's about gathering real life evidence one step at a time.  You don't need to know exactly where the road leads before you move. You just need a simple hypothesis, a small next step, and the willingness to pay attention to what happens.

That's not a lack of ambition. It's a smarter way to pursue it. 

After Adversity Fear

And here's the truth we all need to hear sometimes. The real risk is staying stuck because you're waiting to feel secure before you begin.  This matters so much after adversity because hard seasons can make us afraid to risk more pain  when life has already knocked you down. It makes sense that you want guarantees before you step out again.  You may think, what if I try and it doesn't work?

What if I put myself out there and regret it?  What if I don't have the energy?  What if this is the wrong move?  Those questions are understandable, but tiny experiments give you a way forward without demanding certainty. They lower the pressure. They remind you that you don't have to solve your whole life today. You just need a small next step. 

Three Tiny Experiment Steps

Here are three simple ways to start using tiny experiments in your own life.  Number one, pick one area where you feel stuck.  Ask yourself, where have I been waiting until I feel more sure, more ready, or more confident?  Don't pick 10 things, pick one. 

Number two, turn the goal into a tiny experiment.   Instead of saying, I need to figure out my whole plan, try stating this.  My hypothesis is that if I spend 10 minutes a day on this for one week, I'll feel clear and less overwhelmed.  Keep it small enough that you can start today. 

And number three, review what you've learned.  At the end of the experiment, don't ask only whether it worked. Ask what did I notice?  What gave me energy, what felt hard? What do I wanna try next?  Learning is forward motion. 

Quick Practice Tips

Here are three quick ways to put this into practice.   Number one, shrink the step. If it feels too big, it is. Make it smaller until you can start without talking yourself out of it.  Number two. Put a short window on it. Try it for three days or a week. You're not making a forever decision. You're just gathering information.  And number three, name the lesson fast. When you finish, ask yourself, what did this teach me? One clear takeaway is enough to help you take that next right step.

Weekly Reflection Challenge

Here's your reflection question for the week.  What is one tiny experiment you could run this week instead of waiting for the perfect plan  and now your action step?  Choose one brave small step. Put a short window on it three to seven days. Then pay attention to what you learn.  You don't need a perfect roadmap to move forward. You need one brave, small step and then another. That's how growth happens. 

Recap and Next Steps

Let's recap what we covered today.  Tiny experiments help you move forward without the pressure of having it all figured out.   One small yes, can create more clarity and courage than overthinking ever will.  A goal mindset asks, did I succeed or fail? But an experiment mindset asks, what did I learn  after adversity? Waiting for certainty can keep you stuck longer than necessary.  You don't need a perfect plan. You need a simple hypothesis. A small step in a short window  learning is forward motion.

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with three friends who are in need of hope.  If you've not already, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, or visit iCope2Hope.com  for more resources, coaching, support, and encouragement.

And don't forget to download your free guide. Reframe the spiral, five quick coping strategies to shift negative thoughts and reclaim your day. The link is in the show notes. 

Closing Encouragement

You're right where you need to be. Growth happens one step at a time. Adversity can make you bitter or better, choose better. You've got this.