Follow the Energy Experiment
Use small experiments to find work and projects that put you in flow
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 93%
The Follow the Energy Experiment treats personal alignment as something discovered through action rather than solved entirely in thought. Pick a direction that creates genuine excitement, then run the smallest real version of it even if the result will be imperfect. Observe both internal evidence—ease, energy, inspiration, and flow—and external evidence, such as which elements work or resonate. Use those observations as data for the next attempt, doing more of what lights you up and changing what repeatedly drains you. The goal is not to guarantee success from a feeling. It is to replace paralyzing speculation with a sequence of reversible experiments that reveal whether the work allows a more authentic expression of your abilities.
Origin
Nemtin describes how both his speaking career and the host's podcast developed by leaving misaligned production paths, trying a more energizing format, and following the momentum that emerged.
Core principles
- 01Energy is useful evidence of personal alignment
- 02Small action produces better information than overthinking
- 03Imperfect attempts reveal what works
- 04Direction can emerge without knowing the full path
How to run it
- 1
Notice the energy
Identify the direction, format, or activity that currently creates excitement or natural ease. Treat that response as a hypothesis worth testing, not final proof.
Pro tip Compare the feeling with a current path that consistently drains you.
Watch out Do not confuse a momentary novelty rush with sustained alignment.
- 2
Run the smallest real test
Publish, perform, build, or try a basic version before you have every answer. Make the action real enough to generate useful feedback.
Pro tip Assume the first version will be imperfect.
Watch out Overthinking can prevent the evidence-producing action entirely.
- 3
Collect internal and external data
Notice what felt energizing and what felt forced, then observe what actually worked or resonated with others. Separate those signals instead of reducing the test to success or failure.
Watch out One disappointing result does not explain which component failed.
- 4
Follow the useful signal
Repeat and deepen the parts that create energy and momentum. Change direction when the accumulated evidence shows that the current expression no longer fits.
Pro tip Create space when inspiration has genuinely run out.
Watch out Continuing solely because a path once represented success can produce long-term misalignment.
In the wild
The host describes stepping away from a television development process that put her work in other people's hands. She tried a small podcast on her own schedule, in her own home, with guests she chose, and found that opportunities appeared as she continued.
→ The experiment revealed a format that was more aligned with how she wanted to work.
After years building a production company, Nemtin gave a TEDx talk and later began speaking. The experience energized him, prompting him to reinterpret the bucket-list story through purpose, mental health, and workplace fulfillment.
→ A familiar project became a renewed career direction rather than a story he mechanically repeated.
Common mistakes
Thinking instead of testing
Trying to answer every question in advance deprives you of the evidence that only action can produce.
Treating imperfection as failure
An imperfect first attempt can still identify the elements that work and guide the next iteration.
Following status instead of energy
A culturally accepted definition of success can keep someone on a path that no longer inspires or fits them.
Is it for you?
Best for
Creators, professionals, and entrepreneurs testing a new path without complete certainty.
Not ideal for
High-stakes decisions where a small reversible experiment cannot adequately control the downside.
From the transcript
“you have to follow the energy”
“you take small steps and just look at it like an experiment doesn't matter you're just collecting information”
“you put the first one out you're like okay that was awful but actually this part worked and looks like these people like this and…”
From the episode
Episode 273: Ben Nemtin: Turning Struggles into Success
Ben Nemtin