The Why-Am-I-Doing-This Experiment
Expose autopilot, then test a reversible alternative before making a major change
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The Why-Am-I-Doing-This Experiment links self-audit with reversible action. First, ask the literal question 'why am I doing this?' about a routine or contemplated choice. Answers such as 'I have always done it this way' or 'others do it' expose autopilot rather than a current rationale. Instead of responding with a drastic permanent change or another round of analysis, design a bounded experiment. Temporarily try the alternative, observe the consequences, and keep the door open to revert. The reversible frame reduces the threat associated with uncertainty while replacing imagined pros and cons with evidence. At the end of the test, retain, modify, or abandon the new behavior based on what happened. The method works both for stale habits and for overthinking whether an unproven action will work.
Origin
Varol asked why he checked email first thing every morning and found no reason beyond habit. He tested waiting until noon for one week; nothing bad happened, so he retained the change.
Core principles
- 01Repeated behavior still requires a present reason
- 02A question can interrupt inherited defaults
- 03Small experiments reduce the threat of change
- 04Real-world evidence beats extended speculation
How to run it
- 1
Interrogate the default
Ask why you are doing the action now. Write the actual reason rather than a justification that merely protects the routine.
Pro tip Audit a full day to find behaviors whose only rationale is habit or imitation.
- 2
Choose one alternative
Define a specific behavior that would test whether the default is still useful. Keep the scope small enough to reverse.
Watch out Do not redesign every related routine at once.
- 3
Set a bounded trial
Run the alternative for a clear period, such as one week. Explicitly allow a return to the old approach if the test fails.
Pro tip Short tests lower the emotional threshold for beginning.
Watch out A trial without a duration can quietly become an unexamined permanent change.
- 4
Observe reality
Record what improved, what deteriorated, and whether the feared consequences occurred. Prefer observed behavior and outcomes to another pros-and-cons list.
- 5
Decide from evidence
Keep, adjust, or reverse the alternative based on the trial. Use the result as information rather than treating the experiment as a commitment.
In the wild
Varol realized that checking email first thing put him on defense by filling the morning with other people's priorities. His only reason was that he had always done it. He tested not checking until noon for one week.
→ Nothing bad happened, and he adopted the practice on most days.
Varol nearly withheld an article because he thought it was obvious and unlikely to resonate. Rather than continuing to overthink it, he published it to see what would happen.
→ The article went viral and became the Next Big Idea Club's most popular article at the time.
Common mistakes
Making the experiment permanent upfront
Removing reversibility makes uncertainty feel threatening and raises the barrier to starting.
Analyzing instead of testing
More lists and spreadsheets cannot reveal market or behavioral evidence that only action can produce.
Is it for you?
Best for
A routine, work pattern, or low-risk decision that feels stale but does not justify an irreversible leap.
Not ideal for
Irreversible or high-risk decisions where a small trial cannot contain the downside.
From the transcript
“that simple question why am I doing this is a really powerful one and it can snap you out of autopilot”
“we're just going to run an experiment if it doesn't work we'll go back to the way that things were but if it does work…”
“experimenting beats overthinking like you can make all the pros and cons lists you want but you don't know if something is going to work…”
From the episode
Episode 231: Ozan Varol: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Quitting
Ozan Varol