Curiosity Collective Blog Series: Part 1 – PACT – Committing to the Experiment

Sometimes life brings ideas and spaces together in ways you don’t always know will occur, but when they spaces overlap in goodness it is exciting. As I have been a fan of the work of Anne-Laure Le Cunff in her platform Ness Labs and pre-reading her soon to be released new book, Tiny Experiments, I have been part of a community she created for the book launch that also perfectly coincides with some professional development I am doing in schools on Iowa’s Universal Constructs and specifically productivity and accountability. You can see this work in the week 2 newsletter, my reflection of a full day PD,and my initial post drafting out my thoughts on how does one organize PD around this topic not focused solely on saving minutes.

With all that being said this here is the first of a four part series reflecting on my weekly journey of practicing the ideas I am sharing with the schools as it is all part of many tiny experiments going on in my life.

Introduction: Entering the Curiosity Collective

When I first joined Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s Curiosity Collective, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. This online community, designed as a four-week experience tied to the launch of her book Tiny Experiments, invited participants to practice curiosity-driven learning through small, intentional experiments.

The concept felt like an opportunity to get unstuck, break out of rigid routines, and re-engage with learning through action. I was eager to embrace this challenge, but I also recognized a deeper personal need: to reignite my creative energy after a period of dormancy. And to surround myself(virtually) with folks who are on a similar journey.

For the past year and a half, my creative output—whether blogs, podcasts, PD materials, or reflections—had been quiet. I used to share daily, engaging with online communities and sparking discussions that helped me and others grow. But lately, I’d felt stuck, hesitant to publish, and disconnected from the habit of sharing my thoughts.

Defining My Pact: A Commitment to Consistency

Each participant was encouraged to set a PACT—a simple, actionable commitment that would serve as the foundation for their experiment. For me, the first step was sampling the idea of publishing again before fully committing to a structured habit in the following weeks.

My hypothesis: If I posted something every day for five days, I would rediscover the joy in creating and sharing, feel more connected to my purpose, and break through the inertia holding me back.

Plan:

• Action: Publish one piece of content each day (blog post, video, podcast snippet, reflection, or insight).
• Duration: 5 consecutive days.
• Success Criteria: If I complete the five days, I’ll reflect on how it made me feel and whether I want to extend this habit beyond the experiment.

This was a small but meaningful step toward reclaiming my creative voice.

Initial Reflections: Showing Up Again

As the week unfolded, I encountered both excitement and resistance as I trialed getting back to writing, reflecting, and publising a few pieces before the next week when I would attempt 5 days. On some days, publishing felt natural—like slipping back into an old rhythm. Other days, doubts crept in. Was my writing valuable? Was this experiment even necessary? But the structure of the pact provided a low-stakes way to experiment without overthinking.

By the end of the first week, I realized:

• The act of sharing created momentum—I felt more engaged with my work again.
• I was overcomplicating things before—it wasn’t about perfect posts, just about showing up.
• My next step was clear—Week 2 would be the real commitment, not just a trial.

Looking Ahead to ACT

The next phase—ACT—would require a deeper level of execution. Now that I had experimented with showing up, could I sustain and refine the habit?

I didn’t know yet, but I was ready to find out.

Initial Hesitations & Mindset Shifts

Before even starting, I encountered the mental resistance that often accompanies change:

• What if my writing isn’t good enough?
• What if I fall behind on my writing by not having anything to share?
• Will anyone even care about what I’m sharing?

But part of the PACT phase is understanding that the experiment is not about immediate success—it’s about learning what happens when you commit. The act of following through, regardless of outcome, would provide insights I wouldn’t otherwise gain.

Looking Ahead to ACT

The next phase of this journey—ACT—would be about execution. Now that the pact was in place, it was time to put the plan into motion, see what obstacles emerged, and determine how to navigate them.

Would my consistency hold up? Would I need to adjust my approach?

I didn’t know yet. But that was the point. The experiment had begun.