A/B Test Your Life

OK, I’ll admit that the title is a bit dramatic and I’m stretching the meaning of A/B testing simply to fit my blog post… it’s my blog post and I’ll do what I want to. (See what I did there? That was a stretch, too!)

Anyway, my main point that I’m going to put in boldfaced text is: don’t be afraid to switch things up and try different routines to manage your life.

It is unbelievably easy to succumb to a routine that is familiar to you, but familiar does not translate into effective.  It took starting at VaynerMedia to help me realize this fact.  Within the first two weeks of being at VM, I was falling behind relatively frequently and absolutely couldn’t figure out why.  I was handling my workload the same as I had been for as long as I could remember…  it just wasn’t working like it had been for as long as I could remember. Was I going to accept the fact that I would be perpetually behind from there on out because I was sticking to my system and, damn it, my system has always worked? Nope, can’t do it.  It was time for some life A/B testing.

One of the biggest shake-ups that came from my life testing was my schedule.  I discovered that I was much more effective completing certain tasks within certain blocks of time.  I needed to rework how I did things and when I did them as well.  The biggest addition to my schedule involves me coming in early at least once a week so I can sit in a park about 2 blocks from the VM office and brainstorm new ideas while overlooking the Hudson River.  This works really well for me.  The amount of ideas that I’m able to come up with per week has increased significantly… and you can never have too many ideas.

Again, what I’m trying to drive home is that you need to find what works for you.  Maybe you hate the Hudson River and would never want to be within 2 blocks of it.  What works for me may or may not work for you and vice versa.  You’ll never know what works for you without A/B testing your life.  It’s a little nerve-racking to change up a tried and true routine, but you just might find a more efficient way of doing things.  Don’t be afraid of changing things up! Once you do find a better way of doing things, it’ll be pure victory.