5 Life Experiments That Actually Paid Off
How to open up a world of possibility
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In January 1994, I was a naive college grad desperate to live a new and novel experience, so I jumped on a plane to Las Vegas with a suitcase and a dream. A week later, I got an apartment and a job as a room reservations agent at one of the swanky new resorts.
The glimmer, glitz, and glamour of it all drew me to Vegas, but more than that, the idea of doing a grand life experiment intrigued me, so I did it.
A year later, disillusioned by the sheer excess of everything, I decided to return home. In hindsight, I might have given up too soon, but at the time, it felt right.
Although my Las Vegas move failed, that experience proved successful because it sparked an obsession with life experiments. Almost thirty years later, I’m still pushing my limits and testing my comfort zone.
One feature all my life experiments share is the prospect of boundless possibility. Each one begins with the hope of a destiny-altering experience, fueling unbridled optimism in each endeavor.
Ready to take on the challenge?
I get it. Not everyone has the time to try out dozens of experiments. If you need some help to narrow down the list of possibilities, these five have proven the most beneficial for me in the categories of health, money, mental health, politics, and creativity.
Health: Intermittent fasting
Every so often, I get into extreme health kicks. Most of these experiments flame out after two to six months. One of my most memorable failures was my experimentation with veganism. I stuck with it for nine months, avoiding all animal products. But when I finally succumbed to the hunger and desire for a steak, I gave it up and went back full speed ahead to animal products.
Even though that health experiment failed, some others changed my life.
I began intermittent fasting in 2019 and haven’t veered off it since. Most folks who try it do so for weight-loss reasons, but the benefits go beyond shedding a few pounds. Some studies, according to the NIH, show the practice may boost neurological functioning.
