Why Experimentation Matters for Intentional Living

The Paradox of Outcome Thinking: "You are not in charge of the outcome. You are in charge of taking action, which is the experimentation part of what we're talking about. You are in charge of that. You are responsible for that, and you need to do it." - Perry Maughmer

Experimentation—not just thinking or planning—is at the heart of an intentional, authentic life. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes messy, but absolutely powerful.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

• Focus on action over perfection. Your brain’s reward centers activate when you do something, not when you just think about it. Getting started, even if it feels imperfect, is where motivation and growth happen.
• Write your own script. True experimentation means letting go of other people’s formulas and bolding creating your own story, even if it feels uncertain or awkward.
• Failure is part of the process. Each stumble or messy attempt is just another note in your own improvisation. Success and failure matter less than the fact that you acted and learned.

Key Moments

00:00 Embracing Experimentation and Freedom

04:44 Immersion Over Success or Failure

07:05 "Focus on Action, Not Outcome"

10:59 "Embrace Messiness as Progress"

14:16 Embracing Failure as Learning

19:10 "Coach’s Philosophy: Lose My Way"

20:01 "Embrace Experimentation"

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with his Vistage peer advisory groups and companies like Turn-Key Tunneling, Convergint, Haughn & Associates, I Am Boundless, Ketchum & Walton, LSP Technologies, and Ahlum & Arbor.

Perry lives and works on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio, in the mountains of northwest Georgia, and on the beach in Anna Maria, Florida with his amazingly creative wife Lisa. They have 2 rescue dogs and are intermittently visited by their 3 wonderful children throughout the year. Perry & Lisa are living life in crescendo and focused on exploring, experimenting, and evolving their vision of a life they have no desire to retire from.

Copyright 2025 Perry Maughmer