Start Small, Move Big: The Power of Acting on Hypotheses

I am Aya Iijima, and I continue to learn and take on challenges with the philosophy of 'May mothers' smiles increase.' On Note, I share my experiences with parenting and home-based entrepreneurship, along with the fluctuating emotions, realizations, and small lessons I encounter along the way.

Days spent searching for the right answer and becoming paralyzed

When you are raising children while running a business, there are moments when you wonder, 'Is this the right way?' over and over again.
How should I deliver my products, what should the pricing be, and am I using my time correctly?

I have stopped in my tracks many times, caught between the desire to prioritize my children and the desire to work hard.
I don't want to fail.
I don't want to waste time.
I am afraid of making mistakes.

The stronger those feelings were, the more often I would 'keep searching for the right answer and end up unable to move.'
But then, I suddenly thought to myself.

'Aren't there more things that you can't know unless you try?'
Since then, I have changed my way of working to 'try things out on a small scale.'
This is also known in psychology as 'hypothesis-testing behavior,' and it is very effective for reducing hesitation and anxiety.

The choice to act on hypotheses

A hypothesis is your own personal prediction that 'if I do this, this might happen.'
For example, try thinking like this.

• If I post on social media in the morning, I might get more engagement.

• If I increase my conversations with customers by one, it might lead to the next order.

• If I use 10 minutes in the morning for work, it might add up little by little.

Formulating a hypothesis turns the anxiety of 'what if I fail' into the lighthearted action of 'let's experiment and see.'

In fact, behavioral psychology shows that people who 'formulate hypotheses and act' are more likely to increase their self-esteem than those who stop because they are seeking perfection.

This is because when you accumulate actions, even small ones, you build up successful experiences of 'I was able to move' and 'I tried it.'

If you fail, you gain valuable data that 'it was different.'
If you succeed, it becomes confidence.
Either way, you can acknowledge yourself for 'moving forward.'

Hypothesis thinking is perfect for moms

When you are raising children, every day is a series of unexpected events.
Children suddenly get a fever, plans fall apart, and there are mountains of things that don't go as expected.
Even if you aim for perfection, there are almost no days that go exactly as planned.
But if you formulate hypotheses and act on a small scale, it's a different story.

• Today, I was able to schedule a social media post in just 5 minutes.

• This month, I was able to try just one new service.

• I was able to send a message to a client while my child was sleeping.

That is enough to call it a "successful experiment."
Even if we fail, for us moms,
it feels much lighter to "act and learn" than to "do nothing and feel frustrated."
I believe this mindset is perfect for moms who are starting businesses while raising children.

Because you move small, you can move big.

Since I became conscious of acting on hypotheses, the time I spend "hesitating and stopping" has decreased.
Of course, I still worry a lot, and sometimes things don't go well.
But just being able to think, "This is a small experiment," has strangely made my heart feel lighter.

What I realized is thatyou don't have to make a big move all at once.Try small, verify small, and move forward little by little.
I am convinced that this accumulation leads to a future where you realize, "I've come further than I ever imagined."

We possess the "power to act on hypotheses."
For you who have thought so much, it is already time to try something small.

Thank you for reading until the end!