There’s a common saying: “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s a safe and convenient strategy—but not one that works well for me. I prefer a different version: “If it isn’t broken, break it, or take it apart” When I see something functioning properly, it instinctively sparks my curiosity. Why does this work so well? What hidden principle or clever quirk is it taking advantage of? And more importantly, where else could this clever or unique idea be applied?
Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Similarly, Albert Einstein advised, “Make mistakes. A person who never made a mistake never did anything new.”
There’s no shortage of successful people who attribute their progress to trial, error, and experimentation.
Breaking things—metaphorically—to see if they can be improved is about exploring, failing, and learning. Stirring a cocktail of how, why, failure, and wonder into our routines keeps us actively engaged in the present moment. When we examine the sequence of steps in a task and ask whether each one is necessary, or whether they could be reordered or simplified, we invite insight. If the experiment doesn’t work, we’ve still learned something—and might just need to break it differently next time. Interestingly, as we engage more deeply with a task, we often gain not only efficiency but also a greater sense of ownership.
If you look at the lives of high achievers or listen to their advice, you’ll find a common theme: failure, setbacks, and missteps. But they keep experimenting, learning, and adjusting. They set challenging but achievable goals, expecting failure along the way. In this context, failure doesn’t block progress—it enhances it. Whether an experiment succeeds or not, both outcomes offer the chance for awe, insight, and growth.
So go ahead—break, or at least tinker with, one of your rituals. See what happens when you make it new.