The What If It Never Ended? Test
Test whether you truly want the journey, then commit to enjoying the process.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
This decision test strips away the fantasy that a future milestone will permanently remove difficulty. First, identify the recurring meetings, uncertainty, setbacks, sacrifices, and emotional lows within a chosen path. Then imagine that these conditions never fully disappear and ask whether you would still willingly do the work. A genuine yes indicates that the process itself is compatible with your identity and values, even when it is painful. That answer should trigger a shift from merely tolerating the journey to building ways to enjoy and sustain it. A no is useful information too: it suggests changing the path rather than remaining committed only because of a hoped-for payoff.
Origin
Jasmine Star developed this test while reflecting on the hardest moments of 2022, including a night spent crying over a consequential business decision. Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show.
Core principles
- 01Judge a path by its recurring process, not its imagined peak.
- 02Accept hard moments as part of the chosen journey.
- 03Use sustained willingness as evidence of genuine commitment.
- 04Enjoy the process when you consciously choose to continue.
How to run it
- 1
Define the Journey
State precisely what you are choosing, including the work, responsibilities, and uncertainty involved rather than only the desired outcome.
Pro tip Describe an ordinary difficult week on this path, not its best-case future.
Watch out Do not reduce the decision to whether you want the eventual reward.
- 2
Name the Recurring Hard Parts
List the meetings, setbacks, emotional lows, sacrifices, and unresolved questions that could repeatedly accompany the journey.
Pro tip Use recent lived experience instead of hypothetical inconveniences.
Watch out Do not assume every painful feature will disappear after the next milestone.
- 3
Run the Permanence Test
Imagine that these hard parts continue far longer than expected and ask whether you would still choose the path.
Pro tip Notice whether your answer changes when you imagine hundreds of repetitions.
Watch out Persistence is not a reason to tolerate abuse, danger, or needless harm.
- 4
Make a Deliberate Choice
Treat a yes as an active recommitment and a no as permission to pivot, redesign, or leave.
Pro tip Write down why the process remains worth choosing or why it no longer does.
Watch out Do not confuse sunk costs with authentic commitment.
- 5
Enjoy and Sustain the Process
If you recommit, improve the routines, relationships, and recovery practices that make continued effort sustainable.
Pro tip Build sources of meaning and connection into the work now rather than postponing life until success.
Watch out A commitment without sustainable practices can turn into burnout.
In the wild
A founder imagines that customer rejection, uncertain revenue, and difficult product decisions will remain regular parts of the next several years. She realizes that she still values solving the problem and building the company, but dislikes her unsustainable operating rhythm. She recommits to the venture while reducing unnecessary meetings and adding stronger peer support.
→ The founder separates commitment to entrepreneurship from acceptance of an unhealthy working process.
A photographer asks whether she would continue creating if irregular bookings, revisions, and administrative work never vanished. Her answer is no unless the business model changes, so she pivots toward fewer premium projects and recurring licensing income.
→ The permanence test produces a practical redesign instead of blind persistence.
Common mistakes
Testing Only the Desired Outcome
Wanting success does not establish willingness to live with the process required to pursue it. Include the recurring work and uncertainty in the test.
Treating Endurance as a Moral Duty
A yes must be freely chosen rather than driven by shame, sunk costs, or fear of appearing to quit.
Ignoring Sustainability
Choosing the journey does not mean preserving every exhausting habit within it. Redesign the process so commitment can last.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for entrepreneurs and creators deciding whether to persist through an uncertain, demanding journey.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for situations involving abuse, preventable harm, or obligations that require immediate exit rather than greater endurance.
From the transcript
“But like quite honestly, what if it never ended?”
“Would you still do it?”
“And if the answer is yes, then it's time to enjoy the process.”
From the episode
An honest reflection on the biggest lessons I learned in 2022