Try things out before you commit
Test your assumptions through small, real-world experiments.
How can you make better choices? By running small experiments first.
✳️✳️✳️
Our minds aren’t great at predicting what will work for us. To avoid wasting time, money, or energy on choices that don’t fit, it helps to test ideas before committing. This starts by asking the right questions.
You learn most by doing and paying attention to what happens. Take your test questions into the real world and experiment in small, low-stakes ways. Try something out and notice how it feels. Then reflect on what it teaches you, including what you enjoy, what feels natural or challenging, how much time or effort it takes, and whether it moves you closer to your goals.
Trying things out is like test-driving a car or dipping your toe into seawater to see how cold it is. It gives you a real sense of what it’s like.
Just like informational interviews, trying things out is a great way to expand your network and discover unexpected opportunities. If needed, use simple techniques like brainstorming or brainwriting to generate ideas that will help you answer your test questions. Focus on low-cost, quick actions that don’t tie you into long-term commitments. Try the most promising experiments, adjust, iterate, and keep learning from what you observe.
Kickstart your experiments with these practical ways to try before you commit:
👉 Choosing a study: Try a short course or workshop in your subject of interest, spend a day shadowing someone in a role you’re curious about, volunteer on a small project, or take a short paid gig or internship.
👉 Choosing a profession: Participate in an internship, shadow someone in a role you’re interested in, volunteer on a small project, or take a part-time or short-term job.
👉 Moving to another country: Live in the country for a few weeks or months through a short-term rental, shared housing, or remote work setup to experience daily life.
👉 Choosing a sport: Try different sports through open practice sessions or free trial classes to see what you enjoy and what fits your goals. The same approach works for hobbies like dancing, meditation, or yoga.
👉 Starting a business: Start with a small side project, a test version, or an early pre-sale to see if people are interested and what works.
👉 Career transitions: Explore a new direction through short-term projects, part-time roles, or shadowing to test the work before making a full switch.
🎉👏🎈
The best way to figure out what works for you is to try your ideas and see how they answer your test questions. Pay attention to what happens, learn from the experience, and use what you discover to make your choices more confident and informed.
