1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Today's tip comes from Bill Burnett and Dave Evans book 4 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: Designing Your Life, which is about using design principles to 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: craft the life you want. They suggest using the design 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: technique of prototyping to get insight into whether you want 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: to pursue a particular life option. If you're pondering a 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: big move in professionally or personally, your best bet might 9 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: be to start small. Here's what I mean. According to 10 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: Burnett and Evans, designers don't think their way forward. Designers 11 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: build their way forward. They create a prototype, which is 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: a simplified model, to see how well a given idea 13 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: will work in practice. Just like you'd pilot a new 14 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: feedback system with one team before trying it on the 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: whole organization, Prototyping a big move you're considering can help 16 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: you see what the option would be like before you 17 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: commit to it. Here's why prototypes work. Prototypes help you 18 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: visualize alternatives in a very experiential way. Burnett and Evans right. 19 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: That allows you to imagine your future as if you 20 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: are living it. A prototype is not a thought experiment. 21 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: It needs a component of the real thing, just not 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: the full fledged real thing. This allows you to evaluate 23 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: what works and what doesn't in a relatively low stakes way. 24 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: So how do you go about prototyping an option you're considering. 25 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: One approach that Burnett and Evans advocate is what they 26 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: call a life design interview or prototype conversations. Talk with 27 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: people who are pursuing the path you are considering. What 28 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: do they do on a day to day basis, What 29 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: do they love and hate about their work? How did 30 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: they get to their current roles. As you talk with 31 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: people about their life designs, Burnett and Evans emphasize that 32 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: you should be listening to the people you're interviewing, not 33 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: talking about yourself. You want to take in all you 34 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: can about their actual experiences. Then you'll be able to 35 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: reflect on what you learned and consider how similar you 36 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: are to the people thriving in that path. After you've 37 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: had some prototype conversations, Burnett and Evans suggest pursuing prototype experiences, 38 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: which they compare to taking a car on a test drive. 39 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: A prototype experience can be as simple as spending a 40 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: day shadowing a person pursuing a path you're considering, or 41 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 1: it could be more intensive. Burnett and Evans suggest working 42 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: on a time to find project without pay, or taking 43 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: an internship doing the work you're considering. It can be 44 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: fun to imagine prototype experiences. If you're prototyping being a 45 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: freelance writer, you might volunteer to write the annual report 46 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: for a nonprofit that you care about, or you could 47 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: start a blog where you post articles of the type 48 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: you'd one day like to be paid to write. If 49 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,119 Speaker 1: you're contemplating becoming an elementary school teacher, you could volunteer 50 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: as a Cup Scout troop leader or as an assistant 51 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: in an after school program. Or you could take a 52 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: few days off work to help out in a classroom. 53 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: If you're brave, you might try becoming a substitute teacher. 54 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: Prototype experiences don't have to be complicated, but you do 55 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: need to actually try out living the life you're imagining. 56 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: If a prototype experience is rewarding, great, continue having conversations 57 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: and experiences. You may eventually decide to pursue the path 58 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: that you've explored, And if you don't like them, well 59 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: that's not failure, that's useful information. You can identify other 60 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: paths to explore. It is far better to decide that 61 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: you don't want to be a lawyer before you spend 62 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: years of your life in law school and take on 63 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars of debt. There are many options out there. 64 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: You want to know what's best for you. So what 65 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: big moves are you considering in your life? How can 66 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: you use short term experiences and life design interviews with 67 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: people pursuing those paths to prototype these options? As Burnett 68 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: and Evans advice, try stuff. That's what designers do if 69 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: you prototype options you're considering. I'd love to hear what 70 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: you learned in the process. You can email me at 71 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. In the meantime, 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making 73 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 74 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 75 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 76 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number 77 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: four then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot 78 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at I heeart 79 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with 80 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much. I look forward to 81 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 82 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, visit 83 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 84 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.