1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: tip is that when you are contemplating a career change 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: or any other big change in life, make little bets. 5 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: Don't bet at all that you will thrive in something new. Instead, 6 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: find the smallest possible way to test your hypothesis that 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: this is a good move. Today's tip comes from Dory Clark, 8 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: a coach, consultant, and speaker who's been a guest on 9 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds. In an article 10 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: in Harvard Business Review, Clark encourages those contemplating a new 11 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: career to ask themselves, what is the smallest way to 12 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: test my hypothesis? In other words, if you think something 13 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: would be your dream career, find a small way to 14 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: test that idea out before you make big bets to 15 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: pursue it. Figure out a way to get a little 16 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: real life experience in data about whether this career change 17 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: will actually suit you. In the article, Clark gives the 18 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: example of a person who thought she wanted to be 19 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: a florist, but discovered after a day shadowing a florist 20 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: that she couldn't stand the cold of the flower coolers. 21 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: Florists turn out to spend a lot of time in 22 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: their coolers. Much better to invest one day job shadowing 23 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: to come to that realization than to have this person 24 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: quit her day job enroll in a floral design program 25 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: only to figure out that being a florist wasn't necessarily 26 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: a good fit for her after all. So what are 27 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: small ways to test your hypothesis that a new career 28 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: is right for you. Job shadowing, informational interviews, and reading 29 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: books can help you figure out what might be a 30 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: good fit without you spending lots of money on training, 31 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: and without you upending the career you already have. It's 32 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: also wise to find small ways to test hypotheses about 33 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: other big changes too. For instance, if you think you 34 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: would like to buy a beach house, talk with friends 35 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: who have beach houses about the time and expense that 36 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: is required for upkeep and any unexpected headaches. Spend several 37 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: weeks at the beach this summer instead of just one, 38 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: to see whether you would really like to spend most 39 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: of your summer at the beach, and to figure out 40 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 1: whether you can work remotely from there. If you think 41 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: you'd like a dog offer to dogs for a friend 42 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: who is going out of town for the weekend. It 43 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: is fun to imagine going for a long walk with 44 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: a dog on a sunny Saturday morning. It's another thing 45 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: to fit dog care into an already full day and 46 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: contend with rainy late night trips outside for the dog 47 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: to do its business. You want to know what you're 48 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: getting into. Or maybe you're fantasizing about getting an MFA 49 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: and poetry. That could be amazing, But it might be 50 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: wise to take a single poetry class before you decide 51 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: to spend all your spare time and money for the 52 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: next few years squeezing coursework into your already busy schedule. 53 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: By finding small ways to test hypotheses, whether about career 54 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: moves or other major changes, you'll be able to get 55 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: good information to inform your big decisions. Making little bets 56 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: before are making big beds raises the chances that you 57 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: actually get a big payoff in the meantime. This is Laura. 58 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 59 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to before breakfast. If you've 60 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 61 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 62 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 63 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 64 00:04:49,000 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.