Why Affirmations Don’t Work – Part 16

“Proof of Concept” Goals

I stated above that I would be reluctant to set a goal for something I don’t do already – other than a short list of things that I believe everyone should have, be or do. Bearing this in mind, what do you do if you really feel that you want to break out of your usual rhythm, your comfort zone, and try something new?

If you do have a burning desire to try something new or perhaps you are just curious – I suppose it might be worth trying it out as a proof of concept goal (or you could call it a prototype goal). A proof of concept goal would be just that: something extremely basic and simple, which probably won’t make a big different to your life, but at least provides a first step towards something greater.

With a proof of concept goal, you are “testing the water” to see if something will work, you are “trying the door” to see if at least the veritable door handle will turn. If a proof of concept goal works out, great – you can now re-evaluate the situation and consider aiming towards the next logical step. If it does not work out, never mind, at least you tried and hopefully learned from the experience. If such a goal does not work out for you, perhaps you can make some changes and try again; perhaps at that point in time you can see that goal for what it is and decide that it is no longer worth pursuing.

An example of a proof of concept goal could be making money apart from your regular salary. So perhaps you set a goal to make a piffling sum of money, such as fifty English pounds or seventy-five U.S. dollars. You could see about making this money through share dealing, for example. If you could start making progress with share dealing, you could be well on your way to becoming prosperous. But it all has to start somewhere – mighty oaks from acorns grow.

Such sums of money, like fifty English pounds or seventy-five U.S. dollars, are small-fry compared to the thousands, even millions, which some motivational gurus talk about. But at least such a sum is a realistic and attainable starting point. Remember, it is just a proof of concept – you are proving to yourself that you can do that thing, despite how trivial the end-result may be. It could be just an exercise in finding the right information, buying the right books, filling-out certain forms, etc.

I suppose you could say that I used a proof of concept goal when I started jogging about six months ago. I started out by just putting on a pair of shorts, T shirt and training shoes, then running around the block (and walking) for about fifteen minutes. In a relatively short time, I went on my first “proper” run – it was just over one and a half miles. I expanded my route to 2.3 miles. Six months later, my regular route is now 4.3 miles. Granted, my jogging route is not very long and it takes me 50 minutes to complete, which is not great, but at least it’s something and I’m improving all the time.

With a proof of concept goal, you take the stress out of it by veering away from hanging all your hopes and dreams on one particular outcome.