When was the Last Time you went on a Date?

I recently finished Season 10 of Love is Blind.

Is it the most educationally enriching watch? No. But I have to admit that I enjoy watching the experiment unfold.

If you're unfamiliar with the show, here is the premise: a group of single people who reside in the same State (this season, Ohio), usually in their mid-twenties to late thirties, determine whether love is blind.

How? Participants spend 10 days going on 'pod dates,' where they talk with potential partners without ever seeing or touching them. The experience is built entirely around conversation. Couples who develop strong emotional connections during their dates must then decide whether they are ready to get engaged. Only after an engagement are they finally allowed to meet in person for the first time.

After the proposal, the engaged couples go on a vacation together, move in together, and plan their wedding. If they make it to the altar (spoiler alert: some do not), that is the moment they decide whether to say “I do” or “I don’t.”

Did I sell you on binge-watching Season 10 this weekend?

If so, that definitely wasn’t my intention. But if you do watch, we can debrief over a drink about what ______ had to say about ______ not doing Pilates every day.

Anyway, as I was watching the show, I couldn’t help but think… this is basically the design thinking concept of prototyping (so, I guess it is educational).

Let me explain.

Prototyping is defined by Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans as low-cost, low-stakes life experimentation. In their book Designing Your Life, they share the example of a woman who dreamed of leaving tech sales to open a café. When she finally tried it, she realized she loved designing the space and creating the menu, but disliked the realities of running the business. In other words, she enjoyed designing the café, not owning it.

Think about the time, energy, and money that might have been saved if she had dated the idea first by working at a café or experimenting with a small catering business. How often do we act on instinct instead of taking the time to date the idea first?

That brings me back to Love Is Blind, just one more time.

As the 30+ singles date each other without ever seeing or touching one another, they’re essentially conducting a series of informational interviews, prototyping practice. With fewer distractions, they ask thoughtful questions to figure out, from an emotional perspective, will this actually work?

We can do the same when making professional decisions, like pivoting careers or exploring a brand-new path. What if we prototype the experience first? What if we expose ourselves to what that potential future might look like, ask questions, gather insights, and then decide: Do I want to go on a second date with this idea?

And eventually… will I say “I do” or “I don’t” at the altar?

Is the analogy a little silly? Maybe.

But speaking from experience, the practice isn’t.

So now I’ll ask you: What life change are you thinking about making?

Have you gone on a date with that idea yet?

If not, consider this your sign to make a reservation.

---

Find one thing that brings you joy today.