My Other Head: Hack Attack: Beta test your goals

Lifehacker -

by Adam Pash

Here at Lifehacker, we check out handfuls of brand spanking new software and web applications every day. Reading Lifehacker for a couple of days, you quickly come to notice that an overwhelming majority of these apps claim sanctuary in the beta phase. In fact, some of my favorite web apps (Gmail, Flickr) have remained in beta well over a year after their initial launch.

Of course, there's a good reason for the beta phase - it allows developers time to test their product with plenty of room for mistakes, feedback, and improvements. That's all well and good for software, but for those of you who aren't developers, a good beta period can still be just what the doctor ordered. In fact, my single most useful tool for productivity and success is a well-thought out, well-planned "beta" period for whatever I'm hoping to accomplish.

The beta training period

As many of you probably know by now (and as I'll continue to tell you, I'm sure), I'll be running the Chicago Marathon on October 22 of this year. As you can see, I've got plenty of time to prepare, but that's not stopping me from getting started immediately. With the marathon 34 weeks away, I've got just enough time to set up two training sessions (a 16-week beta session, two weeks rest, and the final 16-week training plan) so that, come Marathon day, I can run with full confidence that I'm completely prepared for what lies ahead.

My beta training session will cover the same workouts (though slightly easier) as my final training plan. Aside from helping me prepare physically for a fairly grueling training schedule, the beta period also takes care of any major concerns I have about whether or not I can handle it. After I finish my beta training, I will know both that I can do the work necessary to train for a marathon and that I will be able to finish those 26.2 miles.

And that's a full 4 months before the actual race!

Use the beta as your buffer

It's foolish to expect that you'll have instant success with anything you try. You can avoid major disappointment and frustration if you plan ahead and consider the early stages of goal-setting and goal-accomplishing as just that - an early testing period that can potentially bring success, but, regardless of the outcome, is nonetheless a great learning and testing ground.

If luck smiles on you and you happen to get everything perfect right off the bat, then congratulations! If you're not so lucky, don't worry - allow yourself to make some mistakes, learn from them, gain better footing, and continue.

Plan when you can - when you can't, improvise

Of course I know it's not practical to plan a "beta" period for everything. For example, when time isn't on your side, it can be just as foolish to try to plan everything out when the only realistic option is to go off-the-cuff. But when you can identify your goals in advance (and there are plenty of times where this is the case), laying the groundwork and immediately starting in, especially when it's important to you, can make all the difference.

To make sure that you're always prepared to take the next step in whatever direction you're steering your life, it's important to recognize and set your goals as far in advance as possible, allowing yourself the opportunity to lay as much groundwork as you can before the time comes that you have to do it for real.

Is there such a thing as too much beta?

While Google is notorious for keeping its products in beta for years and years, there's no question that they've got the goods. As far as your goods go, whether your beta lasts for several weeks or several years (it really depends on the goal), the main concern is whether or not you're getting done what you need to do to be prepared to go live.

In my example, I go live on October 22nd in Chicago, and I'm happy and comfortable with the knowledge that I'll be prepared.

What goals (long- or short-term) have you (or should you) set up plenty of beta time for? How are you making sure you're ready when it's your turn? Let us know in the comments, or send an email to tips at lifehacker.com.

Adam Pash is an associate editor of Lifehacker. His special feature Hack Attack appears every Tuesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hack Attack RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

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