If you’ve read my Get Fit In 1 Minute article you know I hate running.
But what I love is experimenting with things I hate. That’s the key. Experimentation.
While here in Goa, India I’ve learned to love running. “Barefoot” (in Vibram Five Fingers) on the beach.
By this time next year I will have run a marathon. Somewhere warm, of course. ;)
That may be a lofty goal considering I’ve only run more than a few miles once in my life. It was a 5 mile run six years ago in the middle of a Michigan Winter (below freezing!) to get White Castle at 4am. :)
The Experimentation Process
Step 1) Realize that you probably don’t hate what you think you hate. You simply hate the way you’ve been going about that thing.
Step 2) Seek out alternatives. There should be at least a few viable alternatives to whatever it is you hate. Write them down in the order you’d like to test them out.
Step 3) Test the alternatives one by one until you’ve found an iteration you love.
Examples from e-mails and comments I’ve received:
“I want to start a blog, but I hate writing.”
How about a video blog? Or a podcast? Both are viable alternatives.
Even just a Twitter account can make you “famous.” If a book deal isn’t coming or already there for ShitMyDadSays, it’s coming. (If you follow me on Twitter you’ll be famous (or something) too: @KarolGajda)
“I hate fruits/vegetables, but I want to eat healthier.”
It’s impossible to hate every fruit/vegetable, so find fruits/vegetables you’ve never tasted before and taste them. When you find one you like (and you will) eat it regularly, while continuously trying other fruits/veggies.
“I hate exercise, but I want to get fit.”
More than likely you don’t hate exercise, you just hate the exercises you’ve been doing. I used to hate exercise too, so I can relate.
It’s a pain in the ass to find one, but there is some form of exercise that you will love. My favorites are riding my bike and jumping rope. And now I’m learning to love barefoot running along the beach. How is THAT for specific? I could very easily have never even tried running barefoot on the beach because every other time I’ve ever “tried running” I hated it.
It’s OK To Quit An Experiment
It’s important to remember that as you’re going through the Hate -> Love Experimentation Process you might hate some of the things you experiment with. There is nothing wrong with quitting and experimenting with the next thing on the list.
It’s Not OK To Quit Experimenting
Until you’ve flipped that hate into love, of course. ;)
I could list examples from my own life for pages, but I’d like to know situations where you’ve turned something you once hated into something you now love.