Gaga and Green Beans

This morning at the gym I was listening to music as I logged 3650 vertical feet on the versa-climber – and that’s nothing new. What was new was that the music I was listening to was Lady Gaga. The fact that I was listening to Gaga got me to a whole other train of thought. You see, when I first heard Gaga I didn’t like her sound. But as I continued to be exposed to her (she’s a ubiquitous presence in FM radio), I started to groove on the sound. I found the beat uplifting and motivating. I discovered I really liked some of the lyrics. But if I had stopped listening after my first exposure, I would have missed the sheer joy of happily climbing with Gaga singing in my head today. This realization caused me to reflect on the unfamiliar and arrhythmic feel of almost anything completely new to us.

I figure a similar situation may be exposing children to new foods. My friend Lorie once explained to me that it takes multiple exposures to new foods for a baby to “learn” a new taste. Just because our kids turn up the noses (or clamp closed their mouths) to green beans on the first spoonful doesn’t mean they won’t at some point become voracious green-bean eaters, it just means they are learning.

Whether music, food or some new learning you may choose to undertake to affect change or achieve a goal, becoming comfortable in the experience or activity may take time. And knowing that can help you to accept a little discomfort sprung from unfamiliarity at the onset

My advice, stick with your plan – at least long enough to gain some familiarity around your progress steps. If after a time it just doesn’t click, may be it’s time to adjust your plan. I probably wouldn’t enjoy Gaga, dine on kale, have mastered public speaking or run my first footrace had I not persisted beyond the initial experiences with each. . “Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah!”

Snowman Training Notes: So, I already gave away the cardio prep to today’s plan: 40 minutes on the versa-climber preceded my strength training routine. I was a little more balanced in weights today, working arms and legs about evenly. As always, ended with core emphasis. Total training time today: 1:20.

Thought for the day: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~Mahatma Gandhi