Do The Exact Opposite

I’m at the beach this week. Not really working, but I’m thinking a lot. 

Running is a great way to get some thinking done; it's a form of meditation for me. Yesterday, I wanted to do a 5-miler but my wife and family wanted to eat shrimp po-boys. Turns out, the local po-boy hotspot was 5 miles away, so I thought this was perfect. They can eat, I can run back home. 

We arrived at Sear’s Landing, and my wife says she’d like for me to at least join them for a little while at the table before I take off. I had no plans of eating, but after everyone sucked down several sips of beer and other fried deliciousness, I caved. 

I said F it and ordered a beer. While everyone ate their po-boys, I ordered another beer. Then I ate some crab fritters, and then some more. Yeah, I also ate some of my son’s grilled cheese. Not my typical pre-run diet, but this is vacation. 

A breezy 72 degrees and sunny, I skipped out the door feeling pretty buzzed and slightly satiated. To my astonishment, a half-mile in, I felt like a freakin god. When I got to the house, I noticed I ran one of my fastest 5-mile times and enjoyed myself more than I had on most runs in the past. 

I learned something valuable in the process. 

Sometimes, you gotta loosen up, say screw it, and try the exact opposite of what you’re used to. You may find there are more than one or two ways to do something. In fact, doing the opposite of what you’re used to might give you some amazing results. 

Have you tried this recently? Can you think of a way that you might do something completely differently starting now? I’d love to hear about it.