Things I hated at first but now like and also things you should just try

I wanted to write a “List of things you should try”. But then I realized this is bad advice; some things reveal their value instantly; others need weeks of commitment or iteration before you know if they work for you. So instead, here’s a taxonomy based on how quickly you can actually judge whether something is worth it. Things you should try once; and then you know whether you like them or not. Things that take time to pay dividends and you can’t just quickly try; you have to commit, and maybe it will not work for you even if it works for some people. For all of these items, it’s cheap to try them once or for a short time, and you immediately get a sense of whether you like it or not. Big timer on your desk Wearing a hat Wearing sunglasses Basically any piece of clothing. The fraction of times I throw out a piece of clothing because I stopped liking it after I wore it 2-3 times is close to zero. Coffee No coffee for a week Any book. I often know whether the author is telling things in

I wanted to write a “List of things you should try”. But then I realized this is bad advice; some things reveal their value instantly; others need weeks of commitment or iteration before you know if they work for you. So instead, here’s a taxonomy based on how quickly you can actually judge whether something is worth it. Things you should try once; and then you know whether you like them or not. Things that take time to pay dividends and you can’t just quickly try; you have to commit, and maybe it will not work for you even if it works for some people. For all of these items, it’s cheap to try