Twelve Exposures to Broccoli
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
Researchers say kids need 10-12 exposures before they develop a taste for something new - which is exactly how you should think about your own growth areas too.
Ada Chen Rekhi calls it 'eating your vegetables' - and she's not being metaphorical.
'Little kids don't really develop an appreciation for vegetables until they're 10 or 12 exposures in. So the researchers say, expose kids to vegetables 10 or 12 times, even if they don't like it, because that's what it takes to get someone to like something.'
The same applies to you. Networking feels awkward? You're not bad at it - you just haven't hit your 10 exposures. Public speaking makes you sweat? That's exposure number one.
Ada forced herself to attend networking events weekly, handing out exactly 10 business cards before she could leave. 'I did that a couple of weeks in a row, and it was horrible. It was really awful, but it got a lot better.'
So when your toddler rejects broccoli for the ninth time, remember: they're on track. One more rejection and you're in the sweet spot.
(And the same goes for that thing you've been avoiding. You're probably on exposure three.)
PM Theme: Growth mindset and iteration
Parenting Theme: Persistence through rejection
“Little kids don't really develop an appreciation for vegetables until they're 10 or 12 exposures in. So the researchers say, expose kids to vegetables 10 or 12 times, even if they don't like it, because that's what it takes to get someone to like something.”Ada Chen Rekhi · 01:00:30
“I did that a couple of weeks in a row, and it was horrible. It was really awful, but it got a lot better.”Ada Chen Rekhi · 01:02:15
