Summary

The author discovered a profound life hack from the 90s French diet book "Chic and Slim," which suggests identifying and ceasing the activity one hates most to improve one's quality of life.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's journey through a personal "French Phase," where they found solace and inspiration in French diet books during a difficult period. Among these books, "Chic and Slim" by Anne Barone stood out, offering a list of recommendations for adopting a French lifestyle, including the transformative advice to identify and stop doing the one thing you hate most. The author emphasizes the counterintuitive nature of this advice in a society that often glorifies suffering and perseverance, suggesting that eliminating a deeply disliked activity can lead to significant life improvements.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep appreciation for the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" and its author's writing style.
The collection of French diet books, including "Chic and Slim," played a crucial role in the author's recovery from a challenging life situation.
The author criticizes the societal expectation of enduring tasks one hates as a measure of character, tracing this belief back to Puritan influences.
The revelation from Anne Barone's book is described as the most brilliant life suggestion the author has encountered amidst a vast collection of personal development literature.
The article conveys a sense of urgency and excitement about implementing the advice to stop doing the most hated activity, with the expectation of markedly enhancing life quality.

One Mind-Blowing Life Hack I Learned From A 90s Diet Book

Sometimes, the obvious hides from you

My loves! About two years ago, I went through a French Phase (the capitalization is very important).

I tell you why.

In Which French Diet Books Are Lifesaving

Two years ago I was in an exceptionally bad place, life-wise. “I might die today” was a Tuesday. And the smallest, ittiest, bittiest part of what was going on was that I had gained weight and was not about it. So when I came upon a copy of French Women Don’t Get Fat at a used book store, I picked it up.

Confession: I love this book. I adore the author’s writing style. I love her stories. Her recommendations made sense (though at this point I read it for the writing, not the diet suggestions). But dude, I latched on to the American conception of the whole French Woman *gestures expansively* thing.

I found every single similar book on Amazon over the next year or so, and I ordered them all. There are stacks of them in my Kindle library and my house, and I went hard on all of it. It was actually instrumental in helping me dig my way out of the toad hole I was in, but I shall discuss that later.

Right now, the important thing is that among the myriad French Diet books I ordered was a slim volume entitled Chic and Slim. It’s by a lady named Anne Barone, who spent her early life overweight in the Bible Belt, and then went to France, learned how French women stay slim, and wrote about what she learned.

The Best Life Hack I’ve Ever Found

I was rereading it last night because I’m enjoying a re-reading of my French Lady books (though not taking them as gospel anymore), and at the end of the book she sums up her recommendations for living and eating Frenchly (it’s a word because I say so). She calls them the Anne Barone 100.

And when I hit number 8 on the list, my jaw hit the floor.

“#8 — Identify the thing you hate most and stop doing it.”

*brain screeches to a halt*

WHAT.

Making Your Life Infinitely Better In One Step

Oh. My. Loving. God. Dude.

What the actual fuck.

That is, hands down, the most brilliant life suggestion I’ve ever read, and I have stacks of personal development books knee-high. Reading it blew my effing mind.

It’s so simple. It’s so obvious. And it’s so effing counterintuitive for the society we live in that it took a French Diet book from the 90s to smack me in the face with it.

We have a tendency to grit our teeth and white-knuckle through the things we hate. We think it’s a sign of character (she also has a lot to say on this topic. She blames the Puritans). So the simple act of sitting down, identifying the thing we hate most, and deciding to not do it is not just shocking, it’s practically sacrilegious.

Aren’t we supposed to suffer? Isn’t that was makes us good people? Apparently, the answer is a RESOUNDING NO.

So the recommendation for today — sit the fuck down. Identify the thing you hate most. And brainstorm the living shit out of ways to not do it.

I spent last night being super mind-blown, so I actually haven’t done this yet. It’s on my list for today. But whatever it is, you can bet your fabulous ass that not doing it is going to improve the living hell out of my quality of life.

Go to it, my friends. Stop doing the thing. Your life will thank you.