What Eating Dark Chocolate Taught Me

I’ve learned a lot eating dark chocolate. First of all, it’s delicious. Second, it deserves to be eaten every single day. What I really learned though takes a little longer to explain. I did not always love dark chocolate. It actually developed over time out of a very specific situation. Through that, I learned how to better face fears and achieve large goals. One piece at a time.

My Dark Chocolate Story

I never used to eat dark chocolate. In fact, I was so oblivious that I didn’t even know what it was. To me chocolate was chocolate. Some packages said, “Milk” and some “Dark.” I didn’t get it.

This all changed when my doctor had me go on a 3 month elimination diet. I was not allowed to eat any foods I was sensitive to for 3 months. This left me with a barebones diet that was really frustrating, but ultimately really helpful.

One way it was helpful is that it led me to dark chocolate. I wanted to treat myself once a day for all the hard work I was doing to eliminate all these foods so I began looking for a dark chocolate bar I could eat. I finally found one that did not contain soy (a common additive.) It was 72% dark chocolate. It was less sweet than I was used to, but I liked it.

I tried another brand of 70% and really liked it. I started looking online and found a good deal on 85% from the company. Here is where it gets interesting. I tried the 85% for the first time and I absolutely hated it. It tasted like chalk to me. Unfortunately, I’d bought a 12 pack so I was committed to finishing it. Over time, my taste buds adjusted and I began to really appreciate the full flavor of the 85%.

Later I tried 90% dark and really liked it. Now, I’ve even eaten 95% and 100% and found it quite delicious. My new standard daily chocolate is 90%. When I switch back to 85% or lower, I now find it far too sweet. Even 90% is starting to taste too sweet to me.

What Does This Have to Do With Fear and Goal Achievement?

When I started eating chocolate, there was no way I would have been ready to eat 90% dark chocolate. I would have quit right then and there. Going all in right away is a great way to overwhelm the senses and quit altogether.

I believe the same is true for facing fear and pursuing goals. You have to take a piece-by-piece approach. Start with little successes and then watch the momentum grow into bigger and bigger successes. 

I want to be a professional musician and author. Those are big goals with a lot that needs to happen in order for them to happen. I’m also afraid of those professions and what they would mean for my life. When I mentally try to tackle that whole process in one bite, it’s like eating 100% dark chocolate for the first time. It’s not a good experience.

Instead of trying to achieve everything in a day, I’ve had to take a simpler approach to help calm my nerves and fears. I write just about every day. I play guitar every day. I post videos of me singing on YouTube a couple times a week. I write 2 blogs a week. These are all manageable tasks that I can repeat. They also slowly bring me closer to my goals. More than anything though, they give me confidence that I don’t have to be afraid. I can see the progress and improvement over time. In time, the bigger and bigger goals seem less and less daunting and more and more possible. 

One Piece A Day

I eat one piece of dark chocolate per day. I often joke that it is the best part of my day.

What mountainous tasks are you trying to take on right now? Try to find a way to do one thing every day to lessen the fear and get you closer to the goal. Months and years from now, the obstacle could be as easy to accomplish as eating one piece of 90% dark chocolate per day.