What does buying a new MacBook Pro have in common with starting a new diet or exercise program? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

Be open to new adventures in health & fitness... and life!

Did you ever get the urge to go paleo? Or try a new workout program? Sign up for a 5k? Being open to new health & fitness adventures is a lot like computer shopping.

I was totally over my laptop. It's not quite a dinosaur, but it definitely needed an upgrade. It was big, loud and hot. And not hot in a good way, like Jon Bon Jovi. It didn't have enough storage and it was as slow as my current 5k time. And did I mention it was heavy? After taking my laptop on a few trips this summer I decided it was time to break up.

I was ready for a new computer!

Do your research.

I decided to be very mature - this was a big decision after all - so I wrote a list of the qualities I was looking for in a laptop.

Jacqui’s Perfect Computer Wish List:

Lightweight and easily portable
Good quality camera
HD screen
1 TB storage
Speedy AF
Must look cute

Then I went to my favorite research site of all - Amazon - and started exploring.

After comparing tech stats and reading tons of reviews , I decided a Macbook Pro with Retina Display was my dream computer! Not only did it meet all my needs, but it had a cool factor that my aging Toshiba definitely did not. I knew there are differences between Macs and PC's, but heck, I have an iPhone and an iPad so for sure I would be up and running STAT.

It's fun to research your fitness options, and maybe you even ended up on this blog doing research. Just like with computer shopping, first make a list of what you are looking for in a diet or exercise plan. For example.... 30 minute workouts, no complex choreography, something you can do at home.

Take the plunge and get use your excitement to get started!

So you did your research and decided to sign up for a 5k - great! Register for a race, find a training plan and get started. Use your excitement to get moving. Literally.

I was ready to be a MacBook owner. I hit the ORDER button and was so excited!!!

It took four days for my spiffy new MacBook to arrive and I was almost panting with excitement to open the box. Apple packages their products beautifully; it was like unwrapping a Christmas present. The sleek silver MacBook was gorgeous!

Is this fun? Does it fit your personality and lifestyle? Does it frustrate the crap out of you??

Then I tried to open it.

Failure #1. How the heck does this thing open?

Failure #2. How do I attach the power cord?

Within the first five minutes I was frustrated. Surely I wouldn't have to google how to turn it on, lol. I finally figured that out, awkwardly plugged it in, and presto - an amazing computer!

Um, no.

It booted up instantly (yay for speed!) and there was no annoying fan - or heat. So far so good. Then I clicked the Safari icon to start surfing the web.

I typed in "Facebook" because if all else fails, go to FB. Actually, I probably typed in "gxvrenool" because my fingers felt fat and clunky on the sleek little keyboard.

Failure #3. I can't type on this thing.

I will spare you all the gory details, but I couldn't figure ANYTHING out. Scrolling was backwards, I couldn't open multiple tabs. And how the heck do I get to my Gmail account?

Most alarming of all, I could not cut-and-paste. Control-C and Control-V are my life. This was a huge fail.

I was sooooo disappointed. I was sure the MacBook would be my perfect computer, but in less than 24 hours I wanted to chuck it out the window. This wasn’t an impulse decision…I did my research. What's the deal?

So I did what any sane mom would do... ask her teen for help.

My son was not sympathetic. "Did you know how to work a PC when you tried it the first time?" he asked calmly. Grrrrrr. "Would you eat a vegetable on occasion?" I wanted to snap back, but didn't. Sigh.

He was right. I hadn't given it enough time. I'll commit "some time" to learning the Mac.

There is a learning curve for fitness too.

The same "give it time" principle applies to a new diet or workout program. We can't expect to pick up choreography after one aerobics class, or master the complicated machines at the gym. Using a portion control nutrition system? You probably won't remember proteins are red and carbs are yellow containers after just one day. Fitness and nutrition takes familiarity and practice.

After time, evaluate your decision. Does your program or diet meet your needs?

A few days later there were some things I loved about the Macbook. It was lightning fast - when I understood what I was doing. It was SILENT and didn't burn my hand like the ol’ laptop. Some frustrations had eased... I figured out how to make it scroll like my PC.

But there were other issues, like the cute little compact size.

It was too small.

I had to zoom in on the screen just to read it. I spend most of my day on my computer and I was squinting at the gorgeous retina display screen. No bueno.

Small and compact is perfect for travel, but I hardly ever travel. I don't even bring my laptop to Starbucks like the cool kids. It sits on my desk 90% of the time.

Lightbulb moment: what I THOUGHT I wanted from the computer was not what I truly NEEDED.

I needed to be able to actually see the pictures I was editing or the blog posts I was writing.
I needed to not scream in frustration when searching for a photo on my external hard drive.
I needed to find my Gmail!

I had given the Macbook a fair shot but apparently I am a PC girl.

It's ok to cut your losses when your fitness program is not a perfect fit.

This is true in fitness! Maybe the pole dancing class you signed up for sounded super fun! Burn calories while gyrating around a pole - go team! The first class may be awkward and embarrassing, but that's just because it's new. Give it some time.

After a week you might decide that working out in booty shorts and 4-inch heels just isn't for you. Maybe pole dancing is not the best option for a middle aged mom with bad knees and no stripper skills. That's totally cool. It’s okay to stop and try something else.

And maybe the things that were appealing about pole class... It's fun! It's sexy! Sultry music! ... might not be the things you really need from a fitness program. Definitely not the 4-inch heels and certainly not the booty shorts. Maybe you're more geared to running or bootcamp classes.

It's ok to admit defeat.

Turn "failure" into a learning experience.

The #MacBookFailure really opened my eyes to what my true computer needs were. I wanted a LARGER screen, not smaller. I wanted a real, full-size keyboard. I still wanted my machine to be fast, quiet and cool. So what do I decide to do?

Buy an all-in-one desktop computer.

I know, totally not a laptop. The new computer will not solve my travel dilemma. I'll suck it up and bring the old Toshiba for my trips. But every day, when I sit down to work, I'll be happier and more efficient because, through experimentation and failure, I found an even better solution.

Same goes for our fitness journey.

Let's have a spirit of adventure and try new things!

Start a Whole30, or take a Zumba class. Give it the good ol’ college try. If it is a great fit, then yay! If not, what can you learn from the experience? Do you need a less restrictive diet plan ? Do you hate dance and prefer walking for exercise? Whatever.

Experimenting, like my MacBook purchase, is necessary and fun. And failure or a bad match is simply a learning experience that can possibly lead you to the best solution of all. So don't be afraid to try new something new to make your fitness journey exciting.

So now I'm off to play on my new Dell Inspiron with the really big screen!

PS: Have you ever had a fitness fail? You know, a program you thought would be amazing but turned out not to be a good fit for you? Tell me about it in the comments! I'd love to hear your story.

How Buying A MacBook Is Like Starting A New Diet