Because it's Good for You

Do you ever do things because they're good for you? Exercise? Eating less junk food? Going to bed instead of reading one more chapter? 
Yeah, okay. Just because it's good for us doesn't mean it's always fun. Though there are things that are good for us that are fun too. Like attending worship services. Or going on dates with our spouse. ;)
Well, I made my son do something that was good for him, though he didn't expect to love it. He rather dreaded it, honestly.

We're talking swim lessons. You see, a few years ago, we had them enrolled in a place where the director was rather hard on the kids. She said they had to do it her way or they'd never learn to swim. And my tenderhearted son can't learn like that. So, he flat out refused to do what she wanted.
And then he refused to take lessons the next year. He had developed a huge mindset against it.
We skipped last year because I couldn't find another location to sign them up for. But this year, we got into a different program.
The night before, I talked to him. He was worried. Afraid he wouldn't be able to do anything they wanted him to. I said, "It's just like school. You go in not knowing everything and you have to listen to the teachers and learn. I don't care if you can swim fast or well. I just want you to be able to be safe if you're in the water."
Well, we got him to try, the instructors were super nice and encouraging, allowing him to go at his speed. And he made it through the whole week, already ready to go back next year. Hurrah! Even if the only thing he learned this year was that swim lessons could be fun and he could at least try, that's a step in the right direction.
He didn't think it would be fun, despite it being good for him, but it was.
When we go in with the mindset of something not being fun, it often ends up living up (or down, rather) to our expectations. I'm so glad he was proven wrong this year. Maybe next year we'll actually get him to put his whole body in the water instead of clinging to the edge or the teacher. Baby steps!
What about you? Do you need to change your mindset about something that's good for you?