Today’s experiment answered a question I apparently needed to scientifically investigate:
Can homemade Starbucks-style cold brew replace the Starbucks Carrot Method for me?
The short answer?
Nope. 😂
Corbin taught me how to make cold brew at home, and I gave it an honest shot. Starbucks coffee, milk, vanilla, sugar… the whole homemade science experiment.
Unfortunately, it tasted nothing like my actual Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, and the milk/creamer didn’t exactly agree with my stomach.
Then I went to Starbucks.
Ohhhhh. THERE’S the coffee.
Apparently, the barista told me Starbucks uses a specific cold-brew blend and grind, and once you add that creamy vanilla sweet cream, the whole thing becomes the beverage I actually enjoy. Homemade coffee was just… coffee. And not particularly good coffee.
But the bigger realization happened on the drive to Jazzercise.
The Starbucks Carrot Method was never about the coffee.
The coffee is the carrot.
For almost a year now, I’ve been using the promise of Starbucks to get myself out the door for my 2.5-mile round-trip walk – or Jazzercise when it is too hot . The reward gives me a reason to go. The walking became the habit. The coffee became part of the ritual.
So replacing Starbucks with homemade coffee doesn’t just replace a $7-ish beverage.
It potentially removes the motivation mechanism that got me moving in the first place.
And that’s something I don’t think everyone around me completely understands. Andrew loves making his tea at home. He has his whole system, and he genuinely prefers it that way. That’s awesome.
I’m just the opposite.
• My homemade coffee experiment tasted like crap. 😂
• The coffee I buy at Starbucks tastes fantastic.
• And going to get it gets me out of the house and moving.
Different brains. Different rewards. Different systems.
And today, Jazzercise #29 was a little different too. I only stayed for 45 minutes instead of the full hour, and I backed off when my right shoulder started bothering me rather than pushing through the strength portion.
Still counts.
Jazzercise Receipts
So today’s experiment resulted in:
☕ Home Brew: Failed the taste test
🥛 Milk/vanilla concoction: Not my thing
☕🥕 Starbucks Carrot: Undefeated💃 Jazzercise #29: 45 minutes
💪 Shoulder: Listened to it
🧠 Lesson: Don’t optimize away the thing that makes the habit work.
Sometimes the cheapest option isn’t the best investment.
Sometimes you just need to go get your damn Starbucks. 😂
Wellness without perfection.
Movement in real life still counts. Always! 💜
Did you enjoy this Jazzercise post? Read more.
Starbucks Carrot Method – North Phoenix Walking Series
Incidental Exercise Receipts Hub