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Today I Learned · by Maya Williams · 2026-09-04

A tiny story about sourdough, Jakarta and timing in Toronto

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 3 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

I started this because my rainy evening felt a little stuck, and history seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept.

197 sparks · 80 comments

Comments

Nusrat Akter · 35 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. I noticed the same thing in Warsaw.

Noah Miller · 21 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? The São Paulo example makes it feel concrete.

Maya Williams · 16 likes

The story angle is what sold me. The winter version is even more interesting. Small progress still counts.

Hugo Martin · 15 likes

This is one of those ideas that looks great online and falls apart on Tuesday. That is where the boring checklist helps.

Chloe Davis · 34 likes

I think both things can be true.

Grace Parker · 12 likes

Great point, especially the part about story. The Buenos Aires example makes it feel concrete. Small progress still counts.

Quiet Fern · 3 likes

@rapid_rider The Tuesday test is undefeated.

Aisha Jacobs · 1 likes

That is a much better way to say it.

Maya Williams · 2 likes

That is the part people skip.

Arif Hasan · 10 likes

Honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. This is more useful on a tired weekend than on a perfect day.

Maya Williams · 17 likes

This is the kind of disagreement I like.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

I think both things can be true.

Paolo Garcia · 10 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. For me it came down to the conversation.

Noura Alotaibi · 5 likes

I would pin this if I could.

Avery Johnson · 10 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.

Rapid Panda · 14 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase.

Ngozi Bello · 2 likes

Helpful correction.

Léa Bernard · 2 likes

Fair pushback.

Amelia Hughes · 10 likes

I am cheering for this update. The social part surprised me too. I needed this reminder today.

Achieng Njeri · 9 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Rachel Tan · 9 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The 7-minute rule is underrated.

Élodie Favre · 8 likes

This depends heavily on budget, time and personality. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability.

Noah Miller · 8 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. I am curious whether history still feels good next month.

Nusrat Akter · 7 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Warsaw? The Mexico City example makes it feel concrete.

Mehdi Benali · 6 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. I noticed the same thing in Dublin. Glad you shared the messy version too.

Rafael Almeida · 5 likes

Honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. The lunch break version is even more interesting.

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

I would pin this if I could.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

I think both things can be true.

Mateo Cruz · 5 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about timing. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan.

Mariana Costa · 5 likes

Big fan of this approach. The social part surprised me too.

Anna Gruber · 5 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Youssef Mahmoud · 29 likes

Noted, and thank you.

Lucas Silva · 4 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. My friend tried it in Istanbul and had the opposite result.

Ren Suzuki · 4 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. The chaotic constraint is probably the real story. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer.

Kabir Khan · 4 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. The a coworking table detail changes the whole answer.

Léa Bernard · 3 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. The Dublin example makes it feel concrete.

Siti Lim · 3 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. This pairs weirdly well with banana bread.

Grace Parker · 69 likes

My wallet felt that.

Luca Bianchi · 3 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 4 months. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

Anecdote beats theory here.

Priya Nair · 3 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating.

Aisha Rahman · 0 likes

My wallet felt that.

Sara Ahmed · 3 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. I am curious whether science still feels good next month.

Tanvir Rahman · 3 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. This is more useful on a tired rainy evening than on a perfect day.

Solar Mango · 3 likes

This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. That is where the boring checklist helps.

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

Mildly negative take: the simple version is sometimes just underexplained. I learned that one the expensive way.

Noé Petit · 3 likes

The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month.

Urban Otter · 2 likes

I do not have a strong take, but the timing detail is useful. This pairs weirdly well with arepas.

Imogen Clarke · 2 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Maya Williams · 2 likes

I am curious what changed your mind.

Avery Johnson · 2 likes

Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. I am curious whether history still feels good next month.

Silver Baker · 2 likes

Big fan of this approach. I learned that one the expensive way.

Beatriz Sousa · 2 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The first week version is even more interesting.

Léa Bernard · 2 likes

That last line is excellent. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing. Glad you shared the messy version too.

Cedar Otter · 2 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. This pairs weirdly well with shakshuka. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan.

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month.

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable.

Bilal Raza · 3 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

Appreciate the nuance.

Piotr Zieliński · 1 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong.

Maya Williams · 2 likes

I am stealing that phrase.

Gentle Lantern · 1 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month.

Cedar Mango · 14 likes

I am curious what changed your mind.

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete.

Minji Kim · 5 likes

I would love a follow-up example.

Isha Menon · 4 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Priya Nair · 1 likes

Adding this to my notes.

Aarav Sharma · 2 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Valeria Flores · 1 likes

Could be regional too.

Tomás Gómez · 1 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. That is the kind of detail beginners miss.

Iryna Melnyk · 1 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The 4-minute rule is underrated.

Lucas Silva · 1 likes

That last line is excellent. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.

Benjamín Rojas · 1 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. I noticed the same thing in Lisbon.

Lucas Silva · 1 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Cairo? The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Sofía Hernández · 1 likes

I wanted to like this, but the toronto argument is weak. This is more useful on a tired rainy evening than on a perfect day.

Silver Fern · 1 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The low-effort version is probably the keeper. I needed this reminder today.

Camila Rocha · 0 likes

I am cheering for this update. The messy constraint is probably the real story.

Sara Ahmed · 0 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count.