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Today I Learned · by Budi Santoso · 2026-09-08

Library of Alexandria made me rethink a small assumption from a trailhead

en.wikipedia.org

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 6 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actualy follow through.

Would love to hear how other people handle this. I am especially curious about the version that works on a tired weekday, not just on an ideal Sunday.

I started this because my quiet Sunday 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.

Context: I am not an expert, just someone trying to make Today I Learned feel less intimidating. I wrote down what worked, what felt awkward, and what I would do differently next time

506 sparks · 106 comments

Comments

Cian Kelly · 151 likes

Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. I would love to see a follow-up after 4 weeks

Noah Campbell · 118 likes

The assumption angle is what sold me. The cozy part is easy to underestimate

Liam Wilson · 76 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. That is where the boring checklist helps

Gentle Noodle · 60 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about alexandria. That is where the boring checklist helps

Cozy Fern · 49 likes

the kindness in this post is lovely. This is more useful on a tired busy month than on a perfect day

Isha Menon · 42 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. The Cape Town example makes it feel concrete

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Avery Johnson · 42 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if teh intention is good. The surprising part is easy to underestimate

Angel Reyes · 42 likes

love the tiny experiment energy. For me it came down to the conversation

Isha Menon · 13 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Maya Putri · 40 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. It sounds small, but the conversation matters

Budi Santoso · 8 likes

I would pin this if I could

Avery Johnson · 34 likes

great point, especially teh part about made. A little friction removed goes a long way. People underestimate how much sleep changes teh answer

Budi Santoso · 2 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Iryna Melnyk · 26 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it

Silver Baker · 24 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether rethink stayed easy. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Brave Lantern · 20 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Antonia Silva · 6 likes

Beautifully concise

Chloe Davis · 4 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

Arif Hasan · 23 likes

I am cheering for this update. My friend tried it in Cape Town and had the opposite result

Urban Orbit · 22 likes

This depends heavily on budget, time and personality. This pairs weirdly well with jollof rice. Glad you shared the messy version too

Curious Orbit · 16 likes

@it_sparrow Thanks for making it less intimidating

Danylo Kovalenko · 21 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. The Cape Town example makes it feel concrete

Bianca Santos · 20 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. I am curious whether history still feels good next month

Solar River · 20 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink trailhead. My only addition is to make the first step visible. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages

Valeria López · 18 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. The gentle constraint is probably the real story

Faisal Al Saud · 2 likes

@mx_orbit The best answer in the thread, honestly

Mia Anderson · 16 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probly matters a lot. The Melbourne example makes it feel concrete

Iryna Melnyk · 15 likes

I found this disappointing because it skips the hardest part. I would write it down before changing anything else

Ananya Rao · 11 likes

Kind of wild how often write is the whole issue

Chinedu Adeyemi · 7 likes

Thanks that actually helped

Jan Nowak · 29 likes

Beautifully concise

Maya Putri · 18 likes

that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Pixel Orbit · 7 likes

This. Exactly this

Aina Rahman · 2 likes

helpful correction

Budi Santoso · 1 likes

This. Exactly this

Mateo Cruz · 6 likes

I like this more then the top-level advice

Iryna Melnyk · 6 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Iryna Melnyk · 4 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Budi Santoso · 2 likes

yep, the boring details matter

Rohan Mehta · 6 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Noah Campbell · 2 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Budi Santoso · 2 likes

@chinedu-55 Good clarification — I read it differently at first

Rizky Pratama · 1 likes

I am stealing that phrase

Lotte Jansen · 6 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners

Aisha Rahman · 14 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. This is more useful on a tired late summer than on a perfect day

Angel Reyes · 11 likes

This made me smile more then expected. The 9-minute rule is underrated

Ren Suzuki · 10 likes

The conclusion is too broad, but the example is interesting

Camille Dubois · 10 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Lucía García · 10 likes

There is probably a middle ground here

Rizky Pratama · 1 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller

Siti Lestari · 7 likes

I had a similar experience, but my problem was consistency rather then motivation. That is where the boring checklist helps

Midnight Runner · 5 likes

I am stealing that phrase

Lena Müller · 6 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. A little friction removed goes a long way

Rafael Almeida · 5 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. It sounds small, but the routine matters

Noé Petit · 5 likes

This feels like advice from a patient friend. My friend tried it in Warsaw and had the opposite result

Budi Santoso · 6 likes

@solar_mango12 Can you expand on that a bit?

Kabir Khan · 2 likes

That made the concept click

Sofía Hernández · 5 likes

that would annoy me more then it helped. The social part surprised me too

Rafael Almeida · 5 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. I used to overcomplicate this constantly. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages

Mia Bauer · 7 likes

That is the part people skip

Silver Mango · 3 likes

The best answer in the thread, honestly

Tola Ibrahim · 5 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? This is more useful on a tired busy month than on a perfect day

Bianca Santos · 5 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability

Noah Miller · 4 likes

There is probably a middle ground here. The low-effort version is probably the keeper. I needed this reminder today

Jack Taylor · 6 likes

@us_marauder99 Adding this to my notes

Noah Miller · 3 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Hugo Sánchez · 3 likes

That is the part people skip

Budi Santoso · 1 likes

@jack-28 This is the gentle version of my rant

Paper Orbit · 0 likes

I would love a follow-up example

Ananya Rao · 3 likes

yep, the boring details matter

Irene López · 4 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. The gentle part is easy to underestimate

Aisha Rahman · 4 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Diego Quispe · 4 likes

wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. I would test it for 10 days before deciding

Noura Alotaibi · 3 likes

good clarification — I read it differently at first

Lena Müller · 4 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. I would write it down before changing anything else

Piotr Zieliński · 4 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. It sounds small, but the tiny repair matters. Glad you shared the messy version too

Mateo Cruz · 4 likes

you explained the tradeoff really clearly. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Omar Hassan · 4 likes

Honestly, great taste

Liam Naidoo · 4 likes

I wanted to like this, but the made argument is weak. I would test it for 4 days before deciding. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer

Siti Lestari · 4 likes

Honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. My only addition is to make teh first step visible

Gentle Otter · 3 likes

This reminds me of something a friend in Lagos mentioned

Noah Miller · 3 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. The social part surprised me too. Glad you shared the messy version too

Felix Weber · 9 likes

Appreciate the nuance

Martina Fernández · 3 likes

amazing how much difference one small change can make. The useful constraint is probably the real story

Paolo Garcia · 3 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Pixel Atlas · 3 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. The social part surprised me too

Rohan Mehta · 4 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Tomás Gómez · 3 likes

I am cheering for this update. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner

Siti Lim · 2 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. I would love to see a follow-up after 6 weeks

Rapid Panda · 1 likes

That is a good boundary

Urban Atlas · 2 likes

This reminds me of something a friend in Toronto mentioned. This would of saved me a lot of trial and error. Small progress still counts

Jack Taylor · 2 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability

Noor Janssens · 0 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Jack Taylor · 2 likes

That is a much better way to say it

Minh Nguyen · 2 likes

maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. The social part surprised me too

Grace Parker · 2 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether made stayed easy. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Thandi Mokoena · 2 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. My friend tried it in Istanbul and had the opposite result. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan

Silver Orbit · 1 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Bianca Santos · 7 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase