Orbit · Explore

Music · by Khalid Al Zahrani · 2026-09-19

Notes from a very normal late summer with Music with a practical constraint

> Tiny progress is still progress.

That line sounds cheesy, but it got me through the part where playlists stopped feeling new.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the first draft for a while.

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it

68 sparks · 15 comments

Comments

Emir Kaya · 6 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. The awkward part is easy to underestimate

Silver Noodle · 5 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes teh whole thing feel real. For me it came down to teh routine. That scene lives rent-free in my head

Chiara Romano · 2 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it

Amelia Hughes · 7 likes

yep, the boring details matter

Khalid Al Zahrani · 8 likes

fair pushback

Theo Bennett · 0 likes

That is the part people skip

Valentina Ruiz · 3 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Leila Karimi · 2 likes

helpful correction

Mariam Said · 2 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. I keep a note about playlists for exactly this reason

Maja Wiśniewska · 4 likes

This is the kind of disagreement I like

Liam Eriksson · 2 likes

fair pushback

Khalid Al Zahrani · 0 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Noah Miller · 2 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. I would test it for 3 days before deciding. I respect a strong opinion about pacing

Emir Kaya · 1 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today

Grace Parker · 0 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. This pairs weirdly well with tacos