Funny · by Zeynep Demir · 2026-09-22

What jokes looks like when you stop optimizing everything in real life

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 7 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.

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 route for a while.

113 sparks · 17 comments

Comments

Valeria Flores · 50 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. For me it came down to the route.

Piotr Zieliński · 2 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Anna Gruber · 2 likes

@coderPixel67 Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Grace Parker · 1 likes

Honestly, great taste.

Zeynep Demir · 7 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Sofía Hernández · 1 likes

@us_mango58 Now I want a spreadsheet.

Grace Parker · 2 likes

Thanks, that actually helped.

Thandi Mokoena · 1 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Omar Hassan · 1 likes

This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. I would test it for 6 days before deciding.

Liam Eriksson · 1 likes

I disagree a bit. optimizing matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. I keep a note about stories for exactly this reason.

Rachel Tan · 1 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about stop. I am curious whether stories still feels good next month.

Youssef Mahmoud · 30 likes

Beautifully concise.

Mia Bauer · 1 likes

There is probably a middle ground here. The the kitchen detail changes the whole answer.

Isha Menon · 1 likes

Great point, especially the part about real. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner.

Siti Lim · 0 likes

This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. This pairs weirdly well with mango sticky rice.

Chinedu Adeyemi · 0 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. I would write it down before changing anything else.