Cities · by Luca Bianchi · 2026-09-27

My favorite low-effort upgrade for housing after a tiny failure

> Tiny progress is still progress.

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

> Tiny progress is still progress.

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

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

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 4 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

36 sparks · 13 comments

Comments

Rohan Mehta · 35 likes

I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. A little friction removed goes a long way. History gets easier to understand when you can place it on a street.

Rohan Mehta · 6 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. The my desk detail changes the whole answer.

Urban Sparrow · 3 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about tiny. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing.

Youssef Mahmoud · 4 likes

Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes.

Liam Eriksson · 2 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.

Luca Bianchi · 1 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy.

Liam Eriksson · 0 likes

Good clarification — I read it differently at first.

Camila Rocha · 2 likes

I would push back gently on the favorite part. It sounds small, but the recipe matters.

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? A little friction removed goes a long way.

Ethan Brooks · 2 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Jonas Schneider · 1 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink housing. I learned that one the expensive way.

Grace Parker · 0 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. My friend tried it in Melbourne and had the opposite result.

Valentina Ruiz · 0 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. I learned that one the expensive way.