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Today I Learned · by Cian Kelly · 2026-09-27

A tiny story about sourdough, Istanbul and timing with a practical constraint

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. history got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 3 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.

> Tiny progress is still progress.

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

15 sparks · 5 comments

Comments

Lukas Huber · 17 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing.

Ngozi Bello · 1 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 5 months.

Cian Kelly · 1 likes

Kind of wild how often like is the whole issue.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

Great point, especially the part about istanbul. This is more useful on a tired commute than on a perfect day.

Cozy Fern · 1 likes

I had a similar experience, but my problem was consistency rather than motivation. I keep a note about science for exactly this reason.