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Today I Learned · by Maya Williams · 2026-09-04

A tiny story about sourdough, Jakarta and timing in Toronto

My current rule is simple: if it takes less then 3 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

I started this because my rainy evening 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

197 sparks · 79 comments

Comments

Nusrat Akter · 35 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. I noticed the same thing in Warsaw

Noah Miller · 21 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? The São Paulo example makes it feel concrete

Maya Williams · 16 likes

The story angle is what sold me. The winter version is even more interesting. Small progress still counts

Hugo Martin · 15 likes

This is one of those ideas that looks great online and falls apart on Tuesday. That is where the boring checklist helps

Chloe Davis · 34 likes

I think both things can be true

Grace Parker · 12 likes

Great point, especially the part about story. The Buenos Aires example makes it feel concrete. Small progress still counts

Quiet Fern · 3 likes

@rapid_rider The Tuesday test is undefeated

Aisha Jacobs · 1 likes

That is a much better way to say it

Maya Williams · 2 likes

That is the part people skip

Arif Hasan · 10 likes

honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. This is more useful on a tired weekend than on a perfect day

Maya Williams · 17 likes

This is the kind of disagreement I like

Maya Williams · 1 likes

I think both things can be true

Paolo Garcia · 10 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. For me it came down to the conversation

Noura Alotaibi · 5 likes

I would pin this if I could

Avery Johnson · 10 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. This would of saved me a lot of trial and error

Rapid Panda · 14 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase

Ngozi Bello · 2 likes

helpful correction

Léa Bernard · 2 likes

fair pushback

Amelia Hughes · 10 likes

I am cheering for this update. The social part surprised me too. I needed this reminder today

Achieng Njeri · 9 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Rachel Tan · 9 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The 7-minute rule is underrated

Élodie Favre · 8 likes

This depends heavily on budget, time and personality. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability

Noah Miller · 8 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. I am curious whether history still feels good next month

Nusrat Akter · 7 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Warsaw? The Mexico City example makes it feel concrete

Mehdi Benali · 6 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. I noticed the same thing in Dublin. Glad you shared the messy version too

Rafael Almeida · 5 likes

Honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. The lunch break version is even more interesting

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

I would pin this if I could

Maya Williams · 1 likes

I think both things can be true

Mateo Cruz · 5 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about timing. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan

Mariana Costa · 5 likes

big fan of this approach. The social part surprised me too

Anna Gruber · 5 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Youssef Mahmoud · 29 likes

noted, and thank you

Lucas Silva · 4 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. My friend tried it in Istanbul and had the opposite result

Ren Suzuki · 4 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. The chaotic constraint is probably the real story. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer

Kabir Khan · 4 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. The a coworking table detail changes the whole answer

Léa Bernard · 3 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. The Dublin example makes it feel concrete

Siti Lim · 3 likes

love the tiny experiment energy. This pairs weirdly well with banana bread

Grace Parker · 69 likes

my wallet felt that

Luca Bianchi · 3 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 4 months. Honestly, teh simplest version wins for me

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Priya Nair · 3 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating

Aisha Rahman · 0 likes

my wallet felt that

Sara Ahmed · 3 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. I am curious whether science still feels good next month

Tanvir Rahman · 3 likes

beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. This is more useful on a tired rainy evening than on a perfect day

Solar Mango · 3 likes

This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. That is where the boring checklist helps

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

Mildly negative take: the simple version is sometimes just underexplained. I learned that one the expensive way

Noé Petit · 3 likes

The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month

Urban Otter · 2 likes

I do not have a strong take, but the timing detail is useful. This pairs weirdly well with arepas

Imogen Clarke · 2 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Maya Williams · 2 likes

I am curious what changed your mind

Avery Johnson · 2 likes

fair point but I had the opposite experience. I am curious whether history still feels good next month

Silver Baker · 2 likes

Big fan of this approach. I learned that one the expensive way

Beatriz Sousa · 2 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The first week version is even more interesting

Léa Bernard · 2 likes

that last line is excellent. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

Beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing. Glad you shared the messy version too

Cedar Otter · 2 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. This pairs weirdly well with shakshuka. The follow-through matters more then teh perfect plan

Kabir Khan · 1 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable

Bilal Raza · 3 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

Appreciate the nuance

Piotr Zieliński · 1 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong

Maya Williams · 2 likes

I am stealing that phrase

Gentle Lantern · 1 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. I am curious whether facts still feels good next month

Cedar Mango · 14 likes

I am curious what changed your mind

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. The Mumbai example makes it feel concrete

Minji Kim · 5 likes

I would love a follow-up example

Isha Menon · 4 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Priya Nair · 1 likes

adding this to my notes

Aarav Sharma · 2 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Valeria Flores · 1 likes

could be regional too

Tomás Gómez · 1 likes

maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Iryna Melnyk · 1 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The 4-minute rule is underrated

Lucas Silva · 1 likes

That last line is excellent. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Benjamín Rojas · 1 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. I noticed the same thing in Lisbon

Lucas Silva · 1 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Cairo? The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Sofía Hernández · 1 likes

I wanted to like this, but the toronto argument is weak. This is more useful on a tired rainy evening than on a perfect day

Silver Fern · 1 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The low-effort version is probably the keeper. I needed this reminder today

Camila Rocha · 0 likes

I am cheering for this update. The messy constraint is probly the real story

Sara Ahmed · 0 likes

glad you shared it; small wins count