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Books · by Tola Ibrahim · 2026-09-13

The most awkward part of learning libraries after a tiny failure

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

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.

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 10 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it

33 sparks · 9 comments

Comments

Hugo Martin · 6 likes

honestly, great taste. I would test it for 9 days before deciding

Bianca Santos · 4 likes

This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if teh stakes are high. The late summer version is even more interesting

Tola Ibrahim · 1 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Minh Nguyen · 2 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. This pairs weirdly well with banana bread. I respect a strong opinion about pacing

Rohan Mehta · 1 likes

I would not call it wrong, just incomplete. The social part surprised me too

Rizky Pratama · 1 likes

I found this disappointing becuase it skips the hardest part. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Liam Naidoo · 1 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. A little friction removed goes a long way

Isha Menon · 1 likes

adding this to my notes

Mara Fischer · 0 likes

glad you shared it; small wins count. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner