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Explain Like I'm Five · by Bilal Raza · 2026-10-09

I changed one thing and suddenly questions made sense in real life

Would love to hear how other people handle this. I am especially curious about the version that works on a tired weekday not just on an ideal Sunday.

A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 2 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it

64 sparks · 37 comments

Comments

Tiago Costa · 8 likes

I had a similar experience, but consistency was my problem, not motivation.

Bilal Raza · 2 likes

The best answer in the thread, honestly

Ananya Rao · 6 likes

This feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good

Bilal Raza · 26 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong

Brave Otter · 1 likes

Thanks that actually helped

Bilal Raza · 4 likes

good clarification — I read it differently at first

Kanya Srisai · 2 likes

noted, and thank you

Chloe Davis · 1 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Bilal Raza · 1 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Maya Williams · 0 likes

noted, and thank you

Amelia Hughes · 6 likes

I’d test it for nine days before deciding.

Noah Miller · 6 likes

The preparation detail makes it feel real.

Curious Mango · 4 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. The weekend version is even more interesting

Chloe Davis · 1 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way

Grace Parker · 4 likes

This made me smile more than expected.

Youssef Mahmoud · 3 likes

what would you change if you started over? I would write it down before changing anything else. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan

Cedar Runner · 3 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. I noticed the same thing in Buenos Aires

Sleepy Rider · 2 likes

I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I would love to see a follow-up after 5 weeks

Pixel Panda · 2 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable.

Mariam Said · 1 likes

Saving this for the next time I overthink the setup. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Ren Suzuki · 1 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely.

Aisha Rahman · 1 likes

Mostly here for the follow-up. A checklist helps, but follow-through matters more than the perfect plan.

Maya Williams · 1 likes

helpful correction

Bilal Raza · 1 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Can Arslan · 0 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating

Cozy Marauder · 1 likes

I agree with the goal, not the method. Curious whether it still feels good next month. Glad you shared the messy version too.

Lotte Jansen · 0 likes

Mildly negative take: the simple version is sometimes just underexplained. The practical part is easy to underestimate

Quiet Fern · 0 likes

Curious whether working on explainers still feels good next month.

Bilal Raza · 2 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Paolo Garcia · 0 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Mango Sparrow · 0 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. I learned that one the expensive way

Brave Panda · 0 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. A little friction removed goes a long way

Urban Sparrow · 0 likes

My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Noah Miller · 0 likes

Saving this for the next time I overthink the setup. I learned that one the expensive way.

Tola Ibrahim · 0 likes

That’s the kind of detail beginners miss.