A day in the life : Day 429

This week, I tried following the trend of keeping a short daily “learning slot.” It’s been popular lately — people spending 20–30 minutes a day learning something new, no pressure, no deadlines. My reason was simple: I felt like my days were productive but repetitive. Work was getting done, but mentally, everything felt a bit flat.

The problem came on the third day. I skipped the slot twice because work ran longer than expected, and suddenly it felt like another obligation I was failing at. That annoyed me more than it should have. The whole point was to feel lighter, not add another box to tick.

So I changed the rule. Instead of learning something new every day, I kept it flexible — three times a week, whenever energy allowed. That made a difference. One evening, I spent time reading about a topic I’d bookmarked months ago and never opened. No notes, no pressure. Just curiosity.

The weather’s been warmer during the afternoons, which makes heavy meals feel unnecessary. I’ve been eating lighter lunches again, and that small change seems to help with attention. When the body isn’t sluggish, the mind has more space to wander in a good way.

By the end of the week, nothing dramatic had changed. I didn’t suddenly feel smarter or inspired. But I did feel more engaged. Less on autopilot.

Trends often frame growth as something intense or visible. This one reminded me that growth can be quiet. It doesn’t have to show up as progress right away. Sometimes it just shows up as interest returning.

I’ll keep the learning slot loose, not fixed. If it fits the day, great. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. The goal isn’t consistency for the sake of it — it’s staying mentally awake in a routine that otherwise moves too fast.