After clinging to the old way, I finally see it

I worked from seven last night until after one in the morning to keep a promise to improve my product. My computer, phone, and brain were all out of power. After waking at eight, I went straight back to the desk. With Codex’s help I completed the last task: configuring a script so I could see this blog’s backend statistics in real time.

At lunch, reading on the grass, a thought arrived: I have spent too much time learning without using what I learn. I should learn and practice in order to make things. The balance between study and production has been badly off.

I wrote a WeChat article to work through it:

When growth becomes too quiet

I have a daily “regular-investment checklist” for recording my growth. It once seemed a wonderful idea, but being watched has subtly changed how I use it. The list has gone on so long, and changed so little, that readers have grown used to it. I can keep doing it; it is a habit now. I cannot expect them to keep responding to it forever.

After talking with ChatGPT, I decided to do something new, larger, and more fun. My old list said things like reading, exercise, writing, and studying. Those words were vague enough to hide procrastination. The new list has two parts: fast delivery and slow input. On weekdays I will read and sketch products in spare moments. On weekends I will use longer blocks to make them. I want to deliver at least one product each month.

How much more interesting could the future be if I did that?

Writing it made me feel relieved. I had tried to be honest with myself and transparent with readers. I would rather risk looking foolish in public than lose the chance to learn from trying.