It Started With Just One Thing
Last month, I closed my laptop at 11 PM.
Then I opened it again at 11:15. Just to check one thing. Then ...
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I don't know. I've developed some kind of mechanism for opening websites and checking notifications. Even if I don't have any notifications all day, I still open the browser and type in the address. I don't know. Maybe my brain reboots. It's... weird? 🥴
You just named something I've been doing for years without realizing it.
That automatic open browser, type address, check nothing I do it too. It's not even about notifications anymore. It's just. what my hands do. Muscle memory disguised as urgency.
Maybe my brain reboots that's actually a beautiful way to frame it. A tiny reset. But also a reminder that we've trained ourselves to need these resets constantly.
Thanks for sharing this. Makes me feel less weird about it. 🙌
Does it ever feel different on days when you're actually rested?
Honest stuff, well written, I think a lot of people can relate, including my former self!
Thanks Leo, that means a lot coming from someone who's been on the other side of it.
The fact that you said 'former self' gives me hope means it's possible to get out of this cycle. If you ever feel like sharing what actually helped you break out of always-on mode, I'd love to hear it. Always looking to learn from people who've walked the path before.
I think this "fanatic" phase is a phase you need to go through before you can appreciate there's more in life - and that "fanatic" phase does have value, I think - just not to maintain it forever!
Wise words, Leo. 🙌
The fanatic phase is like kindling necessary to start the fire, but if you keep adding kindling forever, you never get to the actual logs that burn slow and steady.
That phase has value. But knowing when to move from kindling to logs? That's the real skill. Thanks for adding this perspective genuinely helpful for anyone reading this thread.
Yeah indeed ... very nice metaphor!
Thanks Leo! ❣️
Means a lot coming from someone who's actually been through both phases. This conversation made the article better. Hope to see you around on more threads!
This is honestly why I went all in on automation. I have agents monitoring my sites, my SEO, my pipelines. They ping me when something breaks. I don't ping them. Humans shouldn't be the cron job.
Humans shouldn't be the cron job I need that on a mug.
You're absolutely right. The ideal state is agents monitoring, humans getting pinged only when something breaks. That's not automation for efficiency that's automation for sanity.
But here's my honest struggle: I've built the automations. I still don't trust them. I check manually anyway. Out of habit. Out of anxiety. I don't know.
How did you cross that bridge? What made you actually stop checking?
Genuinely asking. 🙌
Honestly? I didn't decide to stop checking. I just started noticing that every time I checked manually, the agent had already caught it. After a few weeks of that, the habit faded on its own. Trust isn't a decision, it's evidence piling up until your anxiety runs out of arguments.
This is genuinely one of the most insightful things I've read in a while.
Trust isn't a decision, it's evidence piling up until your anxiety runs out of arguments.
I'm going to remember that line. Because you're right we think trust is something we choose to do. But real trust? It's not a leap of faith. It's looking at the data and realizing there's nothing left to be afraid of.
What you described checking manually and realizing the agent already got it, over and over that's not blind trust. That's informed trust. And it's the only kind that actually lasts.
I think I've been approaching it backwards. Trying to decide to trust instead of just letting the evidence accumulate. You've given me a lot to think about.
Thank you for this. Seriously. 🙌
Love this! And honestly, that's the kind of practical advice people need to hear. What was the hardest part of making that switch? For me, the guilt of 'not learning enough' took months to shake off. Would love to hear more about your journey with this — maybe even a guest post? 😄