Learn From My Mistakes

Short story of how I break life chaos into small, solvable problems - 3 min read.

Jakub (the handsome one from the intro letter, remember? That’s me. The other one is Jakub) bought a bike on sale. A great deal, until he realized it came with clip-in pedals. Which triggered the great internal debate: should he buy cycling shoes… or swap out the pedals? 

It's funny how quickly a "great deal" turns into a logistical dilemma.

And it's everywhere.

Car purchases? A financial black hole. The moment you drive off the lot, you’re hit with the cascading joy of subscriptions: insurance, property tax, routine maintenance, and annual inspections. And it's not just the money - it devours your time, too.

Most folks only consider the cost of gasoline at the moment of purchase. But that's just the teaser.

And then there’s an American dream in action - public storage units on every corner. 

People buy more stuff - then rent storage to keep that stuff. Prime example? That scene in The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon reveals to his fiancée that he’s kept every single thing he’s ever owned. In a twisted way, now the things own him. (Nice callback to the newsletter #34.)

I started to realize that every gadget I buy tends to add up in a few sneaky ways:

• More electricity use (my extra freezer in the garage, featured in this edition, proudly identifies as a gadget)
  

• More strain on my Wi-Fi (which, surprise, does have limits).

Two years ago, my video calls turned into freeze-frame interpretive dance. So I dropped a few hundred dollars upgrading my mesh network - just to keep up with a "smart" ecosystem that now includes more than 40 connected devices (according to my slightly overwhelmed router).

We rarely factor in these downstream effects - what’s called Second-Order Thinking (a fancy term for thinking beyond the obvious consequence when future-you whispering: "You sure about this?")

I've fallen into that trap way too many times.

Take my fling with photography.

I once bought a professional Nikon DSLR. Why? Because I wanted to capture wow-quality photos - the kind that scream, “National Geographic just called.”

The camera was awesome!

Then I “needed” other lenses, filters, SD cards, a tripod, and a weatherproof backpack.

Then came flashlights, reflectors, and stuff I don't even remember buying.

But wait, there’s more!

Nobody tells you that raw DSLR images look flat and depressing. So I enrolled in photo editing classes, learned the secrets of Adobe Photoshop (not sponsored, because they don't know I exist - and that's probably for the best).

Taking photos? Fun.

Editing them? Agonizing.

It would take hours. I’d sit glued to the screen while my wife paced like a shark circling a wounded seal. Her impatience has no limits (Which is why we now unbox Christmas gifts immediately after buying them on Black Friday. No kidding… anymore.)

Eventually, I gave up, sold the gear, and upgraded to an iPhone 12, later an iPhone 15.

Now I take blurry pictures faster and with 90% less emotional damage.

Another example? 

Speaking of purchases that keep on giving - meet our Yorkie. Five pounds of commitment disguised as a dog.

And if you've heard that small dogs are stressful - ours, according to my wife, is not a dog. She’s a family member. A compact, barking ball of compounding stress.

Consequences? 

A few months ago, my family visited Niagara Falls. I did not. I stayed at home with the family member.

Or take this newsletter. 

First-order: I just need to write cool stuff once a week. Easy. Fun.

Second-order: Now I am researching subject line psychology, agonizing over open rates, battling Beehiiv formatting, rewriting intros because "they didn't vibe," and spending my Saturdays wondering if I should switch platforms because of some missing features.

Oh, and now I "just need" a logo, a Notion content calendar, a landing page, and a backup idea for when my brain goes on vacation mid-week.

Congrats to me! I've accidentally started a media company.

So what lessons can I squeeze out of all this?

• Before buying anything, I try to think: Am I paying for this once… or forever in monthly payments?

• Adopt a strict "No New Hobbies Without a 30-Day Cooling-Off Period" rule. Bonus points if it requires an inflow of materials or software subscriptions (I'm currently on day 9 after getting spousal approval for a 3D printer. The suspense is electric.)

• If an item comes with a community, subreddit, or gear checklist - RUN. That's a lifestyle, not a purchase.

• And finally: When in doubt, choose the iPhone. Or nothing. Nothing is wildly underrated.

As for Jakub - in the end, he bought the shoes.

Now he's locked into his decisions. Literally.

Till next time!

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45 Tips - That You Haven't Heard a Million Times Before - to Improve Your Sleep - 15 min read.

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Let’s Move! Legacy: Her national initiative helped change school lunches, brought salad bars to over 5,000 schools, and encouraged millions of kids to get active.

Style with Substance: She famously rewore outfits, mixed high-end with affordable brands like J.Crew and Target, and supported young, diverse designers - turning fashion into a quiet power move.

“Mom-in-Chief” First: Despite the spotlight, Michelle always said her most important job was raising Malia and Sasha. She kept their lives as normal as possible - family dinners at 6:30 PM were non-negotiable.

Watch-worthy clips

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