Orbit · Explore

Football · by Huy Le · 2026-10-08

A tiny win from Madrid that made my week after 36 tries

> Tiny progress is still progress.

That line sounds cheesy, but it got me through the part where clubs stopped feeling new.

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.

I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 9 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it

194 sparks · 37 comments

Comments

Oussama Alaoui · 12 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I noticed the same thing in Toronto. That route sounds like type-two fun

Minji Kim · 9 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Mia Anderson · 11 likes

I agree with the goal and disagree with the method. That is where the boring checklist helps. Consistency beats intensity here

Hugo Martin · 7 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Rohan Mehta · 6 likes

what happened after the first week? I am curious whether tries stayed easy. The social part surprised me too

Huy Le · 2 likes

that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Noé Petit · 6 likes

do you think this would work in a smaller place than Mumbai? The delightful constraint is probly the real story

Chloe Davis · 5 likes

I agree with the goal and disagree with the method. I keep a note about soccer for exactly this reason. That route sounds like type-two fun

Kabir Khan · 24 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Rapid Otter · 5 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about madrid. The first week version is even more interesting

Rapid Baker · 4 likes

this is adorable and oddly motivating. The low-effort version is probably the keeper. Tactics are half the fun when nobody is shouting

Huy Le · 38 likes

That is the part people skip

Avery Johnson · 35 likes

helpful correction

Noé Petit · 6 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Jasmine Cruz · 4 likes

@se_lantern Thanks for making it less intimidating

Theo Bennett · 4 likes

This is adorable and oddly motivating. The low-effort version is probably teh keeper

Siti Lestari · 15 likes

could be regional too

Hamza Malik · 4 likes

Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. For me it came down to the playlist

Ethan Brooks · 3 likes

did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? I would love to see a follow-up after 9 weeks

Piotr Zieliński · 37 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn

Huy Le · 2 likes

Beautifully concise

Huy Le · 1 likes

I had the same reaction to read

Mateo Cruz · 8 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Amelia Hughes · 1 likes

fair pushback

Budi Santoso · 1 likes

Appreciate the nuance

Ren Suzuki · 3 likes

I disagree a bit. made matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. I would write it down before changing anything else

Rachel Tan · 3 likes

This made me smile more than expected. The social part surprised me too

Grace Parker · 3 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. The busy month version is even more interesting

Paolo Garcia · 2 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. I noticed the same thing in Mumbai

Huy Le · 3 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Rizky Pratama · 2 likes

I had the same reaction to noticed

Maya Williams · 0 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating

Pieter Botha · 2 likes

I would push back gently on the tiny part. The low-effort version is probably the keeper. That route sounds like type-two fun

Isha Menon · 2 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger then the post suggests. It sounds small, but the route matters

Léa Bernard · 1 likes

The conclusion is too broad, but the example is interesting. I would test it for 3 days before deciding

Mara Fischer · 8 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating

Tiny Fern · 1 likes

That is a good question for people with more experience than me. I am curious whether soccer still feels good next month