-Cloudy skies, warm water, and a lesson from Seneca.-

Good morning, dear readers.

Today the sky is cloudy and it’s very cold, but that won’t stop my morning run.
I also started a new ritual: drinking a glass of warm water right after waking up. I’ve read about its benefits and thought, why not try it.

Yesterday I came across a letter by Seneca titled Recognizing Our Addictions.
There was one question that really stayed with me:

“We believe we are in control — but are we really?
Addiction begins when we lose the freedom to abstain.
Regain the ability to abstain, because that’s where clarity and self-control live.”

After thinking about it, I decided to take control of one of my strongest dependencies: coffee.

I won’t drink coffee as soon as I wake up anymore.
I’ll have one before training, and whenever I feel the urge for another, I’ll try to notice that impulse and resist it.

I’m genuinely happy I started this 75-day challenge.
In just two days, turning off my phone one hour before bed has already improved my sleep — no night awakenings and less fatigue in the morning.

I’ve also significantly reduced compulsive scrolling and overall screen time.
I’m reading a lot. I enjoy it, but at the same time, it feels strange.

By limiting social media, I suddenly have a lot of free time.
And without a clear purpose yet — without an ikigai, something to chase obsessively until I enter a flow state — I’m forced to fill my time differently: reading and training as much as I can.

Sometimes I feel a sense of emptiness for not having found my ikigai yet.
Other times I feel “behind” compared to people I admire and follow.

If there’s one thing I need to stop doing, it’s comparing myself to others.
My path is not theirs.
I am me.
They are them.

I’m officially on the journey toward discovering my ikigai.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll explain it tomorrow.

PS: yesterday I planned to write my 2026 goals and share them today, but I didn’t.
This afternoon, with a cup of herbal tea, I’ll take my time and write them down.

See you tomorrow.
03/75