I was a “serial restarter” once. A mouthful, I know — but precise. Always eager to start, spooked at the first sign of trouble.

Here’s the thing: I still am, at times. But I’m also getting more disciplined each time.

Finally, some of those new things are sticking.

Novel vs Noise

I said some are sticking. Started out a bit random.

Running a mile each morning; winter froze my will — still thawing. Handwritten journal; wrist fatigue and illegibility — plus no idea where I last put it.

Hit the wall, fell flat.

Still eager. Still spooked.

Why didn’t these stick? They’re classic, over-the-pulpit favorites. They work for millions — just not me.

For me, the problem isn’t their stickiness; it’s my wall. What’s novel to some — running, handwritten journal — hits my wall as noise. Clings for minutes… then drops. Flat.

The Kid-to-Adult Time Inversion Principle

Yep, another mouthful — I’ll call it the KTATI (looks a little Russian-Italian, ha). Okay sorry, just geeking out for a sec.

In fact, that’s the type of behavior I see in my kids today. During a car ride this week, my oldest suggested that kids have plenty of time and energy to keep throwing things at their wall and seeing what sticks. Their wall hasn’t fully formed yet, so new stuff can stick in surprisingly durable ways. They have time to “geek out” for hours. Of course, their wall is also susceptible to bad “stickers” too — double-edged cognitive swords.

Adults like me, on the other hand, have very little time for stuff throwing. I balance responsibilities that weigh heavily all day. My wall is built and nearing the end of its settlement period. I specialize in what pays the bills, helps the family mature, and keeps the peace. But that leaves minimal time for myself, and I’m on constant guard to keep my wall clean and mess-free. No throwing sticky stuff randomly, for the time being. Am I right?

Am I? “Kid” — MAX(throwing) MIN(sticking) — “to Adult” — MIN(throwing) MAX(sticking) — “Time Inversion” principle. KTATI. I wasn’t born in Russia or Italy. Why does that feel so natural to write?

A minute ago I was geeking out — me, an adult, throwing a ludicrous-sounding acronym like KTATI to see if it would stick. To another wall. Still forming.

My wall may be built and settling — but I can make more walls…

Read the full essay on Substack →

This essay explores how adults can build parallel “practice walls” in limited minutes a day—expanding sideways instead of upward—to create sustainable growth without burnout. It shows how friction, failure, and fatigue become data for future strength, and why even silent minutes count as progress. I publish full essays on Substack, where I document experiments in skill transfer, habit systems, and sustainable learning.

Originally published October 18, 2025 on Substack using the YY Method™