The New Ego

The morning sun filtered through my curtains, casting a warm glow across my room. I sat at my desk, staring at the blank page in my notebook.

"A new day," I thought. "A new focus."

The events of the previous day—meeting Sarah, the awkward dinner, the realization that my dropshipping store wasn't cutting it—had left me feeling restless.

"I need to do more. I need to learn more."

I opened my laptop and started researching.

Tech.

Programming.

Business.

Fitness.

These were the areas I wanted to focus on. But where to start?

I opened a new tab and searched for "best resources to learn programming." The first result was a free coding bootcamp called "Codecademy."

"Why not?" I signed up for the Python course and started the first lesson.

The tutorial walked me through basic syntax and variables. It was overwhelming at first, but I kept going.

"This is my ticket out," I told myself. "If I can learn this, I can get a real job. I can stop writing… those stories."

I opened my notebook and wrote:

Study Plan:

Programming: 1 hour/day (Python, JavaScript)

Business: 30 minutes/day (Marketing, Dropshipping strategies)

Fitness: 1 hour/day (Gym, Nutrition research)

Tech: 30 minutes/day (AI, Automation tools)

It felt ambitious, but I knew I had to start somewhere.

"One step at a time," I reminded myself.

After setting my study plan, I opened TikTok. I'd curated my feed to show only motivational and educational content, but I still found myself scrolling mindlessly.

A video popped up—a guy talking about "the power of compound learning."

"Small, consistent efforts add up over time," he said. "You don't have to be perfect. You just have to show up every day."

The words resonated with me. I closed the app and opened my notes app, jotting down the key points.

"Compound learning. Small steps. Consistency."

Later that day, I went to the gym. The familiar hum of the treadmill and the clang of weights filled the air.

I started with my usual routine—a slow jog on the treadmill, followed by some light weights.

As I lifted, I thought about my study plan.

"If I can be consistent here, I can be consistent everywhere."

When I got home, my family was in the living room.

"You're spending a lot of time at the gym," my mom said, looking up from her book.

"Yeah," I replied. "Trying to stay consistent."

Alex smirked. "Consistent at what? Losing?"

I ignored him and headed to my room.

As I lay in bed that night, I reflected on the day.

"I set a study plan. I went to the gym. I learned something new. That's three wins today."

It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"One step at a time," I told myself. "The New Me is still here."