I’m supposed to release an essay today, but I’ve got nothing.

Usually, these things take a while to write, a longer while to edit, and even longer to wait for feedback from a friend. But today? I’m sitting here, staring at a blank screen, struggling to even start.

Back in university, I set myself a simple goal: sit at my desk and do at least an hour of work every day. That was it. Some days, it was easy. I’d breeze through an essay or knock out a couple of organic chemistry questions. Other days, it was a struggle just to open my laptop. Some days, I’d end up working from my bed because it felt like less effort. Spoiler: It never worked. I’d start watching a video, then end up scrolling through social media for an hour instead.

And then, there were the days I just didn’t do anything. I’d tell myself, “I’ll catch up tomorrow,” but of course, tomorrow was the same story. One day off turned into two, and before I knew it, I had weeks of work piling up.

But the streak was the thing that kept me coming back. Even if it meant getting an hour of work in while half asleep, even if I barely managed anything at all, I had to keep it going. Some days, that hour felt like nothing, but it kept me moving forward.

So, today’s essay is a cheat. It’s not great, but it counts. It’s my cheat day to keep the streak alive. And sometimes, that’s enough. See you tomorrow.