So, I decided I needed to do something small each day. You know, just a little routine thing. Heard folks talking about the NYT games, thought maybe that’s the ticket. Easy enough, right? Just even a little bit, that was the goal.
Getting Started with It
Okay, so I went to their site. Didn’t even download an app at first. Too much commitment, maybe? Fired up the Mini crossword. Seemed harmless. Five minutes, tops? Yeah, right.
First day, boom, done in like, two minutes. Felt like a genius. Pat on the back. Next day? Stared at one clue for ages. Felt like a complete idiot. That’s the way it goes, I guess. Made it part of the morning coffee ritual. Sit down, sip, try to figure out what a three-letter word for “annoyance” is.
Then I saw Wordle sitting there. Well, might as well, it’s just one word. Then the Spelling Bee started calling my name. Suddenly my “even a little bit” turned into a solid chunk of the morning. Sneaky.
- Tried the Mini Crossword first.
- Got hooked on Wordle next.
- Then Spelling Bee started eating time.
- Sometimes even Connections.
Where It Went Sideways (A Little)
It wasn’t just the games, either. You’re on the site, right? Headlines everywhere. Click one. Then another. Suddenly I’m reading about politics or some crisis when all I wanted was a word puzzle. It’s designed that way, I figure. Pull you in. My quick little brain exercise turned into scrolling news headlines sometimes.
It reminds me of this one time I decided to just fix one leaky faucet in the bathroom. Simple job, right? A little fix. Next thing I know, I’m ripping out the whole vanity because I found some mold, then the flooring looked bad next to the new vanity, and suddenly half the bathroom is torn apart. Started small, ended up huge. This NYT habit felt a bit like that leaky faucet project some days.
Found myself checking the stats, comparing Wordle scores. Got weirdly competitive for a bit. Had to tell myself to chill out, it’s just a game. A little game that somehow took root.
So yeah, I’m still doing it most days. Even a little bit. Some days it’s just the Mini, other days I get sucked in more. It’s a weird little habit. Doesn’t really achieve much, but it’s become part of the landscape of my morning. Better than doomscrolling, I suppose? Maybe. As long as I remember the original plan: just a little bit. Gotta keep an eye on it, make sure it doesn’t turn into another bathroom renovation project.
