You have to both pick the right problem and do the work.
What had I done right? The key, it seemed, was drilling down to find the essence of things, and then developing that.
It’s easier to motivate yourself to do enjoyable tasks than those that feel grinding or boring.
Moving forward though, I think it makes sense to keep a degree of unscheduled and flexible if I want to just try something new for fun.
This kind of diet-is-temporary thinking is a recipe for disaster. Because as soon as the diet ends, so does your progress.