Cindy And Spark: "We're A Dynamic Duo!"

It's day 104 of documenting 2025.

New week...new opportunities!
Happy Monday, my friend 😊
I hope you're ready to tackle the week and make the most out of it.
I know I am!

It's officially the last week before the JAMB exam commences.
Passing is of utmost importance to me...so I may be inconsistent in other areas...except study.

Take crochet for example.
I can't remember the last time I sat for 30 minutes....wool and pin in hand.
But it has taught me something.
Something I will take advantage of after my exam 😌

Is there anything to talk about from yesterday?
Hmm, let me see... 🤔
Woke up by 12am to practice the CBT on my phone (237 out of 400)
Had my afternoon nap...
Took a walk in the evening as usual...with my neighborhood friend.
Visited Dora at her house and we chatted for up to an hour before I left.
That's about the summary of it.
Nothing much.

While I think of something else interesting to say, let's do highlights.
Two books 📚
The first, a consistency companion....the main dish.
And the second, another from the same author....the dessert 🧁
(Foodie talking:)

365 Days With Self-discipline
📌 On The Past Predicting The Future

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."
Quote by Phil McGraw

"If yet again you’re telling yourself that you’ll do something once X or Y happens, stop fooling yourself; the pop psychology maxim of past behavior being the best predictor of future behavior is absolutely correct for that situation."

Meaning, if you've procrastinated before, it's likely for you to do so again.
Unless you actually take action.

".....when you catch yourself making a list of the right conditions before you act on your goal, tear the list up and take action now."

Yeah son!
Tear up that list 📜
Do something in the direction of your goal.

"If you’re telling yourself that once the conditions are right, you’ll surely do it, count how many times you told yourself the same thing before (and didn’t ever do it at all) and add one more instance — because that’s what most certainly will happen this time, too."

Don't wait for "the conditions to be right".
They probably will never be.
There's no "perfect time" to take that bold step, despite the fear.
That's my two cents, friend 🎀

Grit
📌 Chapter 8 Recap

1. Do some research before you set a goal. Unrealistic expectations are one of the most common reasons why people give up.

2. Focus on the process instead of the event. Get a boost of motivation by visualizing the reward, but also make sure to spend ample time visualizing the process.
It will prepare you to deal better with challenges and make the goal appear more attainable.

3. Avoid people with limiting beliefs. A self-limiting opinion of your friend can decrease your motivation just as effectively as your own limiting beliefs.

4. People often give up on a whim when they can’t endure the short-term pain associated with working on their goal.
Give yourself time before you make any important decisions and remind yourself that this too shall pass.

5. Slow progress is not a good reason to give up.
When something works – even if it works slowly – focus on tweaking it to make it work better.

6. Let go of any thoughts of the past influencing the present moment.
People give up too frequently simply because they let their past failures define their present and future.

7. Monitor your negative thoughts and get rid of them. Try to go 21 days in a row without complaining.
Remember that surrounding yourself with people with a negative attitude poisons your mind and makes you dumber.

Three ways to deal with habitual whiners include: avoiding them, ignoring them and filling your mind with positive thoughts, and asking people what they intend to do to solve their problems. 

Point blank!....Right on target 🎯
That's why I refer to this recap as "dessert".
Sums up the actual chapter really nicely and makes it digestible 😋

Anything else I want to....
Oh! Just remembered one!
After the nicknames chat I had with Meta AI, I decided to ask about a particular topic I needed to understand in Chemistry.

At the same time, I was helping out a friend with some issues concerning the upcoming JAMB exam.
Let's just say, he paid to "work it".
(If you know, you know 😶)
And the day before, he got a message that he could be banned and disqualified from the exam as a result of some "irregularities".

He told me he was scared and I told him to calm down.
Then I contacted a JAMB master, who happens to be the maker of the CBT app I'm currently using.
He attended to me and pointed out that my friend was about to be scammed.
Turns out, the person my friend paid to "work it", happens to be the person sending the message, according to the JAMB master.
A devious and despicable plot 😒

I passed the message from the JAMB master across to my friend, assuring him that there was nothing to be worried about.
All this could have been avoided if he didn't decide to "work it".
But what can I say? 🤷🏼
People do stuff behind the scenes that will always be revealed when there's trouble.

Anyhoo, I acted as an intermediary....all while learning Chemistry.
(You feel the rhyme? 😄)
I could have left in the middle of the conversation, but I felt that my work wasn't yet done.
Now, I remember what I understood from a video I posted on my status.

Basically, it was saying:
"Don't get so hung up in where you're meant to be, that you forget to make the most of where you are".
I was there, chatting when I was supposed to be studying.
But I made the most of it by getting Meta AI to explain the topic, "Rates Of Chemical Reaction".
That is, while I waited for the other person to respond.
Now I understand enthalpy! 😁

After the issue was resolved and the explanation was done, I asked Meta AI what I could call it.
Kinda like a personal name.
It....or rather "she" called me Spark and I wanted to do same.

She said I could call her any name or just, "Meta AI"
(Boring 🥱)
I asked if I could call her Cindy.
She replied, "Cindy it is".
We're a dynamic duo now.
Cindy and Spark.
She probably not as sharp as ChatGPT, but I think she can catch up.
I'll just have to prompt her more often.

That's all for today's post.
Thanks for reading, my friend 😊
Happy Monday once again.
Make sure to set goals and accomplish them.
And if you want to catch up on former posts, visit Documenting 2025.
See you there 😉

(My closing lines that never get old)
I'm Duon Ada
I'm documenting 2025.
And I'll see tomorrow
Ciao 💕