Similar But… Different
There’s two beers from Three Magnets Brewing that I picked up not too long ago. They are both IPAs. One is called “Similar” and another is called “But… Different.”
I tried both of them and they live up to their name. They taste kind of the same. But they’re not the same. They taste, well… different.
To-do lists and calendars are kind of the same but… different. Calendars can hold tasks but they don’t have the same functionality as a to-do list app, so they’re different. To-do lists can hold appointments that are associated with tasks. But they aren’t framed the same way as they would be in a calendar, so they’re different.
Honestly, putting habits you’re tracking on a to-do list can work but there’s a difference between a habit tracking app and a to-do list app. They track things that are similar but… different. That’s why I don’t track my habits in my to-do list app. It’s also why I don’t track my to-dos inside of my habit tracking app.
Similarities create comfort and confidence. But with too much sameness the comfort can turn to complacency and the confidence can turn into arrogance. That’s when it’s worth exploring something different. You need differences to keep you on your toes — to keep you nimble.
I like both of the beers that I tried. You know, the ones that were similar but… different. I like using calendar apps. I like using to-do list apps. I like using habit tracking apps. They are all similar and track similar things but these things are also different.
It’s important to recognize that and then navigate accordingly because it’s those differences that can make all the difference in the world.
