That alarm clock on my desk has recently become a reminder dedicated to testnet points: when the time’s up, shut down the computer. Plainly speaking, practice is practice—once you start “expecting” it to make money, get you “on board,” or even let you defy fate and change your life, you’ll inevitably keep adding time, adding accounts, and adding scripts, until you end up treating yourself like a free miner to be used.

My stop-loss is pretty basic: first, set a cap (how long you’ll spend each day at most, and the maximum number of chains/tasks you’ll run). When it triggers, you stop. Then set a “loss threshold” (for example, when it starts affecting your sleep, your real work, or your mood and irritability). At once, delete the reminders, disconnect the wallet(s), and cool down for a week. Don’t tell me, “Do it one more time and it’ll be about there”—that line is just self-soothing after getting taught by the trap.

By the way, the recent drama over NFT royalties looks pretty similar: everyone says they support creators, but in their hands they’re still chasing liquidity. Testnet points are the same—don’t treat practice like a paycheck. The more full your expectations are, the easier it is for others to “auction” the profits right out of your hands. That’s it for now—the alarm’s ringing, I’m out.