Failing is really cute, actually

Bakers, we're halfway through.

Q2 is over? We’re halfway through the year? There’s more 2026 but somehow less than there’s ever been before?

I love a goal, a structure, and a reason to build out a new spreadsheet. But we’re halfway through the year, recovering from (or still in) cross-country heatwaves, and I’m taking a looser approach to a quarterly check in: A list of accomplishments and failures! Before anyone freaks out about how negative it is to focus on failing, a reminder that failing is important and we’ve really lost the plot on it as a culture (myself included). No one is out there nailing a perfect ten on their first, second, or eighth try on anything. And when they do, that’s luck, not accomplishment.

When it comes to goal-making, I’m all about setting an intention in order to try something. So even if I reach the end of the year and, for example, don’t end up writing for a full two hours daily (averaged), sure that’s a failure, but I bet I’ll have written more than I would have without setting any goal at all, which is a secret accomplishment.

Below are my accomplishments and failures based only on the vibes of casual reflection on the last six months in my personal, professional, and cat mother-dom life.

The Accomplishments:

• Joined a writing group

• Got feedback on my book proposal

• Had people over for dinner at our house that we were not related to

• Successfully used wireless printing in my house and at work

• Absolutely dominated an entire sleeve of Biscoff sandwich cookies before getting them home from the grocery store. Twice.

• Planted a garden. (Loose terminology—I planted a few planter boxes)

• Contributed to my local economy by splurging on pastries, donuts, and $250 worth of books, among others

  

  When you want two donuts but must try all four flavors.

• Gone to the gym three times a week since March and have not made it my whole personality (yet)

• Didn’t buy a single book in June. Please clap (I have purchased two books so far in July)

• Visited Las Vegas for the first time and spent only $40 on gambling. Smelled like sunscreen the entire time I was there

  

  Friends I met in Vegas. They did not smell like sunscreen.

• I have not gotten fired from my day job

• Filled the bird feeders semi-reliably

• Lost zero excitement for every time I see deer in our backyard

  

  Casual duo posing in the backyard.

• Finished FIVE sweaters (two were for babies and two were for baby sheep)

• Read 29 books

• Fired my therapist

• Finally got my reimbursement from my visit to the endodontist—an appointment I had in December of 2025 that was $500 and did nothing to fix the offending tooth. After many months, phone calls, and uncomfortably direct emails, I received my reimbursement check for $193 on June 25th. Our “healthcare system” makes you work for the money you’re owed and pay for services that don’t help and I will never not be resentful about it.

• Bought a longboard and started taking in out once a week

• Collected 12 rejections

• Published 5 new pieces outside of substack

• Published 13 newsletter issues

• Have not run out of toilet paper once

A Few Failures:

• Increased my spending on groceries by 13% while not increasing my income. Clearly this is a personal failure and not a result of record inflation rates and fifty years of wage stagnation

• Sometimes there’s cat hair all over the furniture

• Have yet to find a new therapist. ISO: Someone who laughs at my jokes and doesn’t worship at the Mel Robbins alter

• Have only semi-reliably filled the bird feeder (sorry to the birds, but mostly the squirrels)

• Still haven’t fully found a way to keep the little bugs off my house plants and out of my house

• Sat on my couch instead of at my desk 85% of the time I work from home

• Cried at work twice

• Misread my cat showing me her belly as her wanting belly rubs

  

  What do you mean I cannot touch this belly?

• Attended only two yoga classes, my hamstrings, upper back, and stressed out brain all notice.

• Collected 12 rejections (goal for the year is 50)

• Have not befriended a single crow

• Have been unable to single-handedly fund a local bookstore with my purchases

Looks like accomplishments are winning out, which is a great place to be heading into Q3.

What do you want to know more about? I could probably detail out a full post on how I wiggled my way into a writing group (be really thirsty about it), how I format my rejection spreadsheet, and wax poetic about my cat’s belly for a full 2000 words, but I’ll spare everyone that if there’s not a lot of interest.

For the next half of 2026, I’ll be working on racking up more submissions/rejections and continuing to read as much as I can.

I’m working on wearing my failures as accomplishments, because trying is hot girl shit. What have you failed at/tried lately?