c/failed-and-learned

I kept blowing fuses on a simple bathroom fan install last week

I was putting in a new fan in my own house and kept tripping the 15 amp breaker. I finally realized I was using 14 gauge wire on a circuit that had a mix of 12 and 14 gauge already. My old boss in Tampa would have fired me for that. It taught me to always trace the whole circuit before adding anything new, not just check the panel. Anyone else run into weird mixed wire gauge problems in old houses?

My dad told me to just 'wing it' on my first big client presentation

He said overplanning would make me stiff, so I went in with just bullet points. I completely blanked halfway through and had to ask for a five minute break. After that disaster, I made a full script for my next pitch in Denver and landed the account. Anyone else have a piece of advice that backfired completely?

Walking through the old cemetery on Elm Street yesterday, I noticed all the flat, worn-down headstones.

I was looking for a specific family plot and kept tripping over markers that were completely level with the ground because the carved letters had faded away. It hit me that my own project to digitize our family photos has been stalled for over a year, and those pictures are fading just like the stone. How do you all motivate yourselves to finally tackle a preservation task you know is important?

Tried to fix a leaky faucet with plumber's tape versus the actual cartridge

Wrapped the threads three times with tape, still dripped. Swapped the whole cartridge for a $12 part from Ace, leak stopped in five minutes. Anyone else waste time on a band-aid fix that just needed the right part?

PSA: I fixed my blurry photos by changing one camera setting I ignored for months

All my indoor shots kept coming out soft, and I blamed my old lens. After six months of frustration, I finally tried setting my minimum shutter speed to 1/125th in the auto ISO menu, something a friend in Seattle told me to do ages ago. Now my pictures are sharp because the camera won't let the shutter drag too slow. Has anyone else found a simple menu fix that solved a big problem?

Just found out that 80% of people who start a podcast quit after 3 months, saw it in a newsletter from a hosting service

I chose the cheaper hosting plan for my first website and it crashed in 2 days.

It was between a $5 shared host and a $15 managed one, and I went cheap to save money. The traffic from a single Reddit post took the site down for 6 hours and I lost all my early visitors. Has anyone else had a hosting choice totally backfire on them?

Tried to fix my own leak with generic plumber's putty, but the $8 tube of specific pipe thread sealant from the hardware store was the only thing that actually held.

After the putty failed twice in my kitchen sink and caused another small flood, I learned that using the exact material meant for the job, even if it costs a bit more, beats trying to make a general product work every single time, so what's your go-to fix for a stubborn threaded joint leak?

Vent: I rushed a panel upgrade in a 1978 split-level last month and almost caused a fire.

Shoutout to my pancake fail

Messed up the recipe bad. Burnt every one. Learned to measure flour right, and my dog got a good meal.

My wobbly bookshelf project changed how I see online tutorials

I keep seeing folks say you can fix anything with free videos. So I tried to build a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. Saved cash by using scrap wood from old pallets. Didn't account for wall unevenness. The whole thing leaned badly, books slid off. I had to take it down after two days. Now I believe some failures don't teach you to try harder. They teach you your own skill ceiling. Everyone pushes the 'learn from mistakes' idea, but my mistake showed me to stick to buying furniture.

Our neighborhood's tool library idea crashed and burned

The broken locks and missing tools showed me shared things need clear rules.

After killing three succulents, I finally kept one alive for a month

I used to think succulents were easy, but I managed to kill three in a row. Each time, I overwatered them because I was too eager. After the third one died, I looked it up online and found out they need very little water and lots of light. This month, I got a new succulent and placed it by a sunny window. I only watered it once, when the soil was bone dry. Today, it's been a whole month and it's still green and perky. It's a small win, but it feels good to finally get it right. What's a simple thing you failed at before getting it to work?

Thought I could skip the recipe for chili, learned the hard way

I threw together chili without looking at any instructions, just going by feel. It turned out way too watery and bland, nothing like I wanted. Now I use a recipe, it helps a lot. Ever try to cook from memory and fail miserably?

Struggling to meditate showed me small steps work

I always got distracted and quit early. Now I do just two minutes a day and it helps a lot.

Just realized my quick temper with a fellow volunteer cost us a helper

At our community garden cleanup, I got frustrated with a new guy for moving tools without asking. I spoke to him sharply in front of everyone, and he left shortly after. Later, I found out he was just eager to help and didn't know our system. I learned that a kinder correction in private would have kept a willing pair of hands around.

Why does nobody mention the importance of letting dough rest?

I used to skip the resting step for my homemade pizza. Last week, I did it again and the crust was like cardboard. That inedible mess convinced me to follow the instructions. Now I always give the dough its full time. It makes all the difference.

Update: My watercolor painting turned into a muddy mess

I tried to paint a sunset but mixed too many wet colors. It became a blurry brown blob. Now I know to let each layer dry fully before adding more.

Shoutout to local growers for fixing my meal prep mistakes

Chain grocery stores were my go-to for veggies. They often went bad fast, ruining my dishes. I saw farmers markets as too fancy and pointless. A failed dinner party with limp salad made me rethink. I sampled the local market, and the food stayed fresh for days. Now, I support it weekly, and my meals have improved. This failure taught me to value local sources.

Serious question, does every watering error really lead to plant loss?

I once gave a lawn too much water and expected the worst. It actually revealed where the sprinklers were missing, so I adjusted them and now the grass is lush.

My homemade bread always comes out dense and gummy

I've learned that PROOFING time is crucial from my failed loaves. What's the BEST way to get it right next time?

I bought a patio set without my spouse's input, and it was the wrong style. Now we shop together. What joint purchase lessons did you learn?

Tax site silence after hitting submit fooled me into a penalty

I clicked submit on my tax return and saw no error, so I thought it went through. Turns out the site had a bug and never sent it, leading to a late fee I had to pay. How do you make sure your online filings are really submitted?