Let me tell you about the time I tried to launch a community garden in my suburban neighborhood – and accidentally became the poster child for why you need a lessons learned template. Picture this: me, a sleep-deprived mom of twins, armed with Pinterest dreams and a Costco-sized bag of zucchini seeds. I’d convinced six families to chip in. By August? We had 12-foot sunflowers blocking street signs, a raccoon mafia living in the compost bin, and exactly three edible tomatoes.
The turning point came when my neighbor Sharon (bless her Southern honesty) said: “Honey, next time, write down what NOT to do.” Turns out, documenting disaster is the ultimate life hack. Here’s what I’ve learned after 4 years of trial/error – including that time my DIY car repair notes went viral in our Nextdoor group:
The Messy Truth About “Lessons Learned”
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Your first template will suck. Mine looked like a cross between a Shakespearean sonnet and a CVS receipt. I tried categorizing failures by moon phases (don’t ask). What actually worked? A 3-column Google Doc:
- What exploded (figuratively…mostly)
- Why it matters (spoiler: your ego isn’t a valid reason)
- Next time, I’ll… (be specific: “Buy squirrel-proof bins BEFORE planting”)
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Timing is everything. I used to do post-mortems when the rage was still fresh – terrible idea. Now I wait 48 hours (or until the wine rack is restocked). The magic question: “Would this help Future Me or just make Past Me feel better?”
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Embrace the cringe. My most valuable template entry? “Stop explaining blockchain at PTA meetings.” Vulnerability builds muscle memory. I keep these gems in a password-protected doc titled “YIKES ARCHIVE.”
The BBQ Test™ (My American Litmus)
A good template should be like grilling burgers:
- Simple (You’re not writing a TED Talk)
- Repeatable (Works for work projects and your kid’s failed lemonade stand)
- Shareable (Slack it, text it, carve it into a Jell-O mold)
My go-to format now lives in Trello. It’s just:
[ What happened ]
[ Why it hurt ] ➔ [ What I’ll change ]
Example from last month’s Great Garage Sale Debacle:
“Priced antique lamp at $5 ➔ Karen resold it on Facebook Marketplace for $200 ➔ Next time: Google Lens first, then wine.”
The Unsexy Hack Nobody Talks About
Set a calendar reminder titled “Forget-Me-Not Fridays” (mine pops up with a taco emoji 🌮). Spend 10 minutes updating your template while memories are still warm. I do this during my kid’s soccer practice – the chaos keeps me honest.
Oh, and that garden fiasco? Our revised template became the blueprint for a thriving pumpkin patch. We even outsmarted the raccoons (hint: chili powder and classic rock playlists). Sharon brings her famous pecan pie now instead of side-eye.
Your homework (if you want it):
- Open Notes app right now
- Write one recent “oof” moment
- Add ONE thing you’d change
That’s your template seed. Water it with caffeine and humility.
And if anyone judges your process? Tell them the raccoon story. Works every time.