My 'I Didn't Quite Finish' Resume

I listened to a podcast years ago where the guest talked about the importance of building a failure resume because it means you are challenging yourself and getting outside of your comfort zone. I’ve since wanted to build my own failure resume, though I feel like mine should be called the “I didn’t quite finish” resume.

A series of passionate starts

I opened a small online jewelry store but never fully committed to marketing it. I launched a YouTube channel, posted one video, and left a few unfinished in CapCut. In college, I dove into acrylic painting, investing in supplies, but my interest fizzled out after a year. I love portrait photography and recently bought all the equipment, but I’m still learning to master my camera. Over a decade ago, I convinced my sister to buy me a sewing machine, but I only attended my first sewing class last month.

Interestingly, I excel at seeing projects through to completion at work, but struggle to maintain that same momentum with my personal pursuits. Perhaps it’s the external accountability and clear deadlines that keep me on track professionally. Or maybe I’m more risk-averse when it comes to personal projects, fearing failure or judgement. It could also be that I’m spreading myself too thin, jumping from one exciting idea to the next without fully committing to any of them.

Reframing failure

I’m starting to realize that these “failures” are not really failures at all. They are evidence of my curiosity, my willingness to try new things, and my courage to step outside my comfort zone. Each unfinished project has taught me something valuable—about myself, my interests, my strengths, and my areas for growth.

So, I’m embracing my “I didn’t quite finish” resume as a testament to my ongoing journey of personal and professional development. By documenting my efforts, both the successes and the setbacks, I hope to gain insights and accountability that will help me push through to the finish line more often.

The real failure

In the end, perhaps the real failure would be not trying at all—not taking those leaps, not exploring those curiosities, not daring to start something new. So I’ll keep starting, keep learning, and keep growing. And who knows? One day, I might just have a “failure resume” that I’m truly proud of.