What 186 Etsy Sales Taught Me About Continuing

January 21, 2026

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(Not Starting Over)

I need to tell you something about Little Pine Life.

A few years ago, I started an Etsy shop. I created t-shirt designs, set up social media accounts, and told myself this time I’d actually follow through on something creative. And then… I didn’t really know what to do next.

The shop existed. I made some sales. But I didn’t have a clear message, a strong brand identity, or, honestly, much of a plan beyond “make things and hope people buy them.” So it sat there. Making occasional sales. Collecting nice reviews. But never becoming what I’d imagined.

And for a long time, I thought that meant I’d failed.

But then I actually looked at what I’d built:

186 sales
45 five-star reviews
103 products that people found valuable enough to buy. A shop that’s been generating income, even when I wasn’t actively promoting it.

Wait.

That’s not failure. That’s proof I can do this—even imperfectly, even without a perfect plan, even when I didn’t have it all figured out.
That’s not a false start. That’s a foundation.

What I Learned From Not Starting Over
Here’s what I’m realizing: Starting over feels like taking action. But often, it’s just another form of waiting.

Waiting until the brand is perfect. Waiting until the message is clear. Waiting until we feel ready.

But “ready” is something you become by continuing, not by restarting.
Little Pine Life wasn’t perfect. But it was real. I showed up imperfectly. I created things. People bought them. Some of those people left kind reviews saying my designs brightened their day.

That matters.

And throwing it away to start over with a “better” plan would be me doing the exact thing I spent years doing: prioritizing the imagined perfect version over the real, imperfect thing that already exists.

Building On Yesterday
Last week, I wrote about Continuing What I’ve Started. About how the teaching years I thought were “wasted” were actually preparation.
Little Pine Life is the same story on a smaller scale.

Those 186 sales? They weren’t 186 failures because my brand wasn’t clear. They were 186 lessons about what resonates with people.
Those 45 five-star reviews? They weren’t flukes. They were proof that imperfect work—work created while I was still figuring things out—brought people joy.

The shop I thought was “going nowhere”? It was going where it needed to go: teaching me that I could build something real, even without having everything figured out first.

I wasn’t failing at Little Pine Life. I was practicing.
And now I get to continue from here, building on everything I learned.

So Here’s What I’m Doing Instead

I’m keeping Little Pine Life.
And I’m launching The Real Life—this blog—as an expansion of what I’ve already built, not a replacement for it.

Little Pine Life is where I create simple reminders for real life. Products that encourage you to build on what you have, start with today, and find joy in imperfect moments.

The Real Life is where I share the messy, honest journey behind those reminders. The stories, the struggles, the small switches that free up mental energy. The vulnerable documentation of what happens when you finally stop planning and start continuing.

They’re connected. They’re both me. And neither one is perfect.
But they’re both real.
And they’re both part of the same continuous story—not separate chapters, but one story that keeps building.

This Is What “Build On Yesterday, Start With Today” Looks Like

It’s not starting over with a flawless plan. It’s not waiting until you have it all figured out. It’s looking at what you’ve built—imperfect, incomplete, not what you imagined—and asking: “What if this is actually my foundation?”

Little Pine Life gave me 186 chances to practice showing up. 45 opportunities to learn that imperfect work still brings people joy. Proof that I don’t need to be perfect to create something valuable.

Now I’m building on that foundation instead of abandoning it for the fantasy of a perfect fresh start. That’s what The Real Life is about.

Not perfection. Not starting over every time something doesn’t go as planned. Just real life—messy, evolving, built on imperfect foundations—continuing anyway.

Your Turn

Look at something you’ve been thinking about abandoning because it’s not perfect. Now ask yourself:

What have I actually accomplished, even if it wasn’t what I imagined?

Maybe it’s three blog posts instead of the consistent weekly schedule you planned.
Maybe it’s 12 sales instead of the thriving business you envisioned.
Maybe it’s one finished project instead of the creative empire you dreamed of.

That’s not failure. That’s your foundation.

What’s one “imperfect” thing you’re ready to keep building on instead of starting over?

Tell me in the comments. Your messy foundation matters more than someone else’s perfect beginning.

THE REAL LIFE
Build On Yesterday. Start With Today.

● About the Blog

person stands on brown pathway — Photo by Tobi on Pexels.com

Hello, I’m Sherry.

I’m 56, sitting in nursing school classes with people half my age, continuing the healthcare journey I started 36 years ago.

At 20, I joined the Air Force to become a medic—to pay for college, gain healthcare experience, and find out if I would faint at the sight of blood.

I didn’t.

I learned I didn’t panic under pressure. I discovered I could do hard things. But when I left the military, I didn’t have the confidence or knowledge to navigate the path to medical school. So I pivoted. I started teaching science. Spent nearly 28 years in education—teaching middle schoolers, eventually becoming a principal, always wondering if I’d taken the wrong path.

For most of those years, I thought I’d failed. That I’d given up on my real dream to settle for something more accessible.

Then, at 56, I went back to nursing school.

And I finally understood: I hadn’t given up. I’d been preparing.

The Air Force taught me composure under pressure.
Teaching showed me how people learn and grow.
Working with struggling students taught me patience and that everyone’s timeline is different.
Being a principal taught me leadership and systems thinking.
Starting Little Pine Life—my Etsy shop- proved I still had the courage to try something new.

Every step—even the ones that felt like failures or detours—led me here.

The Real Life is where I share what I’m learning:

Non-linear paths aren’t wrong paths—they’re preparation.

“Wasted” years often turn out to be exactly what you needed.

It’s never too late to continue what you started, even if it’s been decades.

You can live life as it comes, be real about struggles and setbacks, and still be happy, (because that is the real life, not the imagined one) trusting it will all bring you where you’re supposed to be.

This blog is for you if you think you’ve spent too many years on the “wrong” path.

If you’re a recovering planner or permission seeker who judges yourself for taking detours.

If you believe it’s too late because you “should have done this years ago.”

It’s not too late. You’ve been preparing your whole life.

I’m documenting the messy, honest journey of building on everything I’ve already learned—the small switches that save mental energy, the courage it takes to show up imperfectly, the joy of finally continuing instead of constantly restarting.

If you’re ready to stop judging your path and start building on it—messy, non-linear, real—you’re in the right place.

Build on yesterday. Start with today.

Let’s continue together.

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