What is the most underrated choice here with a messy constraint

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. furniture got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

Context: I am not an expert, just someone trying to make Woodworking feel less intimidating. I wrote down what worked, what felt awkward, and what I would do differently next time.

I tried this in Madrid with a friend and we both noticed the same thing: the social part mattered more than the perfect plan