What I wish I knew before trying retro after 18 tries

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

I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the recipe for a while.