The practice of trying

We all know that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It rarely makes an appearance in a sweeping moment, the way fireworks boldly and loudly announce another year. More often, transformation comes quietly—through showing up, adjusting, failing, learning, and trying again. Common Room founders Roma Agsunod and Maan Agsalud have often talked about it in the previous year, when they commemorated ten years of Common Room, or as they refer to it, ten years of trying. Trying ideas, trying new ways of working, and trying to stay grounded even as the business evolves. 

In this blog post, as we kick off 2026, we first look back on the past decade, the lessons learned and insights gained. How staying in the work, particularly during uncertain or difficult decisions, allowed real change to happen. And when we look back at the times we kept trying, it guides how we move forward. Here are a few guiding principles that helped shape Common Room’s journey.

1. Choosing progress over perfection

Waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, or the perfect idea for a collection can keep you stuck. As Roma shared in this episode, “Instead of overthinking [it]...sana ginawa mo na lang siya agad, then you perfect it along the way.” One of their takeaways from 10 years of building Common Room was learning to move forward even when things felt uncertain or messy. It saw them trying bazaars again and reflecting on business mistakes.

Maan adds, “Experience is your best teacher.” Maybe 2026 is the year you want to finally create a new line of merch, start your own TikTok channel or Substack? “You can read about it, listen to podcasts, but there’s still something about trying it out, learning it on your own kasi pinagdaanan mo sya, na-experience mo siya and mas tatatak yung learning kasi nangyari siya sa ‘yo.”

Progress, no matter how small, creates momentum, which leads to transformation. Trying something imperfectly opens the door to feedback, learning, and growth. We transform when we keep trying, not when everything is perfect. And choosing progress over perfection anytime allows transformation to happen in motion. 

2. Timing matters

Not everything is meant to happen right away. Some ideas take time to mature, some changes arrive only after seasons of waiting. That’s okay. Trying also means learning to respect timing—knowing when to push forward, when to pause, reflect, or recalibrate.

Over the years, Roma and Maan have learned that forcing growth before the foundation was ready often led to burnout and misalignment. So how do you know when it’s time to leap and when it’s time to pause? For the sisters, when they started to miss many opportunities because of their full-time work, Roma knew she had to focus on their growing business. “For those who are starting to feel that same inkling, that same dissatisfaction, pagipunan mo na!” For her, you’ll never truly satisfy that feeling of wanting to leap until you do it—so preparing for it, looking at time as your ally, can make the transformation more sustainable. Trying, in this sense, includes patience.

3. Know your value

Transformation becomes more meaningful when it’s rooted in self-worth. Knowing your value—your ideas, your work, your boundaries—shapes how you show up and who you allow into your journey.

We’ve tackled what makers need to understand when it comes to contract agreements in a previous Common Room episode, and as Maan explains, “At the core of it, when you collaborate with brands or partners, you know that you’re bringing something to the table and you shouldn’t be embarrassed to charge for it.” It can be your years of experience, your skills, or your stories that you know will benefit the work. Trying without knowing your value can lead to exhaustion. Trying with self-respect builds resilience.

4. Know your why

At this point, we ought to put this on a t-shirt, tote bag, or sticker. Knowing your why becomes your anchor when trying gets hard. When the year is just beginning, when you’re still reflecting on your goals or intentions, it’s important to know your reason for them or your purpose, because once you hit a hurdle or find yourself in a mid-year slump, it’s what you go back to so you can forge ahead even as strategies and structures evolve.

That clarity has helped Roma and Maan navigate uncertainties and keep transforming without losing their direction. Your why reminds you why trying is still worth  it.

As we think of the changes we want to see in our lives, our business, or our art this new year, it helps to think that transformation isn’t a finish line. It’s a continuous journey shaped by intention, reflection, and the courage to keep showing up. Trying again and again isn’t a sign of failure. It’s proof that what you’re doing matters to you. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your own journey, the invitation remains the same: keep trying. Because in the trying, we transform.