In this episode of XP Waste, Michael and I hit what I’m calling THE GOAL CHECKPOINT—basically a mid-year (ish) sanity check on what we said we’d get done in 2025, and whether we’re actually doing it… or just coping during a content drought. We talk through what progress looks like when the game’s in one of those quieter stretches, and why it’s weirdly easy to drift into “I’m busy” excuses when there isn’t a shiny new update forcing you into a grind. We also do our usual XP Waste thing where we absolutely do not stay on the rails. I’m running on fumes after fencing all day (yes, I’m exhausted, no, I’m not sick), and we get into IRL tangents, Ren Faire costumes, and the eternal truth that if you show up to a Renaissance Festival in jeans and a t-shirt, I’m judging you. On the OSRS side, I talk Thermy, a scuffed Coliseum send, a 300 ToA, and finally knocking out Final Dawn. Michael’s in that “adult schedule” arc—less weekday grind, one sweaty late-night session, Hydra KC progress, diary-related skilling (90 Cooking, 85 Smithing), and the looming fishing brick wall. The takeaway: goals matter, but so does picking the right grinds for the life you actually have.