One of the most important things I’ve learned as a tradeswoman is this:
If you don’t learn how to love making mistakes, your apprenticeship will feel awful.
As apprentices, we make mistakes constantly. That’s not a flaw — that’s the job. But so many of us beat ourselves up for every wrong bolt, every forgotten step, every moment we don’t know something yet. And when that happens, learning starts to feel heavy, stressful, and shame-filled instead of exciting.
But here’s the truth:
Making mistakes is how you become skilled.
When you’re learning something new, mistakes aren’t evidence that you’re bad at your job; they’re evidence that you’re doing it.
Loving mistakes doesn’t mean enjoying them
It means not fearing them.
When we’re scared of making mistakes, we stop trying new things. We hesitate. We second-guess. We play small. And when that happens, we limit how far we can go.
Every expert you look up to was once a beginner who didn’t know what they were doing. The difference is they were willing to be bad at it long enough to get good.
Most of the lessons, tradespeople pass down aren’t about what went right; they’re about what went wrong and what they learned from it. One day, you’ll be the one telling those stories too.
One mistake I’ll never forget
I was doing overtime — a simple job. Put the sump back on a bus. Easy. Two hours max, including paperwork.
Except I wasn’t thinking.
The sump had a rail around it. I assumed both sides were the same. They weren’t.
I tightened the bolt.
Crack.
I pulled it back down and realised the rail had snapped clean through. Right there, in big letters, was the word FRONT, something I somehow missed entirely.
The next morning, I found out there were no replacement rails for that engine in the country.
Now? I always double-check orientation. Every single time. That mistake taught me more than any success ever did, and I say that story often because I know I’m not the only one who’s done something “silly” like that. It can feel incredibly isolating in the moment, but you are never alone in it.
Why loving mistakes kills perfectionism
Perfectionism loves to disguise itself as “high standards.”
But if your standards cause anxiety, stress, and paralysis — that’s not excellence. That’s fear.
Loving mistakes helps dismantle perfectionism because it allows you to move forward even when things aren’t perfect. And movement is where growth happens.
I learned this deeply when I worked as a trainer and assessor. I taught far more subjects than most people in the same timeframe — not because I was perfect, but because I was willing to start before I felt ready.
My mantra became:
“It might turn to shit — but at least I’ll know what to do next time.”
And honestly? That thought calms me every time.
You don’t need the perfect plan. You need the first attempt.
How to stop holding yourself to impossible standards
First: Notice when it’s happening.
Is your job taking way longer than expected? Are you stressed about tiny details that don’t matter? Has someone hinted that you’re overthinking it?
Second: Check the real standard.
Does this job need to be ±2mm or ±0.2mm?
Is it functional, or is it a showpiece?
Does it need to be perfect — or just done safely and correctly?
Different jobs require different standards, and knowing the difference will save you so much unnecessary stress.
Third: Review whose opinion you’re listening to.
Are they paying you?
Are they responsible for the outcome?
Feedback from good mentors is valuable. Noise from everyone else isn’t. Choose carefully whose voice you let shape your confidence.
The real goal
Loving making mistakes doesn’t mean you don’t care.
It means you care enough to keep going. Mistakes are the bridge between where you are now and who you’re becoming. Without them, confidence doesn’t exist because confidence is built from experience, not avoidance.
So, if you’re early in your trade, or starting something new, or feeling frustrated with yourself, let me remind you:
You are not failing.
You are learning.
And that matters.
If you don’t believe in yourself yet, borrow my belief in you.
You’re doing better than you think.
If you’re a tradeswoman or tradesperson who’d like some help navigating this journey, I’d love to chat. You can book a coaching consultation with me here:
https://calendly.com/louise-azzopardi/coaching_consult
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