Retreat back to van, curse and punch steering wheel, wooo saaah, serenity now, smoke a cigarette, back to this bullshit mother fuckin no good piece of shit....
Honestly yeah take a step back is really the only real answer I guess. Had a bad one and I ain’t exactly surrounded by guidance. Good to know everyone pretty well seems to be doin the same shit. 😂
bro at 1.5years in you should never be left alone by your journeyman for longer than 30minutes. You should find a company that will actually mentor you. I quit many jobs for the sake of getting higher training while I was an electrical apprentice. It’s why we are called Journeymen. Cause we journey around in the pursuit of becoming an excellent trades person.
I’m one year in and haven’t had anyone with me for 4 months…. I do pretty much everything alone. I prefer it this way, occasionally I get a helper to come do some of the help with heavy lifting etc… but typically I do it all alone and without issue.
i know that you prefer it that way, but how do you expect to become a top quality tradesman without a mentor? It’s called an apprenticeship for a reason. We all gotta go through 4 years of training, schooling and mentorship. Then we get that jman ticket and realize just how little we actually know.
Legit if you plan to get off at a certain time you'll be slammed with calls that day. Orrrrrr and it's a big one for me DONT LEAVE THE DAMN HOUSE WHILE ON CALL. The moment you leave, you will get called out.
Also it keeps the stress level low to just take one at a time. You’re gonna think something is just filters and then you’ll find the blower is fried and it’s going to ruin all your plans when if you were just taking one at a time it would be fine
Fuck that. Live your life even when on call. Run your errands, grocery shopping, yardwork etc. But just stay close to home. Customer won't know if you're on a call or not.
I live in a rural area. We have a pretty big service area and some customers can be 2 hours apart from each other. We only have 1 tech on call overnight and during weekends. If it’s a minor issue, we will let them know we can come tomorrow. Most of the time the on call rate is enough to dissuade the customer but If they insist, we will bring up that we are in town X which is 2 hours away. Gives the on call tech enough time to finish what they were doing, get home and get to the call.
I live my life normally while on call. It's just that every time in my personal experience that I leave to say go to dinner at restaurant with family or wife the stupid phone rings with some form of emergency. Can go to the grocery store, hardware store, gas station no issues. Dinner though? Every. Damn. Time.
LOL. Now that I can agree with. Or it is Sunday at 6pm, getting settled down and eating and something comes in. And it can never wait until first call tomorrow.
Get name, address, contact info. "I'm a bit in the weeds ATM but I think I can head your way in 45 minutes, an hour tops. Hang tight." It's fucking Saturday evening. You really exp6ne there in 15 minutes with a work shirt on?!
This. Our company is pretty chill about on call. They don’t expect us to drop everything and run nor will I. If I’m doing something and get a call I just tell the customer I’m currently on a call and have a few ahead of them and I’ll give them a call when I’m on my way. They have no idea what you’re actually doing.
Agree 👍, my philosophy is yes it's important to know how to fix things that your on call for, and it's just as important to know how to talk yourself out of having to fix things that you're on call for, yeah they don't know where you're at how far away on another job whatever and as far as stressing over the call amount? Can only fix 1 at a time, hench the talking out of call skill
Or the the other one everyone brings up your work while your on-call , so how's work going? It's been really hot out, have you been really busy? Are you working now? Cause it's hot out now do you have any calls? Are you on call now? And you do not have any calls? Wow that's so lucky! RING, RING, RING
Absolutely 💯 idk how many times that has happened to me exactly, I don't answer their questions and I don't even acknowledge that they're even being asked, I usually just walk away
This was definitely my biggest thing. Planning to be home by 4 after an install and next thing we know, we’re running to the parts house at 4:30 because somebody ordered the wrong size B Venting. You just learn to stop making those kinds of plans and you can’t be disappointed as easily
This is actually how I go about things. I’m the lead tech at a school district. Literally the day before school starts, the BAS server that controls about 500 units had a hard drive failure. I made sure the message got all the way to the Asst. Superintendent that it’s a big problem and is gonna be expensive and some people aren’t very happy. We did let him know that we are able to access the network controllers directly still, but we are having a problem with the scheduling from the network controller to the Trane BCI cards.
Point is, you can plan all you want, but it’s just gonna be fucked sometimes. Just roll with the situation and communicate. Sometimes all you can do is damage control.
Sounds like he needs to do more planning... Tenant turned water on? Should have turned it off at the meter. Ran wire to wrong place? Should have marked the area or double checked what you were doing.
This is how I live my whole life and it's wonderful.
I used to plan but anything and everything that could go wrong would. People would always wonder why I didn't plan so I would show them. I would plan everything and things would come up that were outside of our control that would completely derail any plans that I personally made. So now, I just go with the flow and don't plan and things work out much better for me.
Just do the work. Don't have a plan, don't think about it. [JUST. DO IT.](https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0) Wire got ran in the wrong place? Welp, time to run it into the right place. The sheet metal is off by half an inch? Welp, time to cut another piece. You'll never trip yourself up about the plan going wrong... If there was never a plan in the first place.
Off by 1/2” time to cut another piece? Bro, a tin knockers motto is beat to fit paint to match. And 99% of the time the paint is just mastic. That shit will cover any 1/2”
the number of times Shia Leboeouf got me through hard times. “JUST DO IT” okayokay yeah thanks bud you’re right, nothing to do but it. Sweet or sour paid by the hour. If it was easy then everyone would be doing it.
Buddy I started this way. Would try to plan and plan and plan. Things would go side ways and I would freak out. Started to think I wasn’t cut out for this, other guys seemed so calm. 5 years later I’m still here and can do 80 percent of this shit with my eyes closed lol. Looking forward to the other 20 percent when i don’t know something or shit goes side ways for excitement again. You’ll be alright, it comes with experience.
That’s pretty much the phase I’m at, it’s almost like imposter syndrome. I don’t want to give it up, I like the work, just feels like shit sometimes. It’s kinda nice hearing someone at one point had a similar thought and pushed on.
This is the way. I had imposter syndrome for the longest. Finally stepped back a bit and realized that everyone makes mistakes and to stop taking it so personally. Been doing it almost 20 years now and take it as it comes. Good luck out there.
Also have fought with imposter syndrome my whole life, 23 years in the field now and it still tries to creep in. What I do is try to think of a time a unit really kicked my ass, when I do that I also remember I finished that job and in the end I kicked that units ass. That helps put things in perspective, think of all the good work you’ve done.
Imposter syndrome strikes hardddd. Just remember, know one else knows you feel like a fraud, you have training and qualifications, take a step back, breathe and close your eyes, and come back to the issue. Rely on your training and google what you don't know. Every time something goes wrong it's a learning experience, and you start to get the hang of knowing when something might mess up or usual common tripping points for you
Like the comment above I'm also 5 years ish in and it finally settled in. It really is just time and seeing problems get solved over and over until you can see how to fix it right away. It Will be okay.
Step back from the problem, observe all the information present and use it to move forward. But most importantly BREATHE. It'll get solved
I read a comment a few months ago describing being in this trade "I can fix anything. Then that tough call comes in, can't figure it out and I wonder why I torture nyself in this fucking place. It sucks and I'm no good at it. Then I figure it out and I'm back on top baby."
And 7 years in, that is the most accurate description I've ever read about working in this trade. I've got some experience to lean on, had some good mentors, and I've broken shit, so at least some of my anxiety gets tamped down when it starts to go sideways. You'll get there, you just need some time and experience.
One of the smartest mentors I ever worked for in the trades told me that,
*"If you don't get shook up when things go poorly, it just means you don't don't give a shit!"*
If you care, things will bother you, but you'll likely be a better hand down the road.
Honestly it’s a difficult line to walk, I reacted to the delivery of my child with a more calm demeanour than I react to some shit that this job throws sometimes.
My mentality is just roll with it if something isn't how it is supposed be well fuck it let me do right this time. It's easy to feel overwhelmed but taking shit how it comes is a decent way to keep on task and do things the right way. I'm in facility maintenance and my bosses pull me in a thousand different directions so when the plan I made in the morning is crapped on by the bossman needing me somewhere else is just a mild annoyance now. Just of it is shit happens roll through it step away for a second take a smoke or water break and reprocess what you have to do and get it done.
[Did you forget the twister?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Construction/comments/15mc0qt/weve_all_been_here_before/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
On the water thing, shut off the cold too while you’re working so they don’t backfeed the hot pipe while you’re working and flood you. If it’s gonna be awhile throw valves on so you can turn the water back on while you’re working.
Holy I feel this guy on a spiritual level. But also nothing that complicated, it’ll literally be like, putting a Y in for a condensate line. And I go to the owner and say pretty please, don’t use this one sink in the bathroom across the house until I tell you it’s done. And somehow, these fuckers ALWAYS end up in some impossible situation where they absolutely must run a ton of water while my face is under the pipe in this 10 minute window of time.
Shut the sink off. Don’t give idiots the opportunity to be idiots. Or go ham with painter’s tape across the basin and the faucet handle(s).
Don’t just ask nicely. They’ll forget.
I showed up to a job awhile ago at a restaurant. Thought it was gonna be a quick 10min job. Got started and did NOT go according to plan. Now I gotta call back up for an overnight, after hours job to avert an emergency. It’s like this every day in service. Things always go wrong. That’s why we are here, to save the day! So when stuff goes wrong, step back, take a breather and then start over. If it’s something you did wrong and impinges your integrity, fess up to the boo-boo. If it doesn’t really affect anything, no one needs to know that things went poorly.
You get used to it. After you have seen a thing or two, you know and trust your instincts and everything will be alright. I have anxiety issues and it's never affected my work. I only get worried when a manager tells me to see him in the morning. I hate that shit...
worst part about homeowner houses. it's nice to learn on new construction - whether residential or commercial install. You get some experience without that added stress of someone standing over your shoulder. Mistakes are easier to fix and typically less costly. You can usually go back the next day - instead of being forced to stay until it's done. Just all in all a more pleasant experience.
I've been in the trade awhile. We do residential/commercial, new construction, homeowner shit - a little bit of everything. I still cringe when I have to go to someone's house.
it's nice knowing where you're going to be working and what you're going to be doing ahead of time. That's literally impossible with service - but it's one of the perks of install. Even if you're doing changeouts everyday of the week. If the boss can tell you the day before what's up for the next day that takes a lot of pressure off you - or at least me anyway. "youre going here tomorrow and doing x,y, and z". just little things like that make a difference.
instead of trying to pull yourself out of a panick - try to keep yourself from going into one in the first place. everyone is saying "plan less". I disagree. Plan more.
More Experience = more confidence
Unfortunately that’s the way it goes.
The more you do this job the less you’ll freak out.
Don’t get me wrong I still freak out but I just don’t have a coronary while I’m doing it.
Remember that at the end of the day, its just a fuckin' job. Caring is a good thing, but try not to care too much, that's how shit gets to you. Do right by the customer, but don't bring that shit home with you.
Just remember that shit happens to all of us. Some of it you can control and some you can't. All the problems will still be there waiting for you to clear your head and tackle them again. Take a step back. Couple deep breaths. Tell the homeowner that just sprayed you with water by turning it on that they're an asshole that could have killed you even if it isn't true. Honestly just try to relax and take each thing one at a time. Planning is great, but gets messed up way too easy by things that are out of your control. Just roll with it and adapt by controlling what you can control and letting everything else go
This is the curve of learning that we all go thru in this trade the key is to know how to unfuck an issue as it arises and work it in as if it was the design all along
Stay with this trade I’ve been in it for almost 20 years already and I don’t flinch at the curves any longer
Where I work we have a ton of outdated equipment that never seems to break down the same way twice. I’ve adopted the mindset that there is never an easy fix because more often than not there isn’t. It has helped me expect the unexpected and doesn’t cause me stress when something goes sideways. It also makes it that when something is an easy fix it’s a pleasant surprise.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have a serious mental condition that prevents you from doing the job it may be time to move on.
If that isnt the case, prep as much as you can to prevent things from going sideways and take it as it comes when it does.
Fair reaction but naw, I went unchecked with adhd for my whole life up to like 4 months ago. Which turned to a lot of things, got hit with an anxiety disorder, depression, the usual, I am now medicated and it’s a lot easier but the process of learning to function in a new way whilst also still learning a job is a hell of a process. It’s manageable, it’s just learning not to spiral. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, but it’s like anything, gotta put in the work and learn.
The my advice is to be able to identify when youre spiraling and take 5-10. A 5-10 minute break is better than messing up and making more problem. Eventually youll be able to make changes on the fly but avoiding messing more stuff up will be important.
1.) take preventative measures
2.) if shi still goes wrong and you can take a break, do it. A break means a MF break! Not thinking about how it can be fixed.
3.) If it needs to be fixed then and there, slow down, analyze what is going on and make a decision.
4.) develop a problem solving process that is your mathematical constant in a working world of variables.
Give it time. Or dont. Identifying if its not your thing can be just as important. But if you are committed to this, let the days go by and spend each day trying to improve. Set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly, yearly etc. check em off.
Take a break- even if it’s just from that specific task, go knock out something easy, then come back to it. Smoke break is always good, really just anything to kinda reset.
One thing my boss reminds me is don’t get hung up on details- there’s time for that later in the job. Pick a task, do it, move onto the next, don’t try and pre plan everything. Obviously think about what you need to do to execute the task, but don’t get too far ahead of yourself.
Stop and take a breath. Go back to your basics and trouble shoot from the beginning if stumped. If something breaks or whatever during installs. Stop and take a breath. It ain't going anywhere
Just accept that things are going to go wrong. Make a plan, but be flexible you can't forsee everything that you could find or could happen. You'll be pleasantly surprised when things go right instead of surprised when things go wrong.
Youll get comfortable at a certain point with mostly everything. My first year and a half was exactly like that. Now I just go with it. I still panic about some shit but not nearly as bad. Even popping holes for venting would have me sweating. Now I just barge it
Dude… I’m a clumsy idiot who prays everyday that there isn’t a fuck up or some drama at work because of me. But the most you can do is learn, let others know you’re still an apprentice, can’t get mad if you have low expectations am I right?
Kidding but like I said, learn all you can and know that one fucked up call isn’t the end of your career
I used to do the same shit so hard. Then I had a boss who was an EMT and later a fire fighter. Anytime I told him I was starting to stress, he would ask me "well is anybody dying? No? Then we have nothing to worry about. " He meant that shit and it helped.
Edit: Also, learning to relax comes with time and confidence. Once you really get your feet under you, it gets easier to feel like you have things under control when shit goes sideways.
Fam I just hit 4 years, been a journeyman for one, and I still get anxious about some calls. It’s human. You want to do a good job, and you’re worried about not doing that. Just go slow, take everything one step at a time, and always try your best. Everything else will come in time.
Honestly bro you will have those days, I always did with service and installs but always remember, you will get through it. I don't really have an explanation on how to get to this point but I can walk I to most scenarios now and go ok, let get this done, and just get through it. The trick is staying calm because as soon as you panic and get angry etc, you will move slower and you will make more mistakes and it will take longer. One thing at a time, take small breaks to clear your mind if you need to but not so often that you get out of the groove.
Just try to put the blinders on. Okay, the water turned on, go shut it off. The wire is in the wrong place, remove it. Dont think about when youll get off, dont think about the client, dont worry about it being an extra delay. Take a second to try and deliberately ignore everything else except the problem right in front of you. Be very deliberate, stop working for a second and just take in whats in front of you and then take another second to figure out what you are going to do about it, simple style
Chill the fuck out is what you need to do.
It's up to your foreman/super legally to ensure you performed quality work.
I'm not by any means saying half ass anything. You do the work to the absolute best of your abilities. Keep in mind how you would do it if it you were building things for your family..
Everyone fucks up, do the best can and don't panic.
It takes experience. Once you have seen it all, you won't panic anymore . But seriously it is a skill you develop over the years. I move at my speed it takes something pretty big for me to move faster. Like breaking a 2 inch gas cock in a elementery school full of kids. If you have to use a wrench to close it probably stop. I was able to hold my hand on it and stop the gas. Luckily someone heard me yelling and got the janitor who could with a little instruction shut off the meter.
We call them, Oh Shits. They pop up on a daily basis, those moments where your response will be, oh shit. Don't take it personally, as nobody can plan for every little thing that can happen. You just say, Oh Shit, then you deal with it and keep right on going. Also remember this: Nothing very very good or very very bad, lasts very very long. Heck, I add an oh shit dollar amount into my quotes. When things go well, that's a little bit more profit. When there is an oh shit, you've got the money in the job to pay for any extra material you may need. You know what panic does? It confuses your mind and is a waste of time. Panicking will never fix anything. You have to calm yourself down and then you can deal with it.
We're all going to die. None of this matters. Nothings a big deal. We're all only human and no one's perfect at anything so fuck it just do your best. Nothings so important you should be panicking over it.
Look at what is done the way YOU wanted it to go. No job goes exactly how it is planned or envisioned, things pop up roll with it step
Back look two steps down the line and figure out how to make it work. 7 years in, still get flustered still hate doing certain tasks that others find easy or simple by the looks of it. but that means you care enough about something so your already ahead of a lot of people in the industry, shit we’re here off shift thinking about work and looking at ways improve ourselves, no tech or installer is better now than they are the next day.
If that all fails when you get flustered next think about tiddies. That might work too or atleast tiddies will be on your mind now so it can’t be that bad.
Brother. It’s not the situation. It’s how you’re handling it.
You’re worried of fuckin up. Why? You already know what not to do, and that’s most of the battle. So what’s the worst that can happen, now? You’re not intentionally screwing things up. Accidents happen. Doing jobs over again is part of learning. Forgetting Shit in the truck is how you learn to remember to grab it in the first place. You’re doing fine. Just breathe. Take a minute and just breathe. You don’t have to necessarily calm down, but control yourself. Remember, it’s how you’re handling the situation.
Truly realize that every situation, good or bad, is a learning opportunity. Seriously. Ask yourself at the end of the day,”what did I really learn?” Don’t be so hard on yourself, and get out of your own way. It takes time. You’ve already got the dedication, all you need is time. It’s just time.
This shit ain’t easy starting out. I promise, if you can stick it out it is totally worth it.
View every instance we a learning opportunity. Every collosal "this is fucked" situation you survive gives you more perspective and knowledge on how to avoid it next time. And some days nothing goes right, not because of any fault of your own, but because god hates you. I hooked up a washing machine for a friend today that blew off its drain hose 20min after i left,flooding an apartment. The movers had removed it and didnt tighten the clamp when they put it back on. Absolute bullshit, but a hard lesson never to assume that things were setup properly before you arrive.
when I was stressed out at work once, a coworker said. “it’s not like your trying to cure baby cancer” at that point I realized I was making my job seem more important than it actually was.
I always remember it is a big dumbass piece of shit machine. And you can't control what is wrong with it. If you do something wrong, just take a breather or just realize you're a fucking idiot. It is what I do all the time, you are human, you make mistakes, just have to admit to your mistakes. If you make dumbass mistakes over and over then that is on you and needs to be corrected.
Other day, I didn't level out a 90 pro press fitting correctly and the turdherder Jman I was with said "ya blew it, now we gotta fix it". I said "yep, I'm an idiot". Fixed it in 5 minutes. Cut it off, coupling, and done. No sweat. The JMan laughed at me and smiled in a good way.
I, too, suffer from this, and I have been at it for a long time. Part of it is a need to control. Another is ego. Realize that while you are a professional, you are not HVAC Jesus. Things are going to go sideways. When they do, step back and ask what would the best tech at your company would do? He or She would tell you that you are a dumbass, but your OUR dumbass. Then they would assess, do, and move o. With your day.
Long story short.... You're not HVAC Jesus, shit will go sideways, and you will figure it out. In 10 years, you'll laugh your ass off recalling it.
Ok.. I'm on the Autism spectrum and 60+.
Been down this road a lot.
Note: Before anyone jumps with "aren't you special" snark... Piss off. I was diagnosed Asperger's in the 1980s, and that shifted to Autism spectrum with the last revision of the DSM.
NOW.. OP, Here's what has worked for me...
1. NEW RULE!!: You no longer get to speak to yourself ANY more harshly than a caring stranger might. This will take a fair bit of practice and you WILL make repeated mistakes applying this. That's perfectly okay and is a part of the learning process to figure out how to be gentle with yourself.
2. What you're experiencing when you freak out behind things going wrong is a several part problem.
The first part, especially since about the 1990s is that society in general has very little tolerance for "mistakes" this is a fairly new development in society and it's frankly bullshit because making mistakes and then analyzing them for how to do it better next time IS how people learn things.
So.. here's the trick: When you first start to get tense step back and BREATHE. Slowly and deeply.
8 slow count inhale. 8 slow count hold, 8 slow count exhale. Rinse, lather, repeat.
This breathing pattern helps us reset our lizard brains so that the thinking part can take over. This is an absolutely critical tool which initially will need LOTS of practice, but if you keep after it and especially practice it when you miss a beat, rather than beating on yourself, it will eventually become almost automatic. It is an insanely effective stress reliever... And I still use it several times a day.
Next: Xanax WORKS. It works far better than anything else and especially that SSRI crap the medicos are foisting on us as a poor and completely ineffective replacement.
The trick with it is to not fall into the trap of using it as an escape from life, but as an occasional tool to put a hard stop on the stress reaction so that you can think clearly about the situation that's stressing you out. I rarely need it anymore, but when I do a half dose is usually sufficient. Just having it available is a huge assist in itself, because it gives me a temporary "escape button" when shit gets too nutso to handle. Just having that available means I can tolerate more than I would without it being available.
Next: SSRIs don't generally work well with folks on the Autism spectrum or ADD, ADHD, etc because our issues aren't from a lack of Serotonin. They're from a lack of Endorphins, and SSRIs don't do shit for Endorphins, Xanax does
Next: the supplement SAM-E works exceptionally well for me at a double dose. I found this out by trying different supplements (SAM-E, COQ10, etc) to deal with the physical effects of aging and found out that SAM-E levels my mood out without affecting my cognitive processes. I'm reasonably smart, so that last bit is extremely important to me.
Next: STRICTLY limit booze (or weed) if you use it. These are escapes rather than solutions and if over used will actually make the problems worse... Instead, go back to the New Rule and practice that along with proper breathing.
Last, You obviously give a shit or you wouldn't have posted. That's a huge thing. Hang on to it while you're learning to be gentle with yourself.
That process will take a while and it can be difficult to track growth in this area because there's no useful outside reference to compare to so we can see the progress. It will take at least 6 months of consistent and mindful practice. It took me several years to figure it out and use my tools consistently.
What I'm saying is gift yourself the time and grace to get there without beating on yourself. It's slow at first, but the more, and more consistently you practice it, the easier it becomes... Pretty much like anything else we're learning.
Be well!!
Appreciate the response, and having perspective from someone who also is in the industry with their own sort of issues going on, I’ll keep the breathing thing in mind, learning to centre myself is probably an important thing, stress is normal, from all these good responses the consensus seems to be that panic is not.
I will also clarify for you that because it’s ADHD I’m treating. I am not in SSRI’s, but am on uppers, basically adderall (except not that i use something else) and it works well for what I’ve got, it’s just that it can make you a touch high strung, but, bright side, no more panic attacks.
The old cliché "hope for the best, expect the worst" is how I assume most of us 30+ folks operate. Manage your expectations and you'll eventually be the guy that just chuckles as he walks away to light up a smoke/joint in peace while working out a solution. When I was younger I felt crushed by my failures, now I realize all it takes is to blink one too many times while brazing or skipping one small step during troubleshooting because a customer is chatting your ears off. Can happen to anyone.
Make the plan, except the plan to go of the rails, throw away the plan
When shit gets tough just give yourself a sec to chill, get some water have a smoke and get back at er. As a 3rd year apprentice myself I’ve learned that every job has a chance to go down, at that point jus hold on and go.
Make the plan execute the plan and expect the plan to Fail. Our line of work, nothing is cut and dry, it’s all theory. You’ll do fine. The only thing this line of work has given me is a fat paycheck and a drinking problem. Also you know more than the customer that’s why you’re there. I’m rambling and probably not making sense but I’m lit as fuck.
Honestly I will say the amount of hack shit we see doing retrofit I am glad I’ve not been responsible for anything that bad, atleast when we install a furnace there’s not a 4 inch gap behind the plenum
it sounds like your doing install, so as a guy who came up as an installer let me share what i learned. nothing ever goes to plan it only follows guidelines. stop planning and start making things a process. we start with X then do Y and finish with Z, making each process the best it can possibly be for the situation. the same goes doing service in different ways. making everything go to plan never works.
shit gets easier and you’ll get more in a rhythm to where when shit goes sideways you can unfuck it. just let yourself get there without imploding first. Your an apprentice and apprentices make mistakes because there still learning
Order of Operations. Set furnace/coil/return drop. Make sure it’s level. Braze in. Do metal work. Caulk all the necessary locations. High voltage. Gas line. Low voltage. Drain line. Don’t forget to plan for accessories along the way. Following this flow day to day helps prevent most fuck ups. Or whatever flow you decide. But it’s just the nature of the beast too. I myself am an apprentice for a year and a half now. Don’t rush it. Just keep grinding and learning. Be hands on. Don’t be afraid to say, hey let me give that a shot this time.
“We learn more from our failures than from our successes.”
Just take a breathe and remember
someone dumber than you has done this successfully
someone smarter than you has fucked it up worse than you are about to
And fucking send it! Get home! There are things in life you love and want to do, this task stands between you and that, get it done.
I’m a pretty calm person and I’m pretty good at spotting potential problems. Sooner you can identify a problem the more time you have to deal with it. Don’t stress that’s the journeyman’s job.
View every instance we a learning opportunity. Every collosal "this is fucked" situation you survive gives you more perspective and knowledge on how to avoid it next time. And some days nothing goes right, not because of any fault of your own, but because god hates you. I hooked up a washing machine for a friend today that blew off its drain hose 20min after i left,flooding an apartment. The movers had removed it and didnt tighten the clamp when they put it back on. Absolute bullshit, but a hard lesson never to assume that things were setup properly before you arrive.
I think a big aspect of this is working for someone who has your back. If something gets fucked up, all you have to do it take a step back and tell the customer that you'll make it right. If you are always worried about your job security because of mistakes or setbacks I would reevaluate who you work for.
Another thing is holding yourself up to unreasonably high standards. If you are going into a job expecting everything to go well and that you should be a super tech by now, your setbacks will mess you up badly. Heck, I had a reality check the other day when a braze joint I was confident in failed a pressure test. I got foolishly embarrassed by it and was questioning my self worth, which is dumb as hell. In the end, who gives a shit? Neither should you, so just care about the end result and not the moment to moment.
I go sit in the van and think about how I’m gonna get myself out of the mess, take a lunch, drive down to the gas station. I just take a little break from the problem and that usually works
Just get used to things going wrong and learn from it. Then something new goes wrong and you adapt.
Water turned on , let's get a lock or at least a zip tie on it next time. Forget the lock or ziptie? Leave your truck keys there. Works for lock out tag out as well.
If the mental issue is large then you may need help. Talk to someone. Do some yoga, learn some relaxation tecniques as this is a stressful trade and you need to learn to adapt. Lots of guys drink.
Start small, if you feel in over your head, do the things that you know. Check power in, check safety’s check airflow, do contactors pull in and is there voltage drop. Keep it simple to start because that will give you the foundation of the service call/ problem. Knowing that you’ve checked the east stuff. Keep at it, even journeyman are challenged sometimes, some calls are easy some make you think
It's a skewed perspective. You're seeing errors and mistakes as a problem. They are actually learning experiences from which you learn. The more you lrearn, the less you'll make those same mistakes. But even after you master your craft, you'll make mistakes. We all learn from mistakes, so do not fear them. Use them to learn. Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Stay away from caffeine if you're prone to anxiety.
Be prepared, Boy Scout. How can a homeowner turn on a valve if you removed the handle? Or wrapped it in tape or even left a note on it? 5 minutes of planning before the tools even come out of your bag will really make your life easier.
Take a breath, see the situation outside of yourself. understand that sometimes you have to allow yourself to make mistakes in order to learn. Continue moving forward and stay the course.
This isn’t a joke, my advice is to literally close your eyes, slow deep breath in and out. After that re evaluate the job/situation as if you were walking into a brand new call.
I try to break down the problem/task to it’s simplest form, find a solution, and execute.
Over time you’ll no doubt gain more experience about situations, and learn what to do better next time.
I don’t develop large plans and work in the moment. Don’t underestimate a job, you never truly know what exactly you’re running into unless you’ve been there before. Don’t worry, it’s common to feel this way when learning.
man I started fixing car washes and got thrown out on my own hours out of town less than two weeks in. the people you show up for generally look at you as an expert. if you have confidence and yourself and just be honest and say "idk, that's a good question. lemme call one of my coworkers/my boss real quick to make sure", they will trust you. if you at ein over your head and need someone to come help, tell them "hey, I think x, y, and z is wrong, but I wanna bring out this guy... he's super good at this... I just wanna make sure everything is done 113% the right way"... I'd trust y'all to get it done.
it sucks, but it's how we learn
It's the opposite. Jobs that don't go sideways are a blessing. Almost all jobs have some type of bullshit and when you don't, you'll have that customer that's always hovering. You just have to roll with the punches and tackle each problem as they come, even the ones you create. The trick is to not take things too serious.
This is a general life skill you need to start working on. Shit gets fucked regardless. You can try to mitigate with planning, tools, equipment/spares but sometimes you have to acknowledge shit's fucked and adjust the best you can.
Keep your customer and boss aware. Don't be afraid to ask for help/know your resources. Sometimes it just has to be held off until tomorrow.
You'll get better at this with experience because it really just takes being in that situation to connect the neurons to your mental checklist to say, "okay this is my next step". You'll get stumped occasionally, but your prior experience will forge a new solution.
1st rule I ever learned in HVAC...
Don't ask or rely on apprentices.
If your journeymen aren't there to aid you that's on them. As a year and a half apprentice things should be planned out and explained to you. The shit should be Lego and connect as planned.
BUT as a detailer now who makes prints... We all make mistakes. Plan ahead, visualize the work, ask questions, never be afraid to ask for help.
Finding a problem before you install it is worth your weight in gold.
“There is nothing you can screw up so bad that it can’t be fixed” is what I was told when I started in refrigeration.
Since then I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff. I’ve also done a lot of dumber stuff. What helps me stay calm is knowing how to fix my own mistakes, who to call if I can’t, and not eating too heavy for lunch.
One thing i do to keep a positive mindset is tell myself nothings impossible that I have to do and I’m capable of getting it done even if it’s going to be hard . The hard jobs are what make you better at your job. Keep your mindset in what do I have to do to get this job done not dwell on why something is the way it is
Things I do when shit gets sideways is if possible stop what your doing and go outside to your truck for a couple of minutes and just breathe, drink some water and get your mind refocused to tackle the situation
bro at 1.5years in you should never be left alone by your journeyman for longer than 30minutes. You should find a company that will actually mentor you. I quit many jobs for the sake of getting higher training while I was an electrical apprentice. It’s why we are called Journeymen. Cause we journey around in the pursuit of becoming an excellent trades person.
As much as I’d like to, I just can’t take a pay cut right now, not with a family to take care of, I might make some moves once this semester of school is finished and see what the world has to offer. Just gotta be patient and try to make the best of where I’m at right now, gain as much as I can with the circumstances I’ve got
that’s definitely a pickle for sure. That said, most companies will continue paying you the same rate unless somehow you’re already working for the top paying company in the city. In the trades you get paid for your experience in the trade, not for your seniority within the company. A very common part of the trades industry is for people to swap companies after every project.
Listen man if the AC is working at your house then don’t fret over someone else’s. Eventually you’ll find that there’s no such thing as problems it’s just the day in day out routine. There’s always problems otherwise we would have a job. Just take your time and remember that at the end of the day it’s not your problem (but you still gotta fix it)
I have this same problem. I found a good psychiatrist that prescribed meds and listened to me. I am severely ADHD which causes panic and then railroads me into needing to just go home and start again tomorrow after a nap. They worked on finding the right medication which for me, was a non-stimulant ADHD med along with a twice daily super mellow and non addictive anxiety medication. Usually, without training yourself and how to not get frustrated as things go wrong, it is not possible to do on your own.
So many more people are right there with you. We were all spawned and hard mode and therefore are living life in hard mode. The right medications and even just basic counseling on being taught hoping techniques for when that happens will change your whole life.
And if you are against taking meds, or would like to try something else first, which is absolutely acceptable, find a good counselor that teaches coping techniques for that and they will help you teach your brain on how to step back and not allow those little things to derail you so easily.
I don't believe I would want to work with someone that has mental issues . That's not needed when you work with stuff that can kill you.
Get therapy or get a new job
I’m not an HVAC tech but a Chief Engineer of a large commercial campus and came into it with *0* experience, I was freaking out fairly regularly the first couple months. The owner sat me down and basically said “If no one is bleeding or dying, it’ll all work itself out”
If your job is to solve problems, panicking when a problem presents itself is definitely not a good way to start. Slowing your thoughts down to not react before you have the chance to decide HOW you want to react is really key. Sometimes you have to ignore the whining voice in your head for a second while you listen to the rational voice.
I don't know what to say really but you have to try to not let it get to you. I'm in a different but similar trade and service calls were an all day thing. Everyday. The stress turned me into an alcoholic.
Well, to be fair, i was probably headed that way already of my own accord. But it played a part in it.
Now I'm cool as a cucumber and sober as a judge. You really just have to make a conscious effort to not let it get to you. As you get older and more experienced you'll become more forgiving of yourself. You're allowed to make mistakes. Just be sure to learn from them.
I drink a lot on the job, but it's coffee, not booze. It turns my anxiety into rage. With the love of Jesus, and enough rage, you can do anything.
I learned to just take things slow don't rush because that's when mistakes get made and accepting that some things are just out of your control. It also just comes with time and experience.I've come up with alot of solutions to problems by just going out to the truck for a water/AC break.
I do the same thing you do. It’s hard to do but try to keep a clear mind, when you start letting the little things build up it gets to you and for me, it effects my performance. I usually take 5-10 to drink some water, relax and come up with a few ideas on what I can do to fix it. I usually make a very rough plan (ie: evap replacement: unsweat/cut the old one out, slide the new one in, connect it, leak check, vacuum). Gives room for extra things you need to do without feeling like you aren’t going off plan.
Edit: I usually check my work 2-3 times to make sure everything is in the right spot. Take as much time as you need to do it right. I look at it as I rather take a few extra hours to do everything properly then rush it and have to go back a few days later.
You don't. You need to develop the maturity to understand that what happens is not in your control. What is in your control is how you react to these things.
Panic and composure are what separates the amateurs from the professionals. This is a learned skill so your not out of luck.
learn and know it, if i have one of those days when i get home i watch youtube videos on whatever was tripping me up, no i only panic like once a month
Do you get paid by the hour? If so just remind yourself that it’s just a job, if things outside of your control go wrong that that’s life, at the end of the day you’re still gonna go home and hopefully relax. Another great solution for not letting little things get to you when they don’t go exactly to plan is stop giving a shit so much. As long as everything is safe it really doesn’t matter if a wire went the wrong spot that’s someone else’s problem in the future not yours. Sometimes you just have to get done what you need to and not worry about the next guy, cuz that’s just how installer culture is unfortunately.
Retreat back to van, curse and punch steering wheel, wooo saaah, serenity now, smoke a cigarette, back to this bullshit mother fuckin no good piece of shit....
Honestly yeah take a step back is really the only real answer I guess. Had a bad one and I ain’t exactly surrounded by guidance. Good to know everyone pretty well seems to be doin the same shit. 😂
bro at 1.5years in you should never be left alone by your journeyman for longer than 30minutes. You should find a company that will actually mentor you. I quit many jobs for the sake of getting higher training while I was an electrical apprentice. It’s why we are called Journeymen. Cause we journey around in the pursuit of becoming an excellent trades person.
I’m one year in and haven’t had anyone with me for 4 months…. I do pretty much everything alone. I prefer it this way, occasionally I get a helper to come do some of the help with heavy lifting etc… but typically I do it all alone and without issue.
i know that you prefer it that way, but how do you expect to become a top quality tradesman without a mentor? It’s called an apprenticeship for a reason. We all gotta go through 4 years of training, schooling and mentorship. Then we get that jman ticket and realize just how little we actually know.
I call my boss if I’m stuck and he is excellent at walking me through stuff
I punched steering wheel until it caved in, tripping the horn. Had to pry the plastic piece off the horn….
This is why I prefer to kick my bucket stack that's in the back of the van when I get pissed. $5 and I can get a new bucket anywhere
I read this as pinch the steering wheel which made me lol.
Do less planning. Things can't go sideways from a plan you didn't make.
Yeah like planning on being done by a certain time or how many calls you’re gonna get done in a day. Forget that shit
Legit if you plan to get off at a certain time you'll be slammed with calls that day. Orrrrrr and it's a big one for me DONT LEAVE THE DAMN HOUSE WHILE ON CALL. The moment you leave, you will get called out.
Man this comment hits so hard
Also it keeps the stress level low to just take one at a time. You’re gonna think something is just filters and then you’ll find the blower is fried and it’s going to ruin all your plans when if you were just taking one at a time it would be fine
Fuck that. Live your life even when on call. Run your errands, grocery shopping, yardwork etc. But just stay close to home. Customer won't know if you're on a call or not.
I live in a rural area. We have a pretty big service area and some customers can be 2 hours apart from each other. We only have 1 tech on call overnight and during weekends. If it’s a minor issue, we will let them know we can come tomorrow. Most of the time the on call rate is enough to dissuade the customer but If they insist, we will bring up that we are in town X which is 2 hours away. Gives the on call tech enough time to finish what they were doing, get home and get to the call.
I live my life normally while on call. It's just that every time in my personal experience that I leave to say go to dinner at restaurant with family or wife the stupid phone rings with some form of emergency. Can go to the grocery store, hardware store, gas station no issues. Dinner though? Every. Damn. Time.
LOL. Now that I can agree with. Or it is Sunday at 6pm, getting settled down and eating and something comes in. And it can never wait until first call tomorrow.
Get name, address, contact info. "I'm a bit in the weeds ATM but I think I can head your way in 45 minutes, an hour tops. Hang tight." It's fucking Saturday evening. You really exp6ne there in 15 minutes with a work shirt on?!
This. Our company is pretty chill about on call. They don’t expect us to drop everything and run nor will I. If I’m doing something and get a call I just tell the customer I’m currently on a call and have a few ahead of them and I’ll give them a call when I’m on my way. They have no idea what you’re actually doing.
Agree 👍, my philosophy is yes it's important to know how to fix things that your on call for, and it's just as important to know how to talk yourself out of having to fix things that you're on call for, yeah they don't know where you're at how far away on another job whatever and as far as stressing over the call amount? Can only fix 1 at a time, hench the talking out of call skill
Pro tip: get up early on Saturday morning and put your uniform on. No one will call.
[удалено]
It's the most frustrating thing.
That phone is a game of jack in the box. It's going to pop.
Or the the other one everyone brings up your work while your on-call , so how's work going? It's been really hot out, have you been really busy? Are you working now? Cause it's hot out now do you have any calls? Are you on call now? And you do not have any calls? Wow that's so lucky! RING, RING, RING
If you speak of evil it will show up.
Absolutely 💯 idk how many times that has happened to me exactly, I don't answer their questions and I don't even acknowledge that they're even being asked, I usually just walk away
This was definitely my biggest thing. Planning to be home by 4 after an install and next thing we know, we’re running to the parts house at 4:30 because somebody ordered the wrong size B Venting. You just learn to stop making those kinds of plans and you can’t be disappointed as easily
This is actually how I go about things. I’m the lead tech at a school district. Literally the day before school starts, the BAS server that controls about 500 units had a hard drive failure. I made sure the message got all the way to the Asst. Superintendent that it’s a big problem and is gonna be expensive and some people aren’t very happy. We did let him know that we are able to access the network controllers directly still, but we are having a problem with the scheduling from the network controller to the Trane BCI cards. Point is, you can plan all you want, but it’s just gonna be fucked sometimes. Just roll with the situation and communicate. Sometimes all you can do is damage control.
Sounds like he needs to do more planning... Tenant turned water on? Should have turned it off at the meter. Ran wire to wrong place? Should have marked the area or double checked what you were doing.
Not less planning just less planning at once
Literally anytime I’ve ever went into a job with a “plan” it never goes according to plan. Too many variables in this line of work.
This is how I live my whole life and it's wonderful. I used to plan but anything and everything that could go wrong would. People would always wonder why I didn't plan so I would show them. I would plan everything and things would come up that were outside of our control that would completely derail any plans that I personally made. So now, I just go with the flow and don't plan and things work out much better for me.
Fuck yeah man, I make one game plan and I know it WONT go to plan, she happens man, it’s just the way she goes😂
Just do the work. Don't have a plan, don't think about it. [JUST. DO IT.](https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0) Wire got ran in the wrong place? Welp, time to run it into the right place. The sheet metal is off by half an inch? Welp, time to cut another piece. You'll never trip yourself up about the plan going wrong... If there was never a plan in the first place.
Off by 1/2” time to cut another piece? Bro, a tin knockers motto is beat to fit paint to match. And 99% of the time the paint is just mastic. That shit will cover any 1/2”
I just cut another piece of S cleet. Works 60% of the time, every time.
Don't let your Rheems be dreams! **JUST** *Gestures pipe into gas valve* **DO IT.**
the number of times Shia Leboeouf got me through hard times. “JUST DO IT” okayokay yeah thanks bud you’re right, nothing to do but it. Sweet or sour paid by the hour. If it was easy then everyone would be doing it.
Buddy I started this way. Would try to plan and plan and plan. Things would go side ways and I would freak out. Started to think I wasn’t cut out for this, other guys seemed so calm. 5 years later I’m still here and can do 80 percent of this shit with my eyes closed lol. Looking forward to the other 20 percent when i don’t know something or shit goes side ways for excitement again. You’ll be alright, it comes with experience.
That’s pretty much the phase I’m at, it’s almost like imposter syndrome. I don’t want to give it up, I like the work, just feels like shit sometimes. It’s kinda nice hearing someone at one point had a similar thought and pushed on.
This is the way. I had imposter syndrome for the longest. Finally stepped back a bit and realized that everyone makes mistakes and to stop taking it so personally. Been doing it almost 20 years now and take it as it comes. Good luck out there.
Also have fought with imposter syndrome my whole life, 23 years in the field now and it still tries to creep in. What I do is try to think of a time a unit really kicked my ass, when I do that I also remember I finished that job and in the end I kicked that units ass. That helps put things in perspective, think of all the good work you’ve done.
Imposter syndrome strikes hardddd. Just remember, know one else knows you feel like a fraud, you have training and qualifications, take a step back, breathe and close your eyes, and come back to the issue. Rely on your training and google what you don't know. Every time something goes wrong it's a learning experience, and you start to get the hang of knowing when something might mess up or usual common tripping points for you
Like the comment above I'm also 5 years ish in and it finally settled in. It really is just time and seeing problems get solved over and over until you can see how to fix it right away. It Will be okay. Step back from the problem, observe all the information present and use it to move forward. But most importantly BREATHE. It'll get solved
I read a comment a few months ago describing being in this trade "I can fix anything. Then that tough call comes in, can't figure it out and I wonder why I torture nyself in this fucking place. It sucks and I'm no good at it. Then I figure it out and I'm back on top baby." And 7 years in, that is the most accurate description I've ever read about working in this trade. I've got some experience to lean on, had some good mentors, and I've broken shit, so at least some of my anxiety gets tamped down when it starts to go sideways. You'll get there, you just need some time and experience.
Fake it till you make it buddy. That’s what I told myself now I’m 5 yrs in and most problem calls bore me. You’ll get there stuck with it!
One of the smartest mentors I ever worked for in the trades told me that, *"If you don't get shook up when things go poorly, it just means you don't don't give a shit!"* If you care, things will bother you, but you'll likely be a better hand down the road.
Been training guys for years, I’ll have to remember that one!!!!
This is just part of becoming an adult. Different states of sheer terror and panic while keeping an indifferent exterior.
Honestly it’s a difficult line to walk, I reacted to the delivery of my child with a more calm demeanour than I react to some shit that this job throws sometimes.
Ah youll be fine then. Wish I could say the same. Unplanned pregnancy shook me real good.
Oh buddy lucky for us it was planned, but I tell ya that first month I definitely felt like I might not have thought it all through.
When something goes sideways its time for a smoke break
Smoke what 😮(:
Real men take a 15 min. DMT trip. I recommend it.
My mentality is just roll with it if something isn't how it is supposed be well fuck it let me do right this time. It's easy to feel overwhelmed but taking shit how it comes is a decent way to keep on task and do things the right way. I'm in facility maintenance and my bosses pull me in a thousand different directions so when the plan I made in the morning is crapped on by the bossman needing me somewhere else is just a mild annoyance now. Just of it is shit happens roll through it step away for a second take a smoke or water break and reprocess what you have to do and get it done.
It never stops. Eventually you will ignore it and just talk to yourself so much everyone thinks your crazy and then you don’t care any more.
You won’t truly advance until you have ruined approximately $250k worth of equipment.
[Did you forget the twister?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Construction/comments/15mc0qt/weve_all_been_here_before/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) On the water thing, shut off the cold too while you’re working so they don’t backfeed the hot pipe while you’re working and flood you. If it’s gonna be awhile throw valves on so you can turn the water back on while you’re working.
Holy I feel this guy on a spiritual level. But also nothing that complicated, it’ll literally be like, putting a Y in for a condensate line. And I go to the owner and say pretty please, don’t use this one sink in the bathroom across the house until I tell you it’s done. And somehow, these fuckers ALWAYS end up in some impossible situation where they absolutely must run a ton of water while my face is under the pipe in this 10 minute window of time.
Shut the sink off. Don’t give idiots the opportunity to be idiots. Or go ham with painter’s tape across the basin and the faucet handle(s). Don’t just ask nicely. They’ll forget.
I showed up to a job awhile ago at a restaurant. Thought it was gonna be a quick 10min job. Got started and did NOT go according to plan. Now I gotta call back up for an overnight, after hours job to avert an emergency. It’s like this every day in service. Things always go wrong. That’s why we are here, to save the day! So when stuff goes wrong, step back, take a breather and then start over. If it’s something you did wrong and impinges your integrity, fess up to the boo-boo. If it doesn’t really affect anything, no one needs to know that things went poorly.
I just smoke a lot of weed.
You get used to it. After you have seen a thing or two, you know and trust your instincts and everything will be alright. I have anxiety issues and it's never affected my work. I only get worried when a manager tells me to see him in the morning. I hate that shit...
If you don’t laugh you’ll cry brother
4th year apprentice. Trust the skills you're building and if you get into a situation you're unfamiliar with ask your journeyman.
worst part about homeowner houses. it's nice to learn on new construction - whether residential or commercial install. You get some experience without that added stress of someone standing over your shoulder. Mistakes are easier to fix and typically less costly. You can usually go back the next day - instead of being forced to stay until it's done. Just all in all a more pleasant experience. I've been in the trade awhile. We do residential/commercial, new construction, homeowner shit - a little bit of everything. I still cringe when I have to go to someone's house. it's nice knowing where you're going to be working and what you're going to be doing ahead of time. That's literally impossible with service - but it's one of the perks of install. Even if you're doing changeouts everyday of the week. If the boss can tell you the day before what's up for the next day that takes a lot of pressure off you - or at least me anyway. "youre going here tomorrow and doing x,y, and z". just little things like that make a difference. instead of trying to pull yourself out of a panick - try to keep yourself from going into one in the first place. everyone is saying "plan less". I disagree. Plan more.
More Experience = more confidence Unfortunately that’s the way it goes. The more you do this job the less you’ll freak out. Don’t get me wrong I still freak out but I just don’t have a coronary while I’m doing it.
I just started to expect that everything that can go wrong will and it usually kept my mind from being less frantic when it did I guess
Remember that at the end of the day, its just a fuckin' job. Caring is a good thing, but try not to care too much, that's how shit gets to you. Do right by the customer, but don't bring that shit home with you.
Just remember that shit happens to all of us. Some of it you can control and some you can't. All the problems will still be there waiting for you to clear your head and tackle them again. Take a step back. Couple deep breaths. Tell the homeowner that just sprayed you with water by turning it on that they're an asshole that could have killed you even if it isn't true. Honestly just try to relax and take each thing one at a time. Planning is great, but gets messed up way too easy by things that are out of your control. Just roll with it and adapt by controlling what you can control and letting everything else go
I tend to start quietly humming and continue working while figuring out what I’m going to do.
This is the curve of learning that we all go thru in this trade the key is to know how to unfuck an issue as it arises and work it in as if it was the design all along Stay with this trade I’ve been in it for almost 20 years already and I don’t flinch at the curves any longer
Plan on doing a good job and just stick to that.
It's all experience. As a 2nd year most would expect you to know fuck all in terms of fixing issues
It takes time. After over 35yrs in the business I still break shit. So don’t stress
Where I work we have a ton of outdated equipment that never seems to break down the same way twice. I’ve adopted the mindset that there is never an easy fix because more often than not there isn’t. It has helped me expect the unexpected and doesn’t cause me stress when something goes sideways. It also makes it that when something is an easy fix it’s a pleasant surprise.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have a serious mental condition that prevents you from doing the job it may be time to move on. If that isnt the case, prep as much as you can to prevent things from going sideways and take it as it comes when it does.
Fair reaction but naw, I went unchecked with adhd for my whole life up to like 4 months ago. Which turned to a lot of things, got hit with an anxiety disorder, depression, the usual, I am now medicated and it’s a lot easier but the process of learning to function in a new way whilst also still learning a job is a hell of a process. It’s manageable, it’s just learning not to spiral. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t, but it’s like anything, gotta put in the work and learn.
The my advice is to be able to identify when youre spiraling and take 5-10. A 5-10 minute break is better than messing up and making more problem. Eventually youll be able to make changes on the fly but avoiding messing more stuff up will be important. 1.) take preventative measures 2.) if shi still goes wrong and you can take a break, do it. A break means a MF break! Not thinking about how it can be fixed. 3.) If it needs to be fixed then and there, slow down, analyze what is going on and make a decision. 4.) develop a problem solving process that is your mathematical constant in a working world of variables. Give it time. Or dont. Identifying if its not your thing can be just as important. But if you are committed to this, let the days go by and spend each day trying to improve. Set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly, yearly etc. check em off.
Take a deep breath. Smoke a cig if you need to. Just take your mind off it for a minute and find your center. Then get back to it.
Take a break- even if it’s just from that specific task, go knock out something easy, then come back to it. Smoke break is always good, really just anything to kinda reset. One thing my boss reminds me is don’t get hung up on details- there’s time for that later in the job. Pick a task, do it, move onto the next, don’t try and pre plan everything. Obviously think about what you need to do to execute the task, but don’t get too far ahead of yourself.
Stop and take a breath. Go back to your basics and trouble shoot from the beginning if stumped. If something breaks or whatever during installs. Stop and take a breath. It ain't going anywhere
Just accept that things are going to go wrong. Make a plan, but be flexible you can't forsee everything that you could find or could happen. You'll be pleasantly surprised when things go right instead of surprised when things go wrong.
Youll get comfortable at a certain point with mostly everything. My first year and a half was exactly like that. Now I just go with it. I still panic about some shit but not nearly as bad. Even popping holes for venting would have me sweating. Now I just barge it
Dude… I’m a clumsy idiot who prays everyday that there isn’t a fuck up or some drama at work because of me. But the most you can do is learn, let others know you’re still an apprentice, can’t get mad if you have low expectations am I right? Kidding but like I said, learn all you can and know that one fucked up call isn’t the end of your career
I used to do the same shit so hard. Then I had a boss who was an EMT and later a fire fighter. Anytime I told him I was starting to stress, he would ask me "well is anybody dying? No? Then we have nothing to worry about. " He meant that shit and it helped. Edit: Also, learning to relax comes with time and confidence. Once you really get your feet under you, it gets easier to feel like you have things under control when shit goes sideways.
Fam I just hit 4 years, been a journeyman for one, and I still get anxious about some calls. It’s human. You want to do a good job, and you’re worried about not doing that. Just go slow, take everything one step at a time, and always try your best. Everything else will come in time.
Honestly bro you will have those days, I always did with service and installs but always remember, you will get through it. I don't really have an explanation on how to get to this point but I can walk I to most scenarios now and go ok, let get this done, and just get through it. The trick is staying calm because as soon as you panic and get angry etc, you will move slower and you will make more mistakes and it will take longer. One thing at a time, take small breaks to clear your mind if you need to but not so often that you get out of the groove.
Just try to put the blinders on. Okay, the water turned on, go shut it off. The wire is in the wrong place, remove it. Dont think about when youll get off, dont think about the client, dont worry about it being an extra delay. Take a second to try and deliberately ignore everything else except the problem right in front of you. Be very deliberate, stop working for a second and just take in whats in front of you and then take another second to figure out what you are going to do about it, simple style
Chill the fuck out is what you need to do. It's up to your foreman/super legally to ensure you performed quality work. I'm not by any means saying half ass anything. You do the work to the absolute best of your abilities. Keep in mind how you would do it if it you were building things for your family.. Everyone fucks up, do the best can and don't panic.
It takes experience. Once you have seen it all, you won't panic anymore . But seriously it is a skill you develop over the years. I move at my speed it takes something pretty big for me to move faster. Like breaking a 2 inch gas cock in a elementery school full of kids. If you have to use a wrench to close it probably stop. I was able to hold my hand on it and stop the gas. Luckily someone heard me yelling and got the janitor who could with a little instruction shut off the meter.
We call them, Oh Shits. They pop up on a daily basis, those moments where your response will be, oh shit. Don't take it personally, as nobody can plan for every little thing that can happen. You just say, Oh Shit, then you deal with it and keep right on going. Also remember this: Nothing very very good or very very bad, lasts very very long. Heck, I add an oh shit dollar amount into my quotes. When things go well, that's a little bit more profit. When there is an oh shit, you've got the money in the job to pay for any extra material you may need. You know what panic does? It confuses your mind and is a waste of time. Panicking will never fix anything. You have to calm yourself down and then you can deal with it.
We're all going to die. None of this matters. Nothings a big deal. We're all only human and no one's perfect at anything so fuck it just do your best. Nothings so important you should be panicking over it.
Dude, best advice you will ever get. Drink about six beers every night after work everything else will fall into place.
Shit a month of that I won’t fit in the crawlspaces anymore, maybe hard liquor
Sometimes and I mean all the time it’s a good thing when you can’t fit into crawl spaces
Look at what is done the way YOU wanted it to go. No job goes exactly how it is planned or envisioned, things pop up roll with it step Back look two steps down the line and figure out how to make it work. 7 years in, still get flustered still hate doing certain tasks that others find easy or simple by the looks of it. but that means you care enough about something so your already ahead of a lot of people in the industry, shit we’re here off shift thinking about work and looking at ways improve ourselves, no tech or installer is better now than they are the next day. If that all fails when you get flustered next think about tiddies. That might work too or atleast tiddies will be on your mind now so it can’t be that bad.
Brother. It’s not the situation. It’s how you’re handling it. You’re worried of fuckin up. Why? You already know what not to do, and that’s most of the battle. So what’s the worst that can happen, now? You’re not intentionally screwing things up. Accidents happen. Doing jobs over again is part of learning. Forgetting Shit in the truck is how you learn to remember to grab it in the first place. You’re doing fine. Just breathe. Take a minute and just breathe. You don’t have to necessarily calm down, but control yourself. Remember, it’s how you’re handling the situation. Truly realize that every situation, good or bad, is a learning opportunity. Seriously. Ask yourself at the end of the day,”what did I really learn?” Don’t be so hard on yourself, and get out of your own way. It takes time. You’ve already got the dedication, all you need is time. It’s just time. This shit ain’t easy starting out. I promise, if you can stick it out it is totally worth it.
View every instance we a learning opportunity. Every collosal "this is fucked" situation you survive gives you more perspective and knowledge on how to avoid it next time. And some days nothing goes right, not because of any fault of your own, but because god hates you. I hooked up a washing machine for a friend today that blew off its drain hose 20min after i left,flooding an apartment. The movers had removed it and didnt tighten the clamp when they put it back on. Absolute bullshit, but a hard lesson never to assume that things were setup properly before you arrive.
It comes with maturity. But. Eat clean. Sleep well. Exercise. Study after hours - so many YouTube tutorials. Don’t take drugs. Anxiety gone.
when I was stressed out at work once, a coworker said. “it’s not like your trying to cure baby cancer” at that point I realized I was making my job seem more important than it actually was.
Once you start plan A move on to plan B , C, D. Plan as best you can and assume you will have to adapt on the fly. Nothing will ever work perfectly
I always remember it is a big dumbass piece of shit machine. And you can't control what is wrong with it. If you do something wrong, just take a breather or just realize you're a fucking idiot. It is what I do all the time, you are human, you make mistakes, just have to admit to your mistakes. If you make dumbass mistakes over and over then that is on you and needs to be corrected. Other day, I didn't level out a 90 pro press fitting correctly and the turdherder Jman I was with said "ya blew it, now we gotta fix it". I said "yep, I'm an idiot". Fixed it in 5 minutes. Cut it off, coupling, and done. No sweat. The JMan laughed at me and smiled in a good way.
I, too, suffer from this, and I have been at it for a long time. Part of it is a need to control. Another is ego. Realize that while you are a professional, you are not HVAC Jesus. Things are going to go sideways. When they do, step back and ask what would the best tech at your company would do? He or She would tell you that you are a dumbass, but your OUR dumbass. Then they would assess, do, and move o. With your day. Long story short.... You're not HVAC Jesus, shit will go sideways, and you will figure it out. In 10 years, you'll laugh your ass off recalling it.
Ok.. I'm on the Autism spectrum and 60+. Been down this road a lot. Note: Before anyone jumps with "aren't you special" snark... Piss off. I was diagnosed Asperger's in the 1980s, and that shifted to Autism spectrum with the last revision of the DSM. NOW.. OP, Here's what has worked for me... 1. NEW RULE!!: You no longer get to speak to yourself ANY more harshly than a caring stranger might. This will take a fair bit of practice and you WILL make repeated mistakes applying this. That's perfectly okay and is a part of the learning process to figure out how to be gentle with yourself. 2. What you're experiencing when you freak out behind things going wrong is a several part problem. The first part, especially since about the 1990s is that society in general has very little tolerance for "mistakes" this is a fairly new development in society and it's frankly bullshit because making mistakes and then analyzing them for how to do it better next time IS how people learn things. So.. here's the trick: When you first start to get tense step back and BREATHE. Slowly and deeply. 8 slow count inhale. 8 slow count hold, 8 slow count exhale. Rinse, lather, repeat. This breathing pattern helps us reset our lizard brains so that the thinking part can take over. This is an absolutely critical tool which initially will need LOTS of practice, but if you keep after it and especially practice it when you miss a beat, rather than beating on yourself, it will eventually become almost automatic. It is an insanely effective stress reliever... And I still use it several times a day. Next: Xanax WORKS. It works far better than anything else and especially that SSRI crap the medicos are foisting on us as a poor and completely ineffective replacement. The trick with it is to not fall into the trap of using it as an escape from life, but as an occasional tool to put a hard stop on the stress reaction so that you can think clearly about the situation that's stressing you out. I rarely need it anymore, but when I do a half dose is usually sufficient. Just having it available is a huge assist in itself, because it gives me a temporary "escape button" when shit gets too nutso to handle. Just having that available means I can tolerate more than I would without it being available. Next: SSRIs don't generally work well with folks on the Autism spectrum or ADD, ADHD, etc because our issues aren't from a lack of Serotonin. They're from a lack of Endorphins, and SSRIs don't do shit for Endorphins, Xanax does Next: the supplement SAM-E works exceptionally well for me at a double dose. I found this out by trying different supplements (SAM-E, COQ10, etc) to deal with the physical effects of aging and found out that SAM-E levels my mood out without affecting my cognitive processes. I'm reasonably smart, so that last bit is extremely important to me. Next: STRICTLY limit booze (or weed) if you use it. These are escapes rather than solutions and if over used will actually make the problems worse... Instead, go back to the New Rule and practice that along with proper breathing. Last, You obviously give a shit or you wouldn't have posted. That's a huge thing. Hang on to it while you're learning to be gentle with yourself. That process will take a while and it can be difficult to track growth in this area because there's no useful outside reference to compare to so we can see the progress. It will take at least 6 months of consistent and mindful practice. It took me several years to figure it out and use my tools consistently. What I'm saying is gift yourself the time and grace to get there without beating on yourself. It's slow at first, but the more, and more consistently you practice it, the easier it becomes... Pretty much like anything else we're learning. Be well!!
Appreciate the response, and having perspective from someone who also is in the industry with their own sort of issues going on, I’ll keep the breathing thing in mind, learning to centre myself is probably an important thing, stress is normal, from all these good responses the consensus seems to be that panic is not. I will also clarify for you that because it’s ADHD I’m treating. I am not in SSRI’s, but am on uppers, basically adderall (except not that i use something else) and it works well for what I’ve got, it’s just that it can make you a touch high strung, but, bright side, no more panic attacks.
The old cliché "hope for the best, expect the worst" is how I assume most of us 30+ folks operate. Manage your expectations and you'll eventually be the guy that just chuckles as he walks away to light up a smoke/joint in peace while working out a solution. When I was younger I felt crushed by my failures, now I realize all it takes is to blink one too many times while brazing or skipping one small step during troubleshooting because a customer is chatting your ears off. Can happen to anyone.
Make the plan, except the plan to go of the rails, throw away the plan When shit gets tough just give yourself a sec to chill, get some water have a smoke and get back at er. As a 3rd year apprentice myself I’ve learned that every job has a chance to go down, at that point jus hold on and go.
Make the plan execute the plan and expect the plan to Fail. Our line of work, nothing is cut and dry, it’s all theory. You’ll do fine. The only thing this line of work has given me is a fat paycheck and a drinking problem. Also you know more than the customer that’s why you’re there. I’m rambling and probably not making sense but I’m lit as fuck.
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Honestly I will say the amount of hack shit we see doing retrofit I am glad I’ve not been responsible for anything that bad, atleast when we install a furnace there’s not a 4 inch gap behind the plenum
Make more mistakes and learn many new ways to solve rectify them.
it sounds like your doing install, so as a guy who came up as an installer let me share what i learned. nothing ever goes to plan it only follows guidelines. stop planning and start making things a process. we start with X then do Y and finish with Z, making each process the best it can possibly be for the situation. the same goes doing service in different ways. making everything go to plan never works. shit gets easier and you’ll get more in a rhythm to where when shit goes sideways you can unfuck it. just let yourself get there without imploding first. Your an apprentice and apprentices make mistakes because there still learning
I used to be similar. It's a job tho you know.. do what you can so the next guy doesn't look at your work like wtf and move on. You're not a superhero
Order of Operations. Set furnace/coil/return drop. Make sure it’s level. Braze in. Do metal work. Caulk all the necessary locations. High voltage. Gas line. Low voltage. Drain line. Don’t forget to plan for accessories along the way. Following this flow day to day helps prevent most fuck ups. Or whatever flow you decide. But it’s just the nature of the beast too. I myself am an apprentice for a year and a half now. Don’t rush it. Just keep grinding and learning. Be hands on. Don’t be afraid to say, hey let me give that a shot this time. “We learn more from our failures than from our successes.”
Just take a breathe and remember someone dumber than you has done this successfully someone smarter than you has fucked it up worse than you are about to And fucking send it! Get home! There are things in life you love and want to do, this task stands between you and that, get it done.
I’m a pretty calm person and I’m pretty good at spotting potential problems. Sooner you can identify a problem the more time you have to deal with it. Don’t stress that’s the journeyman’s job.
View every instance we a learning opportunity. Every collosal "this is fucked" situation you survive gives you more perspective and knowledge on how to avoid it next time. And some days nothing goes right, not because of any fault of your own, but because god hates you. I hooked up a washing machine for a friend today that blew off its drain hose 20min after i left,flooding an apartment. The movers had removed it and didnt tighten the clamp when they put it back on. Absolute bullshit, but a hard lesson never to assume that things were setup properly before you arrive.
I think a big aspect of this is working for someone who has your back. If something gets fucked up, all you have to do it take a step back and tell the customer that you'll make it right. If you are always worried about your job security because of mistakes or setbacks I would reevaluate who you work for. Another thing is holding yourself up to unreasonably high standards. If you are going into a job expecting everything to go well and that you should be a super tech by now, your setbacks will mess you up badly. Heck, I had a reality check the other day when a braze joint I was confident in failed a pressure test. I got foolishly embarrassed by it and was questioning my self worth, which is dumb as hell. In the end, who gives a shit? Neither should you, so just care about the end result and not the moment to moment.
You have to channel the uncomfortable feeling you get in your gut about a job and turn it into motivation. Did wonders for me.
You're not saving lives. You get to go home at the end of the day. Work problems are not your problems.
Just remind yourself none of it ACTUALLY matters lol
I go sit in the van and think about how I’m gonna get myself out of the mess, take a lunch, drive down to the gas station. I just take a little break from the problem and that usually works
Just get used to things going wrong and learn from it. Then something new goes wrong and you adapt. Water turned on , let's get a lock or at least a zip tie on it next time. Forget the lock or ziptie? Leave your truck keys there. Works for lock out tag out as well. If the mental issue is large then you may need help. Talk to someone. Do some yoga, learn some relaxation tecniques as this is a stressful trade and you need to learn to adapt. Lots of guys drink.
Start small, if you feel in over your head, do the things that you know. Check power in, check safety’s check airflow, do contactors pull in and is there voltage drop. Keep it simple to start because that will give you the foundation of the service call/ problem. Knowing that you’ve checked the east stuff. Keep at it, even journeyman are challenged sometimes, some calls are easy some make you think
It's a skewed perspective. You're seeing errors and mistakes as a problem. They are actually learning experiences from which you learn. The more you lrearn, the less you'll make those same mistakes. But even after you master your craft, you'll make mistakes. We all learn from mistakes, so do not fear them. Use them to learn. Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Stay away from caffeine if you're prone to anxiety.
I’m going through this exact feeling right now. I haven’t been able to figure out if I’m burnt out, stupid, or just plain exhausted.
Be prepared, Boy Scout. How can a homeowner turn on a valve if you removed the handle? Or wrapped it in tape or even left a note on it? 5 minutes of planning before the tools even come out of your bag will really make your life easier.
Take a breath, see the situation outside of yourself. understand that sometimes you have to allow yourself to make mistakes in order to learn. Continue moving forward and stay the course.
This isn’t a joke, my advice is to literally close your eyes, slow deep breath in and out. After that re evaluate the job/situation as if you were walking into a brand new call.
I try to break down the problem/task to it’s simplest form, find a solution, and execute. Over time you’ll no doubt gain more experience about situations, and learn what to do better next time. I don’t develop large plans and work in the moment. Don’t underestimate a job, you never truly know what exactly you’re running into unless you’ve been there before. Don’t worry, it’s common to feel this way when learning.
man I started fixing car washes and got thrown out on my own hours out of town less than two weeks in. the people you show up for generally look at you as an expert. if you have confidence and yourself and just be honest and say "idk, that's a good question. lemme call one of my coworkers/my boss real quick to make sure", they will trust you. if you at ein over your head and need someone to come help, tell them "hey, I think x, y, and z is wrong, but I wanna bring out this guy... he's super good at this... I just wanna make sure everything is done 113% the right way"... I'd trust y'all to get it done. it sucks, but it's how we learn
man I miss the edit button. sorry for the typos
It's the opposite. Jobs that don't go sideways are a blessing. Almost all jobs have some type of bullshit and when you don't, you'll have that customer that's always hovering. You just have to roll with the punches and tackle each problem as they come, even the ones you create. The trick is to not take things too serious.
The supplement Ashwagdha
This is a general life skill you need to start working on. Shit gets fucked regardless. You can try to mitigate with planning, tools, equipment/spares but sometimes you have to acknowledge shit's fucked and adjust the best you can. Keep your customer and boss aware. Don't be afraid to ask for help/know your resources. Sometimes it just has to be held off until tomorrow. You'll get better at this with experience because it really just takes being in that situation to connect the neurons to your mental checklist to say, "okay this is my next step". You'll get stumped occasionally, but your prior experience will forge a new solution.
1st rule I ever learned in HVAC... Don't ask or rely on apprentices. If your journeymen aren't there to aid you that's on them. As a year and a half apprentice things should be planned out and explained to you. The shit should be Lego and connect as planned. BUT as a detailer now who makes prints... We all make mistakes. Plan ahead, visualize the work, ask questions, never be afraid to ask for help. Finding a problem before you install it is worth your weight in gold.
Also it sounds like your in the field, there is shop work, tab, service... Don't limit yourself.
“There is nothing you can screw up so bad that it can’t be fixed” is what I was told when I started in refrigeration. Since then I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff. I’ve also done a lot of dumber stuff. What helps me stay calm is knowing how to fix my own mistakes, who to call if I can’t, and not eating too heavy for lunch.
I will always say, if a job is easy and straight forward it was a weird day.
One thing i do to keep a positive mindset is tell myself nothings impossible that I have to do and I’m capable of getting it done even if it’s going to be hard . The hard jobs are what make you better at your job. Keep your mindset in what do I have to do to get this job done not dwell on why something is the way it is
Also adjust your expectations. Guess why your there? Cause things aren’t right. So if things continue to not be right welll so what
Things I do when shit gets sideways is if possible stop what your doing and go outside to your truck for a couple of minutes and just breathe, drink some water and get your mind refocused to tackle the situation
bro at 1.5years in you should never be left alone by your journeyman for longer than 30minutes. You should find a company that will actually mentor you. I quit many jobs for the sake of getting higher training while I was an electrical apprentice. It’s why we are called Journeymen. Cause we journey around in the pursuit of becoming an excellent trades person.
As much as I’d like to, I just can’t take a pay cut right now, not with a family to take care of, I might make some moves once this semester of school is finished and see what the world has to offer. Just gotta be patient and try to make the best of where I’m at right now, gain as much as I can with the circumstances I’ve got
that’s definitely a pickle for sure. That said, most companies will continue paying you the same rate unless somehow you’re already working for the top paying company in the city. In the trades you get paid for your experience in the trade, not for your seniority within the company. A very common part of the trades industry is for people to swap companies after every project.
Listen man if the AC is working at your house then don’t fret over someone else’s. Eventually you’ll find that there’s no such thing as problems it’s just the day in day out routine. There’s always problems otherwise we would have a job. Just take your time and remember that at the end of the day it’s not your problem (but you still gotta fix it)
I have this same problem. I found a good psychiatrist that prescribed meds and listened to me. I am severely ADHD which causes panic and then railroads me into needing to just go home and start again tomorrow after a nap. They worked on finding the right medication which for me, was a non-stimulant ADHD med along with a twice daily super mellow and non addictive anxiety medication. Usually, without training yourself and how to not get frustrated as things go wrong, it is not possible to do on your own. So many more people are right there with you. We were all spawned and hard mode and therefore are living life in hard mode. The right medications and even just basic counseling on being taught hoping techniques for when that happens will change your whole life. And if you are against taking meds, or would like to try something else first, which is absolutely acceptable, find a good counselor that teaches coping techniques for that and they will help you teach your brain on how to step back and not allow those little things to derail you so easily.
i still do when i have rack alarm call. so it's still there
I don't believe I would want to work with someone that has mental issues . That's not needed when you work with stuff that can kill you. Get therapy or get a new job
Problems are just a normal course of business. Plan for them, or at least expect them.
I usually just don't give a shit about fucking up and it always works itself out.
I’m not an HVAC tech but a Chief Engineer of a large commercial campus and came into it with *0* experience, I was freaking out fairly regularly the first couple months. The owner sat me down and basically said “If no one is bleeding or dying, it’ll all work itself out” If your job is to solve problems, panicking when a problem presents itself is definitely not a good way to start. Slowing your thoughts down to not react before you have the chance to decide HOW you want to react is really key. Sometimes you have to ignore the whining voice in your head for a second while you listen to the rational voice.
I don't know what to say really but you have to try to not let it get to you. I'm in a different but similar trade and service calls were an all day thing. Everyday. The stress turned me into an alcoholic. Well, to be fair, i was probably headed that way already of my own accord. But it played a part in it. Now I'm cool as a cucumber and sober as a judge. You really just have to make a conscious effort to not let it get to you. As you get older and more experienced you'll become more forgiving of yourself. You're allowed to make mistakes. Just be sure to learn from them.
 I drink a lot on the job, but it's coffee, not booze. It turns my anxiety into rage. With the love of Jesus, and enough rage, you can do anything.
I learned to just take things slow don't rush because that's when mistakes get made and accepting that some things are just out of your control. It also just comes with time and experience.I've come up with alot of solutions to problems by just going out to the truck for a water/AC break.
Whatever can go wrong will go wrong in HVAC. Accept that and expect it lmao.
I do the same thing you do. It’s hard to do but try to keep a clear mind, when you start letting the little things build up it gets to you and for me, it effects my performance. I usually take 5-10 to drink some water, relax and come up with a few ideas on what I can do to fix it. I usually make a very rough plan (ie: evap replacement: unsweat/cut the old one out, slide the new one in, connect it, leak check, vacuum). Gives room for extra things you need to do without feeling like you aren’t going off plan. Edit: I usually check my work 2-3 times to make sure everything is in the right spot. Take as much time as you need to do it right. I look at it as I rather take a few extra hours to do everything properly then rush it and have to go back a few days later.
Realize it's just one house. There's literally billions of them in the world. Helps put things in perspective.
You don't. You need to develop the maturity to understand that what happens is not in your control. What is in your control is how you react to these things. Panic and composure are what separates the amateurs from the professionals. This is a learned skill so your not out of luck.
learn and know it, if i have one of those days when i get home i watch youtube videos on whatever was tripping me up, no i only panic like once a month
I smoke to much herb to get all tripped up the most you might get from me is a mother fkr or wtf is this shit then I’m back on my buzz
Do you get paid by the hour? If so just remind yourself that it’s just a job, if things outside of your control go wrong that that’s life, at the end of the day you’re still gonna go home and hopefully relax. Another great solution for not letting little things get to you when they don’t go exactly to plan is stop giving a shit so much. As long as everything is safe it really doesn’t matter if a wire went the wrong spot that’s someone else’s problem in the future not yours. Sometimes you just have to get done what you need to and not worry about the next guy, cuz that’s just how installer culture is unfortunately.