A note on mistakes.

We are doing good when we can learn from our mistakes. Problems are a catalyst for us to rev up our brains and put our skills to the test. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't sweat it if you mess something up. It's going to make you better at what you do! No matter what the consequences are, it's going to improve you. So, don't be afraid to experiment.

Occasionally you'll end up doing the unthinkable. (Usually late at night. Ugg!) Be it erase your hard drive or mess up a client's site. (I know both all too well.) When that happens, try to remember that it's not all bad. It's kinda hard when a client is mad at you, or when you just deleted three months worth of work. BUT, you're going to learn more that day then you would normally in a month. Funny what a little panic can do, huh?

So, you're saying “Great, now I know that I should think positively when I mess something up, but how about preventing the whole scenario altogether?”

All I can say is “it ain't gonna happen buddy.” You can be careful, and eliminate most potential mistakes, but you're still gonna mess up. That's how this learning process seems to work.

That being said, here are a few tips on keeping the wreckage to a minimal level. I know these from personal experience. You might as well learn from my mistakes, right? Heck, why not?

Back up all your work! All the time. If you do a lot of computer work, back up every day. If not, maybe every week. I can't stress enough how important this is! Get yourself a portable hard drive and get to it! DVDs are also an efficient way to back up things that you know you'll want for a long time...
Also, consider a web host for off site back ups. Think flood or fire... an on site back up isn't gonna do much good, so go for an off site back up if you can. Check out Globat.com for good hosting.

Save your open documents that you're working on often! I'm talkin' every minute or so. You can't imagine how many headaches this has saved me. Think of it as - your computer can crash or jam up any moment, how much work would you want to redo? Not much, right? Do it, it's not hard (Control S in most cases..) You'll thank yourself for it. I know I do!

Don't overwrite old files until you know that the new version is correct. When uploading, download the old file to a temp folder that you can empty when you're sure that everything is cool. There's nothing like the feeling of overwriting a good file with one that's not quite right. Then it's crunch time! Avoid that one by this simple precaution.

Take a minute to think through what you're doing. Is it going to work? Did you forget anything? You sure? Positive sure?

If you're not quite sure how to do something, but you know that you can really mess something else up in the process... Google it! Seriously!

That's it for now. Just use your head, and you'll be fine. No go mess around and remember to do something that scares you every day!

Until next time,