Hit 10,000 hours on the job and it made me question the whole 'mastery' thing

I was logging my time for a license renewal and realized I've crossed over 10,000 hours on the line, mostly on regional jets out of Phoenix. The weird part is, I feel less like a master and more like I just know a bigger list of things that can go wrong... like that time a simple O-ring on a hydraulic line in a CRJ-200 gave us a two-day delay. Does anyone else get more cautious, not less, the longer you're in this?

4 comments

4 Comments

scott.alex13d ago

That "bigger list of things that can go wrong" line really hits home. I used to think more hours meant more confidence, but now I see it's more about knowing what to watch for. It's not being scared, it's just being smart, right?

abbyf7913d agoTop Commenter

Feel the same way about my cooking skills. Got really good at making one dish, then realized all the new ways I could burn it. Guess that's progress, right?

hannah_craig11d ago

Yeah, that "bigger list of things that can go wrong" is exactly it. I got super confident with my chili, then I learned about scorching the spices, adding the beans too early, letting it get too thick... Felt like I was worse at it for a while. But then you just start checking those things without thinking. You stir a little more, you keep the heat lower. It stops being a list of worries and just becomes how you cook it.

oliviabutler13d ago

Know what you mean, but I still think more hours does build real confidence. It's not just about watching for problems.