Every mistake should improve your contract

When I first started my legal practice, I thought that making mistakes was simply part of the growth process.

Slip up, learn a lesson, and move forward. But there's an insight I wish I had learned earlier: growth isn’t about making mistakes, it’s about not repeating the same mistake twice.

If you continue to stumble over the same issue, you’re not learning. You’re just being negligent. Let me paint this point with what I know best: contracts.

The Cost of Ignoring Contracts

I’ve seen it a hundred times. A project goes off track, and suddenly the client refuses to pay.

Scope creep transforms a simple task into an endless nightmare. So, I ask, “What does your contract say about this?” The response? “Nothing.”

That’s mistake #1: having no protection and no plan in place.

But mistake #2 is even worse: doing nothing to fix it.

Leaving that flawed contract as is, while hoping that history won’t repeat itself, is a recipe for disaster.

Why People Don’t Fix Contracts

I don't get why there's so much hesitation. Your contract isn’t carved in stone; it can definitely change. (If it were, we might as well be stuck in the Stone Age!)

Contracts are not stuck in one place, they're flexible tools meant to adapt to your business needs as they grow.

They should change alongside your business as you learn more and have new experiences.

Any negative situations you face should help you to rethink and look at where your contract might be lacking.

Instead of seeing these moments as failures, think of them as great chances to improve and improve your contract.

By tackling these issues, you can build a stronger foundation that better supports your business and its growth.

How Smart Businesses Use Mistakes

When something goes wrong, don’t just move on. Instead, revisit your contract and:

1. Identify the weak spot.

2. Improve the language.

3. Add the clause that could have saved you.

Every clause serves a purpose, and every mistake is an opportunity for improvement.

If a missed payment affected you once, I say that you consider adding a clause for upfront deposits.

If scope creep drained your resources, I say you clearly define boundaries in your next contract.

This is how contracts can work for you - not against you. And this is how you get a custom contract.

So remember - if a mistake has cost you once, don’t let it cost you a second time.

Learn, adapt, and protect yourself, because your business deserves a contract that is as sharp and flexible as you are.