I tried to teach myself how to operate a dozer for years. Broke several machines, wasted hundreds of hours of time and hundreds of gallons of diesel - still couldn’t push a full blade of dirt, grade, or clear land without having piles of dirt in burn piles. Worked with an old friend for couple weeks who has ran dozers for decades. He gave me a few friendly tips and it made all the difference in the world. That plus lots of practice. No substitute for experience but it helps to listen to good advice. Same for all equipment