Don't Make These Mistakes When Changing Sacrificial Anode Rods on a Water Heater

These two Rheem water heaters were installed 4 and 7 years ago. This was my first time changing sacrificial anodes and I was curious about what condition the two rods would be in after this amount of time. I found out a few things by first doing some things wrong. Save yourself time and checkout my mistakes. It all worked out in the end though.
Here are my links to the sacrificial anodes that I used on the two water heaters (Thank you if you decide to make a purchase!).
https://amzn.to/3ztmt3l Ozek Water Heater Anode Rod – 44 inch Magnesium Flexible Anode Rod for Hot Water Heater
https://amzn.to/3TwB6d1 Flexible Water Heater Magnesium Anode Rod 3/4 Inch NPT Thread Hex Plug | Collapsible Anode Rod For Hot Water Heaters Tank | 4 Segmented Rods 44" Long