When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you cannot hold a minute longer, never give up, for this is just the place and time the tide will turn.
In his best-selling book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…And It’s All Small Stuff, author Richard Carlson makes the point when we get worked up about little things, we can miss the really important events in life. He is right; if sweating the small stuff means being obsessed with pettiness, being overly critical of others, or as psychologists say, being anal-retentive, then who wants any part of this? How about another perspective? What if sweating the small stuff means paying attention to details and going the extra mile? What if it means noticing little things making a big difference in the quality of your life or business? In the hospitality industry, for instance, the small things often spell the difference between a four-star and the coveted five-star rating. Basketball great Bill Walton once described how his college basketball coach, the legendary John Wooden, trained his new players. According to Walton, Wooden took them into the locker room and taught them to properly suit up for a game… starting with how to tie their shoes, noting life is in the detail. And so it is; little things, done consistently well, eventually build competence, confidence and credibility. When I begin writing about a new client, I ask them to create a list of ten daily habits they want to incorporate into their lives. These might be anything from flossing their teeth, to taking five minutes a day to appreciate life, or making an extra sales call each day. On the surface each action might seem silly, even meaningless. But when life is not working well, having ten activities you do consistently for yourself or your business can quickly turn the moment in your favor. What three or four activities in your life or business, if you really focused on taking them to a higher level, would have tremendous payoffs for you? Maybe on a personal level you give a loved one an unsolicited compliment a day. Maybe in business you practice really listening to your clients or employees, rather than simply waiting for your turn to talk. I do not have a crystal ball and cannot promise you such simple actions will definitely improve your loved one’s performance or your bottom line. I can tell you each of the small changes you make – either in your own life strategy or in how you handle your family or business associates – is the equivalent of making a deposit in your or another’s life bank account. Little by little, these deposits add up. Take some time to look at the small stuff in your life. Pick three or four simple activities you might do to buff up your life and commit to doing them consistently for the next twenty-one days. Watch what happens. You will find sweating the small stuff can be a challenging and productive way to enhance your life or grow your business. Remember, the margin separating the best from the rest is very slim indeed. You can increase your potential for greater success and fulfillment by sweating the small stuff. And, as always enjoy the process.
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AuthorMusings from Gammon Irons. To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for us all; and surely a good haven to sail. Archives
February 2020
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