How we tackle the little things in life - the everyday interactions, commitment, experiences - are a clear indication of how the big things will go.
I’m the queen of focusing on the big things in life. Need a plan? I’ll make one. Need a vision? I have one and I’ll also help you find one. Have something you want to accomplish? We’ll put together the best roadmap you’ve ever seen. However, the lesson I keep learning and relearning and learning in-a-new-way, is that the little things matter way more than the big things.
What matters more than where I’ll be in 5 years is whether I commit to myself by completing that workout today or not.
What matters more than what I accomplish is if I choose to speak to my husband with love or with anger.
What matters more than if I have a plan or not is if I do the right thing even if no one is watching.
What matters more than the BIG things are the little things.
You’re driven. You are achievement oriented. You like to feel like you know where you’re going. You like to see the big picture. And like me, you know how hard it is to pull your head out of the clouds and focus on the little things right in front of your face.
I’m convinced that the most successful people are the ones who stay committed to the little things over the grand plan. They are disciplined, full of integrity and it’s comes off as so...simple. They give to the little things without expectation. They aren’t doing it for recognition and accolades, they are doing it because it’s the right thing to do. It feels good in their heart.
The bible actually hits this right on the head. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10
You can interpret dishonest in this verse as blatant lying but to me it’s more about a dishonesty in your heart. Doing things because you think you should do them, acting a certain way because you want to show off, etc.
You can’t get to the big things without being faithful in the little things.
The more committed I am to the little things the more it seems that life “goes my way”. When I’m spiraling in my mind and focusing more on where I want to go rather than all the things that need to happen every day to get there, I notice life feels more like an uphill battle.
Here are three ways to shift your focus from the grand to the little, from the dishonest in your heart to the faithful:
Commit to one micro task each day. A micro task is a task so small that it’s almost 100% guaranteed you will be able to do it every day.
Here are examples of micro tasks: drinking a full glass of water right when you wake up, making your bed, writing down one thing you’re thankful for, drinking a glass of water before indulging in an after work craving, etc.
Micro tasks will help you build the muscles you need to commit to the little things. The stronger you are a the little things, the easier it is to let the big things evolve rather than forcing them to happen.
“Be impeccable with your word” I’m stealing this one from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s as easy as this: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. Make sure whatever words come out of your mouth are from the heart. If that seems to hard, master the art of biting your tongue.
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use your power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ― Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Pretend your intentions had some truth serum. What if your true intentions were out on display on tomorrow’s news headlines? Would they reflect a faithful or dishonest heart? This is usually a good gut check for me and an opportunity to ask “why am I really doing what I’m doing?”