Why the little things make the big things happen

Have you ever gotten overwhelmed by the daily tasks of life? Do large projects seem insurmountable? I think we all struggle with this, in fact, I’ve had this issue since I was a child. When I was in school, I got frustrated by the amount of work for a school project and wanted to quit. My Dad quietly went out into our back yard and gathered a bundle of sticks. He then came in and asked me to break the bundle of sticks. While I’ve always thought I have super human strength (apparently I’ve watched too many superhero movies), I wasn’t able to break the bundle. However, he took out one single stick and asked me to break it, which I did. He then gave me another stick to break, which I was easily able to accomplish. This continued until I broke each individual stick and thus the whole bundle of sticks was broken in two.

[Tweet “”It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden”]

Some little things that you can do that will make big things happen

1. Commit to lifelong learning: Whether it’s reading, networking or taking courses, make sure to continually learn about topics that interest you, even if they aren’t directly related to your field.
2. Discipline yourself in all areas of life: While it may seem like a difficult challenge, set goals to discipline yourself with your family, health, career, spiritual life and social life.
3. Focus on working out for 5 minutes per day (you have to start somewhere)
4. Refuse eating junk food once per day: This could be not eating that candy bar in the afternoon or skipping your morning coffee. By doing these little things you will start to create healthy habits.
5. Telling your spouse (at least) one nice thing per day: It’s easy to point out the negative things that you bug you, but what if you found one thing per day that you told your spouse or loved ones? Imagine, instead of tearing people down and focussing on the negative, you could daily build the bridge to a more successful marriage, friendships and relationships.

I try to “plant” as many “seeds” as possible in my life and business. I’ve found the more that I plant, the more chance for a harvest will come about. This may look like attending networking events, serving others, working with non-profits, blogging, engaging through social media, speaking and many other “planing” endeavors.  I’ve been amazed at some of the littlest seeds that have come to harvest. Since I don’t know which seeds will give the biggest harvest, I continually plant as many good seeds as possible. Sometimes this is financial gain, but more importantly it’s about continually moving my life in the direction that I want it to go. Remember, you are in control of your life and you have the power to steer it in any direction.

[Tweet “‘You reap what you sow also’ applies to your life & career, so keep planting good seeds. by Jeff Long”]

Get started today by making a plan and acting on your plan. Don’t feel like you have to make large plans…remember, sometimes the little things in life make the big things happen.

So what are some little things that you do that will take your business, family and success to the next level?

Photo by russellstreet