Mind the Little Things

The little things in life matter. A lot.

Many people make the mistake of dismissing the little things in life as inconsequential or unimportant. Those same people focus their attention and energy on the significant issues because, they believe, those are the ones that matter.

But that is a mistake.

What are "the little things"? Little things are those moments, decisions, and situations that fill our days, filling the gaps between those sporadic, big and consequential moments. Those situations where we let our guard down because they are mundane, routine and, well -- tiny.

I'm talking about short interactions with strangers on the street, doing routine chores and grunt work or dealing with small ethical dilemmas, those that appear to have little to no consequences beyond your conscience.

Why care about those?

There are two reasons to care.

First, they add up. We go through millions upon millions of them. They are the very fabric of our lives. They are the tiny bricks we lay every day as we build out our lives. They add up to the point where they become more meaningful than those grand moments we all are waiting for.

The accumulated weight of these tiny moments grows to the point where it shapes our identities and personalities. They form who we are and what we are. Are you kind to strangers? Do you assume the worst of everyone around you? Do you cheat when you are unlikely to get caught? Do you help others that are in need? Do you complete your chores with care and pride? Are you respectful to those of lesser socioeconomic status than yours? Do you laugh and smile often? Are you patient and understanding with those that require patience and understanding? How do you treat children? How do you treat other people's children? How about the elders? How do you spend your free time? What thoughts fill your mind for most of the day?

The answer to these and similar questions reveal who you are. And none of them have to do with where you work, what school you went to or how much money you make.

Second, the way you deal with the little things become a habit.

Many people are deluded into thinking that it's alright to cheat on small things but that they would never cheat on the big, consequential things. How we deal with the tiny, over time, become a reflex. The people who cheat at a restaurant when the waiter forgot to add an item to their bill are precisely the people who would commit fraud if they believe they are unlikely to get caught.

The way we handle the small things become habits or reflexes. If the way you act on the little things heavily influences how you will behave on the big things, you can view those tiny moments as training for when the big things finally come along.

There's a saying in military circles that states, "train like you fight." And you should train like you fight. You can't expect to give your 110% in a real fight if you are used to training within your comfort zone, at 80% of your capacity. You must push yourself to the limit and beyond during training. Train your reflexes. Build good habits because you will fight like you train. If you train like a wimp, you'll fight like one, too.

So how do you want to train? How do you want to prepare yourself for life's real challenges?

By paying attention to the little things.

In a world starved for meaning, you can find meaning in these tiny moments; the routine, the menial, the small. It all depends on how you frame things.

There's an old story of a medieval traveler who comes upon three men working at a construction site. The traveler asks the first man what he is doing. The man responds, "I'm laying bricks." The traveler approaches the second man and asks him what he is doing. The man replies, "I'm building a wall that will bear part of the ceiling's weight." The traveler finally approaches the third man and asks the same question. The third man answers, "I'm building a cathedral."

They were all doing the same thing, yet they approached the simple task of laying bricks quite differently.

There's value in the mundane. At the very least, you can find purpose and consider those moments training.

So build your cathedral, brick by brick. Mind the little things.