Just do the next little thing
You build your life, bit by bit. The little fragments of your life matter. Each small thing done builds a repertoire of accomplishments achieved. Even though you have big challenges to overcome. Your list of small things done makes the overwhelming issues in your life possible.
Begin today to see the insignificant as meaningful. Tonight you’ll lay your head on the pillow satisfied. Sure, there are important things on the to-do list, but the DONE list will outnumber all of them.
You know, it’s the little things you continue to ignore. Your head tells you to do them, but you shrug your shoulders and walk away.
In our minds, we struggle with what we should have done during our day. Yes, there are a lot of important issues we need to confront. But we forget all the little things we did during the day. How many nights have you struggled with; woulda, coulda, shoulda? The poem by Shel Silverstein sums it up quite well.
In Shel’s poem of “woulda, coulda. shoulda”, he nails it on the last two lines. At the end of the day what matters is what we did, more than what we left undone.
All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin’ in the sun,
Talkin’ ‘bout the things
They woulda coulda shoulda done…
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little Did.
For a better night’s sleep, you must do the little things. Yes, you must!
So, how do you get more, Dids done? The word, did is the past tense of the word, Do. Therein lies the secret to a satisfying night’s sleep.
Completing a small task is not rocket science. I have found doing simple things builds more satisfaction in my life.
Why is this true? When you complete each simple task, the did’s in your day add up.
What do I mean by simple tasks? Admiral William McRaven, US Navy, has this idea captured in his speech; Make Your Bed. It’s a 6-minute video and worth your time to view.
Simple things done make the difficult task more manageable.
It’s quite simple to do the little things, but not easy. You must break out of your stupor and think.
In case you don’t want to watch the video, I’ll simplify points into an action list:
- Make your bed first thing in the morning.
- Return the shopping cart you pushed to your car to its rightful spot.
- Smile and say a cheerful ‘hello’ to someone.
- Return the book or item you borrowed.
- Make it right with the cashier instead of walking away with the extra $2.58, which is not yours to keep.
- Return the phone call left on your voicemail that you keep ignoring.
- Do the dishes instead of leaving them in the sink for someone else to wash.
An old Cherokee saying puts it this way;
“Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.”
The little things you should do, whispers. Are you listening?
When you do the little things, they do matter. Satisfaction begins to build with each little thing done. Now you’re ready to tackle the big things in your life.
Little things matter.
By completing little things it is so much easier to work on the overwhelming items you face.
A humorous quote made by the fictional Captain Bligh of the Bounty:
“The flogging will continue until morale improves”
See the disheartened scruffy sailors lining up on the ship. Their heads down, shoulders scrunch trudging towards their flogging once again.
The woulda, coulda, shoulda sleepless nights will continue. Fact is until you begin doing the insignificant things you keep ignoring.
Wow! That came straight at you!
Well, it’s true. Do the little things, and the big things won’t be so hard.
Tonight when you lay your head on the pillow you will be, satisfied? What you did do today is of more importance than all the woulda, coulda, shoulda, left undone? Stop struggling with what you should do next and do the next little thing.
Can you name the little things you ignore?
What are you prepared to change?
Click below to read more about satisfaction.
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Richard