Karen Keller
The book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson is a great book with good advice but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Rather, "the devil is in the details" does – if you ignore what is in your line of sight.
Great business leaders and entrepreneurs know it’s the details that pull off the best laid plans.
The challenge is to not let the small stuff drive you crazy while paying attention to the pea under the mattress. You need to realize the danger of ignoring the minute elements that will either make or break you and your success.
You can still live in the present moment, lower your tolerance to stress and trust your intuitions all the while incorporating the details into your reality.
How does a small fresh flower arrangement change the room or your mood? What does it mean when the person you love sends you a quick glance across a room full of people? Or seeing the understanding look on a colleague’s face in the boss’s office?
See, the small stuff does matter.
This is the challenge for the big picture thinker. They are invested in understanding cause and effect, creating the how and making connections among all the players at the table.
Being a big picture thinker means that you process information based on seeing patterns and pieces in how they affect each other. In order to do this they need to incorporate all the details, sometimes in a split second. Why? Because they know ignoring the details will wreak havoc on the entire process or system.
Starting or running a business automatically puts you the “big picture thinkers” club. They are experts in planning, thinking beyond current results to future possibilities. It is a natural phenomenon to create wholeness out of parts.
How can you focus on the details, remain big picture thinkers and not suffer the stress of getting bogged down in paralyzing, headache-inducing details?
There are 5 actions you can incorporate into your daily living that will empower the details in your life to support your big picture – and plan.
1. Accept that details are a part of life. Don’t ignore them. Instead give significance to the ones that matter and dump the rest. The problem with details is that so many people believe they have to make something of ALL the details. In reality, they should sort out the ones that ONLY make a difference.
For example, if your report is ignored by the boss, it would be good for you to observe there’s an angry customer on the phone. But it isn’t necessarily important to know that he’s wearing blue socks (unless, of course, one was light blue and the other dark blue – that would clue you in he’s got lots on his mind).
2. Organize the details in your life. This is a very effective step in prioritizing what actions to take and on which details. Not all details require action. Some are there to provide information to be used at a later date.
Give each detail a story. Ask yourself what the detail means in the context you’re seeing or experiencing it. Details serve as the glue to put the larger pieces together when you’re trying to figure out what is going on. They give you knowledge and insight into what the larger pieces may mean.
3. Put the details into the context of the situation. Remember, that one detail in a specific environment can carry a very different meaning than when it appears in a dissimilar environment. For example, when your spouse refers to you as honey has a completely different meaning than when your chauvinistic colleague calls you ‘honey.’
4. Know the result you want and create the details yourself. If you want to get the most out of the details then be clear about your long term goal. It’s like a puzzle. Put the details together to see where they best serve your plan. You don’t need to notice all the details that already exist, but you can create your own details.
For instance, if your want to persuade your management team to have monthly progress meetings at 7 am, then you will provide coffee, juice and Danish. Small details go a long way to show people you care. And besides, food always makes early morning meetings easier.
5. Give the details little power over your life. Details are everywhere. Increase your power to observe from a space of power not submission. Know that you can choose, decide and work with the details that support your larger goal.
It’s important to not fall into the trap of paying attention ONLY to the details. Your scope of reference will narrow. You will lose sight of the goal. Details, although important, can take over your life if you let them. This is when you remind yourself to not sweat the small stuff.
