This post originally appeared on September 19, 2012
Grains of sand magnified 250x.
Just as all the tiny grains of sand are what make up the great big beautiful beach, little things are the big thing in our lives.
If you read my book, you’ll see that there wasn’t one specific move or deal I made in my career that was a game-changer. It was all the little things that I did to develop relationships with people, that built up over the years, and put me in a position to be successful.
We have a tendency to overuse the word big:
“It’s no big deal – I don’t need to call that person back.”
“It’s no big deal – I don’t need to get the tracking number on that gift I sent, to make sure they got it.”
“It’s no big deal – I don’t have to call them to make sure they got home okay after that long flight.”
“It’s no big deal – I don’t need to send a handwritten note; I can email them.”
“It’s no big deal – I don’t need to drop by in person to make a condolence call. I can email.”
Well, lemme tell you something: it is a big deal!
Because when you add up all these little things, these little ways of being human to people, you get people who don’t forget you, who want to work with you, and provide opportunities for you, and in the end, you can do some big things together.
Are you taking care of the “little” things?
