Imagine this...
I'm standing in front of my whiteboard- underneath which is a small, sleek, black Ikea bookshelf .
I moved the whiteboard markers from the left side of the bookshelf to the right to make my life "easier".
Stop.
Ask yourself,
"Why does this even fucking matter?"..."Why is this fucking clown writing a post about markers?!!"
"Why does this seemingly insignificant change make a huge difference over a longer period of time?"
Allow "The Greatest Coach of All Time," to answer that question...
by telling you about socks.
Enter John Wooden
'Please take off your shoes and socks'
'Now,when you pull on your sock...I want you to make sure there are no wrinkles or gaps."
'Make sure your heel is full seated in the heel of the sock; run your hand over the toes and make sure to smooth out any bumpy areas.'
Question...
"Why in the hell is John Wooden teaching "the best schoolboy players in America," how to put their socks on?"
Plus,
"Isn't this task beneath them?"
"Don't they know how to do this already?"
"Shouldn't they move on to something more advanced?"
"Is this it?"
Although this seems frustrating, the answer is simple.
"If you want to win Championships, you must take care of the smallest of details."
GREAT! But now you find yourself asking, "What does that even MEAN?!"
It means...
A small action compounded over time has larger ramifications.
Coach Wooden knew, Wrinkled socks lead to blisters....blisters lead to missing practice...missing practice leads to players missing games... missing key players during games mean...more losses.
Same is true for business. If you want to close a deal, it is the small gestures that either lead to "the close" or screw you and create grand hiccups.
Whenever you run into a "seemingly insignificant task" ask yourself:
"Will I do this action over and over again?"...
"Will this tiny action be compounded over time?"
If they answer is "YES" you've got to ask yourself,
"How do I make it easier?"
By asking yourself these three questions and asking on the response you get, you'll make your life EASIER and SUSTAINABLE.
For example, I knew, in the future, I was going to reach for those whiteboard markers thousands of times-so I moved them to make it easier.
If I didn't, I may have gotten frustrated shifting the marker from one hand to another, over and over again.
Leading to me losing my train of thought.
As a consequence of me being frustrated, I get too distracted to capture an important thought.
Thus, leading to me not writing an impactful post.
Creating a lose-lose situation for both of us.
The KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS:
Take the time to move the "whiteboard markers" in your life and DESIGN the world around you. Optimize the small actions, Big results will come.
Also...
Small things, like moving your whiteboard markers, will DIFFUSE into other areas of your life and before you know it you'll be saving precious hours of your time.
Cheers,
Moose
I'm standing in front of my whiteboard- underneath which is a small, sleek, black Ikea bookshelf .
I moved the whiteboard markers from the left side of the bookshelf to the right to make my life "easier".
Stop.
Ask yourself,
"Why does this even fucking matter?"..."Why is this fucking clown writing a post about markers?!!"
"Why does this seemingly insignificant change make a huge difference over a longer period of time?"
Allow "The Greatest Coach of All Time," to answer that question...
by telling you about socks.
Enter John Wooden
'Please take off your shoes and socks'
'Now,when you pull on your sock...I want you to make sure there are no wrinkles or gaps."
'Make sure your heel is full seated in the heel of the sock; run your hand over the toes and make sure to smooth out any bumpy areas.'
Question...
"Why in the hell is John Wooden teaching "the best schoolboy players in America," how to put their socks on?"
Plus,
"Isn't this task beneath them?"
"Don't they know how to do this already?"
"Shouldn't they move on to something more advanced?"
"Is this it?"
Although this seems frustrating, the answer is simple.
"If you want to win Championships, you must take care of the smallest of details."
GREAT! But now you find yourself asking, "What does that even MEAN?!"
It means...
A small action compounded over time has larger ramifications.
Coach Wooden knew, Wrinkled socks lead to blisters....blisters lead to missing practice...missing practice leads to players missing games... missing key players during games mean...more losses.
Same is true for business. If you want to close a deal, it is the small gestures that either lead to "the close" or screw you and create grand hiccups.
Whenever you run into a "seemingly insignificant task" ask yourself:
"Will I do this action over and over again?"...
"Will this tiny action be compounded over time?"
If they answer is "YES" you've got to ask yourself,
"How do I make it easier?"
By asking yourself these three questions and asking on the response you get, you'll make your life EASIER and SUSTAINABLE.
For example, I knew, in the future, I was going to reach for those whiteboard markers thousands of times-so I moved them to make it easier.
If I didn't, I may have gotten frustrated shifting the marker from one hand to another, over and over again.
Leading to me losing my train of thought.
As a consequence of me being frustrated, I get too distracted to capture an important thought.
Thus, leading to me not writing an impactful post.
Creating a lose-lose situation for both of us.
The KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS:
Take the time to move the "whiteboard markers" in your life and DESIGN the world around you. Optimize the small actions, Big results will come.
Also...
Small things, like moving your whiteboard markers, will DIFFUSE into other areas of your life and before you know it you'll be saving precious hours of your time.
Cheers,
Moose