I’m well aware of Richard Carlson’s book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all Small Stuff. It’s an inspirational book, and it became one of the fastest-selling books of all time. It was published in 135 countries, and it spent over 101 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. I certainly understand the concept on an emotional level, but I do not understand it on a professional level.
Don’t get me wrong; I’d love the luxury of not sweating the small stuff. It would make business life so much easier because there’s a long list of small stuff that we encounter every day. Imagine if you never had to worry about things like this:
- Being on time… It takes planning to be on time. Wouldn’t it be great to be on time when it is convenient for you? When you finally do show up, and you are facing the person who made sacrifices to be on time, relax. Sometimes that person might be a little angry, and sometimes not, but you can just tell them this: “Sorry I’m late. I don’t sweat the small stuff.”
- Finishing a project on schedule… It takes organization to finish a project on time. Wouldn’t it be great to complete your work on schedule – when it’s convenient for you? Why not just get close to finishing on time? Perhaps your client has been carefully coordinating multiple project schedules that involve your project, and your client expects you to finish this project on time. When you do finally complete your project, you can just say this: “Sorry I finished the project late. I just don’t sweat the small stuff.”
- Being thorough… It takes discipline to truly be thorough. Wouldn’t it be great to be “kind of” thorough? When you turn in a project, you can just place this disclaimer at the beginning and the end of the assignment: “I don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Shall I go on? From the movie “Scent of a Woman,” I’d like to borrow the words of Al Pacino: “I’m just gettin’ warmed up!” Almost everything that we come across can either be categorized as small stuff, or layers of small stuff. How do we sift through all of the things in our lives, and then decide what should be considered “small stuff?” What a daunting task that would be, to say the least. The list may be endless, but it doesn’t have to be. The trick is to remove the concept of choice because sweating the small stuff isn’t a choice.
- Want to be on time? It’s not a choice, and it doesn’t take luck; it takes careful sweating of the small stuff, and the discipline to make being on time essential.
- Want to finish a project on schedule? It’s not a choice, and it doesn’t take luck; it takes meticulous sweating of the small stuff, and the discipline to complete each task as scheduled.
- Want to be thorough? It’s not a choice, and it doesn’t take luck; it takes discipline to sweat the small stuff, and the self-control to truly be thorough.
On a personal and emotional level, I can see that there may be a time and place for not sweating the small stuff. But in business, it’s a flawed principal. As a professional speaker, I come from an industry that requires me to be in a certain town, on a certain day, at a certain time, with certain materials, dressed a certain way, with a certain presentation, supported by certain materials, delivered in a certain manner… and those are the easy days.
I’m encouraging you to take pride in the work you do, and that work is typically dependent on obsessing and conquering the small stuff. Anyone can sweat the big stuff: It takes a lot more to sweat the small stuff. All of the small stuff is important; it isn’t up to you to determine what small stuff to dismiss. My words of advice are this: When it comes to your professional life, please sweat all of the small stuff.
Awesome stuff Rob. Thank you for spurring us on to excellence! Sometimes it is so easy to adopt attitudes over time, imperceptibly, one after another, and before you know it, rather than move an inch from excellence, you are miles away. And if we don’t see it, you can bet others do. Much appreciated.
Great point! If we blur the lines between what we know we should do, and what we can possibly get away with, doing less than our best can become a habit. Thanks so much for posting Ed!
Thank you! Too many people don’t get this, both in professional and volunteer situations. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well!
Oh, those volunteer situations. I was part of a group once that became frustrated with me because I was adamant about sweating the small stuff. As one person put it, “Please Rob… we’re just volunteers!” I’m much more careful who I’m volunteering with these days! Great post Buzz.
Rob,
While I agree that paying attention to detail is critical in any/every endeavor I take issue with the necessity to “sweat” over it. To me this term implies a lot of unnecessary sleepless nights hand wringing and worrying about some future event. I understand that for some this kind of high anxiety motivates them to “get ‘er done” but ultimately I’ve found it to be counter productive. Better to channel that energy into “just doing it” than wasting that energy stressing about it.
Good blarticle all the same.
I understand your point. To me, “sweat over it” means put as much time and energy into the little tasks the many perceive as not quite as important, and we do the big tasks. P.S., I’m notorious for making lists of all tasks necessary to complete a project so I don’t have trouble sleeping! 🙂 Love that post Dolly – thanks!
Of course as usual you are right. on a day to day basis however, I have found that there are people who get so tied up on minutiae that they lose sight of the big picture. So I guess there may be instances where the old adage of don”t sweat the small stuff does apply.
However, on the whole I agree with you.
Millions of readers I suppose can’t be wrong, but I believe the author was referring to more of the small stuff that disturbs us personally. I hope that small stuff that gets in the way of us remembering our many blessings represents the sweat I’d like us to avoid. Always great reading your words Victor!
Rob,
Unsurprisingly, another excellent BLarticle (TM)! This one reminded me of a to-me memorable exchange between two busboys in the 1970’s, when one (me) told the other “I worry about the dollars, not the nickels and dimes.” His response was to advise me there’s some old Jewish saying about “if you take care of the nickels and dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves”…
Thanks for sweating the small stuff in putting out such BLarticles (TM)!…
I had a client who loved the expression “stepping over dollars to pick up dimes.”
I’m going to write that one down. Always appreciate what you teach me Fred! Thanks so much for the post.
I’m liking these stories and quotes!! Those busboys knew a thing or two. For the record, that ™ was replaced with a ® some years ago! Thanks for the post!
Rob,
Thanks for confirming a behavior I’ve followed throughout my career. I sweat the small stuff – always! I vividly remember when the book you referenced was released. My reaction to the author’s advice was, “are you crazy!?!”
Anyone who doesn’t pay attention to details and sweat the small stuff in business is destined to fail. During recent interviews with a major corporation, they made it clear that those who struggle or fail typically do so because they don’t sweat the small stuff. Employees are late for meetings, don’t show up for meetings, don’t focus on developing relationships, aren’t cordial, don’t respect peers, etc.
I was shocked to learn that many so-called professionals ignore the fundamentals required to succeed and derail their careers. It appears many of our next generation have a sense of entitlement vs. an “I have to earn it” attitude. I’ll continue to carry a towel, so I can wipe away the sweat!
Thanks for another valuable BLArticle!
The funny thing is, more often than not know one will even see most of the small stuff we are sweating… but we know. It’s a source of pride, and a habit that’s formed by consistency. Don’t sweat this next generation. Just a massive group of 20 year olds acting like kids in their 20’s. They’ll figure it out! Thanks for the post Jack!
Excellent article as always Rob! Inspires me to do better about being on time. Sometimes I let other small stuff keep me being punctual. As you said, ALL the small stuff is important, including being on time. Take care!
Punctuality is a lot like hearing the phrase, “To be honest with you…” It doesn’t bother everyone, but those who it does bother really struggle with it. I happen to be one of them as you no doubt picked up. Then again, I’ve never had anyone give me a hard time to being on time! Thanks so much for posting Bob!
Well said Rob. I agree with all of the above. Speaking of best-sellers, wondering if next week’s BLArticle will be a riff on “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche.”
I’ll let you write that one Fred. Truth is, I’don’t even know the difference between quiche and a fancy omelet. Clearly, I’m not a quiche eater!
If you don’t think that small stuff can make a huge difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. Seriously Rob, great material here. Small “stuff” makes all the difference as a professional. The hand-written thank-you note. Remembering a client’s interest in a certain sport. Listening at the opening conference for phrases that can be captured and used in a truly customized presentation. Small stuff goes a LONG way.
Tremendous points being made here, and please do not miss that subtle point about capturing phrases and customizing presentations. I smell a BLArticle® about that one! It all goes a long way Eileen. Clearly, you and I belong to a profession where sweating the small stuff is our calling card. Fantastic post!
Let me confess here that small stuff is often boring and mundane:
I hate getting up so early in the morning, the sun is still in REM sleep.
I hated preparing and project-managing so that the student and the breadwinner got fed, baths got done in correct sequence, clothes were clean and appropriate and buses got caught on time.
I hated being forced to do my personal devotional time and writing time after dishes washed time.
I hated grading papers and planning lessons until 2AM
BUT I DID IT. It wasn’t fun. I had to summon up my inner-music to remind me why I was doing it to keep me going. It was all the small stuff that made sure the big stuff got from dream to reality.
So much food for thought here, but I’m walking away with that tasty morsel right at the end. It’s the small stuff that makes the big stuff go from dream to reality. Now you see why one of my joys in life is reading how others respond to it, and what they have to say. Tremendous post Edia!
Excellent topic. I just recently started my own Home Improvement business and sweating the “SMALL stuff”, is what separates GREAT work from average work.
Rob, thanks for driving the small stuff, I know in our professional and personal life its how we strive for excellence.
Not a bad tagline for a Home Improvement business when you stop and think about it. That last name sounds familiar, so I know this guy Steve and his business, Homefront Insights. (www.homefrontinsights.com/) Imagine having someone remodel a kitchen or any part of your home and NOT adopt the concept of sweating the small stuff. Nice to hear from a person who walks the walk here. Thanks so much for the post Steve!
Great BLArticle…Rob….as usual…!
Some scientist…or engineer…didn’t…SWEAT…some very small ‘part’…of the “CHALLENGER’ SPACESHIP…back in 1987….
….and 7 astronauts…lost their lives…as a result….!!!
John M.
“C.T.”
That’s a dramatic, but important example you’ve provided. I want my accountant to sweat the small stuff, my doctor to sweat the small stuff, my airline technician to sweat the small stuff, and the list is endless. Always great to hear from you John!
I had forgotten about the Challenger — it was a small gasket that didn’t do its job. I seem to recall a similar problem with the Titanic. Something about some bolts not being put in correctly. The “small” stuff IS important. Rob, I like how you write down the steps for a project so nothing gets forgotten. Great post, as always!!!!
As I recall, I believe it was something called an “O-ring” that failed on the Challenger. My creating a list of steps for a project probably comes from the need to methodically plan for the seminar trips I take. If I forget something small I have no way to jump in the car and go get it. So, after an embarrassing list of things I have forgotten over the years, I make lists, and write down steps! Thanks so much for the post Sarah!
Thanks, Rob. Refreshing perspective and good point! It’s up to ourselves to define what is “small” at both professional and personal level.
In the more technical work that you perform I know this must be vital! Always great seeing a post from you Hui!
I love this, Rob. You’ve put a new, fun, and effective spin on integrity.
Does this feel like a fit here?
‘INTEGRITY: Nothing hidden, being truthful and honest, doing complete work, working from an empowering context, and doing very well what you do, doing it as it was meant to be done or better, and without cutting corners.
In other words, HONORING ONE’S WORD: Doing what you know to do, doing what you said you would do and on time, doing what others would expect you to do even if you haven’t said you would do it, and saying when you are not doing this as soon as you realize you won’t be doing it or won’t be doing it on time.” -Landmark
Does this fit here?! You bet! I’m always grateful when readers like you Steve take the message that was written and enhance it with information like this. Terrific post – thanks Steve.
Typically, when someone offers an apology, there is always an excuse that follows. When I speak about communications, I always add this to the conversation; “with every excuse, there is always an embedded lie”. If you sweat the small stuff, the big stuff falls into place… Thanks for your insights Rob
Great point. Somewhat like a manager who is offering recognition and follows that recognition with a, “…now, if you could only improve…” An apology with an excuse, or recognition with an attempt to improve another behavior makes the conversation unauthentic. Thanks for YOUR insights Terry!