Little Things

The concept of little things has been at the front of my mind lately. The importance of little things, their impact, the difference they can make, etc. Not only have "the little things" been on my mind, they've also been evident in different parts of life.

Most explicitly, this has been an emphasis and topic of conversation with our 9th grade basketball team. More than any other year I have ever spent coaching, this team has struggled to understand the importance of doing the little things right on a consistent basis. Even though we are wrapping up our sixteenth and final week of practice and games, we are still not working to execute and improve on the little things during practice. Time and time again, this shortcoming has shown during games. Too often, the difference between winning and losing came down to the small, mundane, "boring" plays. I'm sure this has always been the case, so this isn't to seem like Old Man "Get off my lawn!" stuff, but with all the emphasis on 3's, dunks, and highlight reel plays, it feels like the kids can take for granted all the hard work and little things that went into making those plays happen at all.

In the classroom, focusing on the little things can make or break a student's success. Kids who figure out early on how details like using their planner, staying organized, studying regularly, using class time well, and staying ahead of homework end up performing really well in school...quite often regardless of innate academic ability! These aren't casual observations made off the cuff - instead, these have almost become universal truths reinforced time and again over 19+ years of teaching and working with students.

As a professional, doing the little things matters every day: greeting those kids in the hallway as they enter the room; bringing your best to team meetings, decisions, and content discussions; taking the time to learn details about the students; striving to grow and learn new things all the time; etc. Even though it can seem incredibly tough on certain days, taking the time to interact with students and colleagues in a positive way can help build culture and relationships...deposits made that can hopefully be turned into growth and development down the road.

Being a husband and father, I know (and have definitely learned!) how much little things - gestures, acts of kindness, concessions made, achievements celebrated, slights forgiven, etc. - can make all the difference.

Whatever the area - family, work, sports, business, learning...when we focus and work on the little things, great big things usually follow!