Success is in the Details — Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

A few years ago I combined two phrases and coined a new motto that became a guiding reference for my life. It seems contradictory in nature but if you really think about its meaning you’ll see that the message brings calm no matter what angle you look at it.

“Success is in the Details . . . Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”

We all know the amazing results when you pay attention to small details and stay present in a given moment. You can accomplish a lot, you’re less distracted or stressed and the inspiration from that moment produces better quality than when you rush through something, barely giving it your attention.

However, we also know that it can be a double-edged sword and that sometimes the little things can add up to many things, and ultimately one big problem and overwhelm hits.

If you can remember, in those moments of overwhelm, not to sweat the small stuff and remind yourself to stay present and focused, your blood pressure and stress level will usually stay at a minimum.

By combining these two phrases, you can bring a sense of calm in moments of pure chaos. How do I know this? I’m living proof. I tend to thrive in chaos because of my ability to stay calm regardless of what’s going on, and this motto is one of the reasons why that is.

My belief system is strong when it comes to this fact. While others might be fleeing a scene out of fear, I’m usually jumping in to ask the question, “how can I help?”

Solving problems has become my passion because I realize the power of focusing on the details, but not being thrown by them, even when those details may be stress-inducing.

Overwhelm happens when you let the small things bother you because as we all know, you don’t usually get just one small thing at a time, you usually get many and it snowballs to the point of one big monster you’ve no idea how to slay.

Sometimes those small things aren’t all that small themselves and they snowball into an even bigger monster.

So, how do you stay calm when each little monster causes you stress?