The Little Things

Evan Coachman
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

Many of us have heard it, “do the little things and the big things take care of themselves,” but what does that actually mean? And how do I do that?

Doing the little things means controlling what you can control. It also means consistency. At Performance Course, we have a motto, “Consistency is the mark of a Champion!” We ask athletes to be consistent with their actions everyday, because that is exactly what championship caliber people and teams do.

What are the little things?

When someone sets a goal, they typically think of something large, like winning state, lifting a large amount, running very fast, or making a large improvement in any other aspect. These are all great goals, but the next question is “how do we attain those goals?” Usually, there is a simple answer. There is a plan to follow. Whether it’s a practice plan, lifting plan, academic plan, etc. There is always a plan.

This is where the little things come into play. The little things are the details of that plan. For example, that plan may call for you to lift three times a week to get stronger. More than likely there is NOTHING stopping you from completing those lifts. A majority of your focus should be on knocking out those lifts. You can make the little things even smaller. There is nothing stopping you from focusing on performing every rep as close to perfect as possible.

The same example can be related to academics. You want to get your math grade up? Do the little things. There is nothing stopping you from doing every math problem to practice. There is nothing stopping you from taking notes and asking questions.

The little things are what YOU control. There are other variables to some of the goals we mentioned, such as winning State in your athletic sport. You can’t control the other team, the referees, the weather and many other aspects. So why exert a lot of effort and energy worrying about what others are doing and if you can win State?

How do the little things add up to big things?

Referring back to our original examples, if you want to win State, you have to focus and control what you can control. Knowing your plays, perfecting your technique, being in great shape and doing your job are a few examples. If you take care of those “little” things, then winning State becomes a very real possibility because you have made yourself better than your opponent. Focusing on what you can control, consistently, makes winning easy.

You want to get your math grade up? Do the math problems in the book, ask questions, and take notes. When you do those things, you understand the material better. If you understand the material better, you do better on the tests. If you do better on the test, your grade goes up.

Want to get stronger? If you focus and are CONSISTENT with performing each rep and set, you will get stronger.

The little things make life easier.

Trying to obtain a big goal can be overwhelming, and will have lots of ups and downs.

Focusing on the little things, calms everything around you down. All you have to do is take care of these small tasks. We already know that doing the little things consistently will make achieving your goal easier. So, when the world seems to be spinning faster than you can handle or the mountain seems too high to climb, focusing on something small can calm your nerves. Remember, Rome was not built in a day.

The turtle can’t cross the street if he doesn’t poke his head out first.

Being consistent and focusing on smaller details of a broader plan can make achieving your goals simpler. The little things are aspects that YOU can control. They are also tasks that are never too big to handle. To use a line from Any Given Sunday, “it’s the 6 inches in front of your face!”

Go out there and attack the little things and the big things will fall.

Performance Course

Improve Athleticism. Develop Character. Build Leaders. NOW IS THE TIME!

Evan Coachman

Written by

Performance Course

Improve Athleticism. Develop Character. Build Leaders. NOW IS THE TIME!

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