Don’t sweat the small stuff. Unless it’s small stuff that matters; the details that really add value.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it this way: “People who excel tend to obsess over the details. People who struggle also tend to obsess over the details. The difference is what details they focus on. Minutiae vs polish. Most things don’t matter—but when it does, you want to get the details right.”
Most things don’t matter—but when it does, you want to get the details right.
If you’ve ever had an argument with a colleague about margin size on a pamphlet, or whether to sign off an email with “Kind regards” or “Warm wishes”, you’ve experienced the time and energy suck of ‘minutiae fixation’.
Alternatively, when you’ve campaigned for the proper wording for a campaign to evoke the right amount of enthusiasm in your target market, or helped choose the perfect first dance song for a wedding, you know how much the details can matter. So long as they’re the important ones.
Invest time in learning the difference between the minutiae and the key details. It’ll pay off.
