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Don't "sweat the small stuff"
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Hey Reader, Have you ever heard the advice, “Sweat the small stuff”? It’s something I have heard Stephen Bartlett talk about on Diary of a CEO. He says this is one of his mantras and what he believes, one of the reasons for his success. Instead, I believe that advice works depending entirely on where you are in your journey. If you are just starting (or even, thinking about starting) anything new... A project, a creative idea, a business, a new habit, a new direction in your life... I actually think “sweat the small stuff” can be some of the worst advice you could follow. If you’re already good at something… Then yes, sweating the small stuff can help you go from good to great.
They refine. They optimize. They polish. But if you're not yet at that stage, if you're at the beginning stage, focusing on the small stuff often doesn't help. If you have an idea, a dream, or something you want to change… And it still feels unclear, raw, messy, or unfinished because you don’t fully know how it’s going to work, you don’t know the exact path, or you don’t know all the steps yet. When you hear “sweat the small stuff” at this stage, what it usually turns into is:
Because now you feel like: “I can’t move until I have all the details figured out.” And that’s where most people get stuck. Not because they’re lazy. ACTION CREATES CLARITYHere’s what I believe instead: Clarity doesn’t come from thinking. You don’t need the perfect plan. You just need to know the general direction of where you want to go. You might know: Knowing that’s enough to know that you need to change something and that you need to take the first step. You CAN take action on something that is not fully formed, not fully clear, and not fully figured out. Because movement creates feedback. MESSY ACTION & FAILING FORWARDAnd here’s the part no one really talks about: When you start, you will probably do a lot of things wrong. You will make mistakes, you will change your mind along the way, you will pivot... And so, you will feel like you’re failing But that’s not failure. That’s information. That’s how you learn what works. You don’t find the path before you walk it. WHEN TO "SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF"So I think the better rule is this: First, you start. First, you get in the arena. Sweating the small stuff too early is like trying to edit a book you haven’t written yet. You need something to work with first. So, here’s what I want to leave you with. Instead of asking: “What’s the perfect way to do this?”
Try asking: “What’s one small action I could take this week that moves me closer to my idea?”
Instead of asking: “What if I fail and do it wrong?”
Try asking: “What would ‘good enough’ look like right now?”
Or even ask yourself this: “What’s the messiest version of this I could do?” Instead of waiting for confidence, build confidence by doing. If you’re at the beginning of something right now… You don’t need to sweat the small stuff. You need to start. Sweat the small stuff later. And if this resonated with you, send this to someone who may be stuck overthinking. Because beginnings are supposed to be messy. And messy is how momentum is made. THE INFINITE MINDSET"Work is endless. Exercise is endless. Parenting is endless. Same with marriage, writing, investing, creating, and more. You get to choose the parts of your life, but many of the important things in life cannot be "finished."
Do not approach an endless game with a finite mindset. The objective is not to be done, but to settle into a daily lifestyle you can sustain and that allows you to make daily progress on the areas that matter.
Embrace the fact that life is continual and look for ways to enjoy the daily practice." - James Clear.
1 QUESTION FOR YOUWhat story about yourself is holding you back from going after the life you want?
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The Created Mind
A weekly newsletter with science-backed mindset tools to help you rediscover your personal power, overcome self-doubt, be more productive (and still be mindful), and start taking action on all those risks you have been avoiding to create a life you love every day. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers every week!
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