Message of the Day - War on Minutia

Good Morning,

 

Have you noticed that there are many little steps to pretty much every thing we do?

 

Have you also noticed that often when you start to do something, unless it is something we do often or every day that we get mired down in many of these little steps or minutia?

 

Even eating a bowl of cereal is not a simple task.

 

1. Clean off a spot at the table.
2. Move the cat off of your chair. (those without pets can substitute clothes or other stuff for cats).
3. Get a bowl.
4. Make sure the bowl is clean.
5. Get the cereal.
6. Open or reopen the cereal box.
7. Check to see if there is enough cereal for a bowl.
8. Pour the cereal in the bowl.
9. Close and seal the cereal box.
10. Put the cereal box away.
11. Get a spoon.
12. Make sure the spoon is clean.
13. Get a napkin (This is a must for me)
14. Get milk
15. Open milk and smell to see if it is still good.
16. Pour milk into the cereal.
17. Clean up any spills (be sure not to cry)
18. Put away the milk.
19. Say prayers
20. Eat.

 

20 steps for something as simple as eating a bowl of cereal and there is a lot that can go wrong even within these steps. The milk can be bad; we could be out of milk or there is not enough cereal for a bowl and we have to hunt down another box. There may be no clean bowls (get to work or clean them). And, for some folks this list is long, and for others, it is very short.

 

This simple process which should take no more than a few minutes can take upwards of half an hour if we get mired in the minutiae of having to fix something that is not prepared for. And of course, that starts our day off on the wrong foot.

 

So how do we call a war on this minutia so that the two minute process stays that way?

 

Prepare. Make sure there is fresh milk, clean bowls and silverware, and change out your cereal when you finish one box.

 

When you can prepare for these processes ahead of time, then you will not get caught off guard and have to fix the little things to get the big things done.

 

That is why it is so painful to work the One-Off situations. They are often time stealers.

 

Remember, to declare war on the minutia, prepare so everything flows a bit smoother.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   ß Check out the cover of my upcoming book, “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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