My daughter has a writing assignment that she has been pondering. Her teacher asked the class to think of three different “little moments” and then choose one for a final essay. The essay should capture a short space in time that left an indelible memory. My 10-year-old has contemplated this assignment for days and has polled the family for advice on her best “little moments.” Most of her moments came from times when the family was all together, whether on a trip or at home. Her memories of these moments are full of details and laughter. The moments may be little, but to her, they are very big.

Her contemplation of finding the perfect “little moment” made me think more about how the little things in life certainly do add up to something big. Even in business, where we tend to value the big clients, big deals, and big vendors, I have realized that less can often be more.

• Customer Service – Excellent customer service is almost always made up of “little moments.” Think of the relationships you have with customers and vendors and it is usually the little things that will stick out. The moments they asked about your family, the moments they took time and went one step farther, and the moments you felt valued as a human. Make sure you are delivering this human touch in your own business.
• Sales – It is always exciting to go for the big deal and yes, when a huge sale closes, it is worth it. However, often time and energy is wasted on trying to close a monster deal that is a long shot and may not even be a good fit for your company. Some of the most successful sales people are focused on more appropriate account sizes and faster close ratios. Take time to evaluate your current best customers to determine the right size prospect for your business.
• Projects – The old saying, “eat the elephant one bite at a time” is usually true. If you take a large project and divide it into smaller pieces, the job becomes doable. Whether you perform all the associated tasks or you divide them among a team, you have a greater chance of success by reducing a large project into “little moments”.
• Gratitude – We often manage differently than we parent. As parents, most of us are quick to praise and acknowledge small achievements. However, as managers, we often wait until year-end evaluations, bonus season, or a monumental achievement to tell an employee that they have done a good job. We expect good work to be part of the job description, therefore we don’t show appreciation regularly. Yet, “little moments” of gratitude and praise can go a long way by increasing morale which ultimately leads to better performance. Take time every day to thank an employee.

Related Reading: Simple School Lessons

Lately, I have been working under a huge deadline and my days have been filled with long hours and additional stress. As my daughter was going over her favorite moments to write about, I realized that I had not slowed down to appreciate the little moments at home or at work recently. This past weekend, I intentionally took time to just play with my kids and by Sunday night, my daughter had a new favorite “little moment” to add to her list. As we reflected on our fun weekend, I was reminded once again, that a Big Life is made up of Little Moments.