One Small Adjustment

I know that a lot of advice pundits often instruct you
to focus on the "big picture". And it certainly has it
place in helping you move toward a better life. But
it runs the risk of letting you think that you need to
totally redesign your life. And that's just not true!
Often it only takes one small adjustment to make
things so much easier, better, and happier in your
life. Try instead to focus on the details, and the big
picture will take care of itself.

For example, I have a water hose that I use to water
my garden. This particular one happens to be at the
far end of my concrete patio, where it hangs on a
hanger mounted to the wall of the house. The
problem is that where the hose and the concrete
meet becomes a nesting ground for every blown
leaf, stick, or piece of trash in my yard. After using
the hose one day, I decided to make one small
adjustment - I wound the hose back up so that the
bottom of it was about 2 inches off the ground.

Just one small adjustment took away completely
one large headache. And that certainly helps me live
a happier, easier, better life.

Life's made up of small things - small frustrations -
- like that. One small adjustment can take care of
one seemingly large problem.

Sometimes a small adjustment with a big pay off
comes from making a small change what you
require of yourself. For example, you might decide
that you will make a small adjustment by requiring
yourself to make sure the kitchen is clean before
you go to bed at night. Or you might decide that
you will no longer purchase anything that you can't
pay cash for. Perhaps you will decide to stop laying
the junk mail on the kitchen table, and instead will
go through it instantly. These are all small
adjustments in what you require of yourself, yet,
like my water hose problem, they can eliminate
those big drains on your energy.

Sometimes a small adjustment comes in the form of
simply asking for what you need, instead of
accepting things "as they are". Years ago when I
worked "for others", I had an office chair that had
been used for years. It had lost its padding, its
construction was outdated, and it had even become
hard to roll around. When I realized that I spent an
enormous amount of my daily precious energy
fighting that chair, I simply went to my boss and
told him that I was uncomfortable and I need a new
chair. "Of course", he said, and I had a new chair
within a week

A small adjustment in your routine can have a big
pay off. Make it a point to do just one thing
different each day, and just see what happens in that
space. Try driving to work with the radio off. Try
going to bed 15 minutes earlier. Try bringing home
fresh flowers from the grocery story each week.
Try paying your bills at the same time every week.
A friend of mine goes to work 30 minutes early on
Wednesdays, and pays her bills at her desk. She
said that she used to just do it "whenever", and it
seemed like 2 or 3 weeks would pass before she
even thought about it. This way, she stays current,
and always feels in control of her financial picture.
A small adjustment in her routine helps her out in a
big way.

Small adjustments can be achieved in many ways,
both physical and mental, in actions, requests, or
ideas. A small adjustment might be required in
extending a boundary, or setting a new one, by
changing your attitude, by choosing a different
action. Small adjustments can be beneficial in just
about any area of your life where you are struggling
- organization, time, space, clutter management,
relationships, or finances. Look for all the small
adjustments in your life that can bring you very big
results. Maybe it's just sewing a seam in those
baggy pants so that they fit better. Who knows?
Just one small adjustment can have very big results.