It's the Little Things...

I like to look at life like a business.  Have a mission, a goal and a plan.  But, you must enjoy what you do while following the rules.  My mission in life is to be successful.  My goal is to be the best that I can be.  And my plan...well, it changes daily.  To be clear, my overall plan doesn't change, just some of the details.

A plan can't and won't work if the small details are missing or overlooked.  It's the little things that can have the biggest impact.  For example, my son is almost three and while he can throw tantrums with the best of them, this small, little boy continues to bring a smile to my face daily.  I do not take that for granted.  He plays a major part in my life plan.

Ignoring the little things can negatively affect the best laid plans.  It's like a crack in the foundation.  If you continue to ignore it, the crack gets bigger and the base in which you have built upon will fold, bringing the entire structure down.  In business, think Enron.  In life, think John Edwards.  Little things that didn't seem so important at first, continued to snowball until there was no turning back.

It's the little things in life that scare me to death.  My Type A personality aside - making lists of all sizes so that I can have the satisfaction of checking them off - I enjoy developing and implementing plans.  But, I try to make sure that I haven't forgotten the minutia when looking at the big picture.  Because, again, it takes just one little thing to escalate into a big problem.

I must have an aversion to 'little things'.  Yippy dogs that shouldn't really be classified as dogs.  Mini-Coopers that shouldn't really be classified as cars because I can't even fit my big toe into them.  Itty-bitty mobiles that shouldn't be classified as phones because they have keypads so small my big fingers find it hard to send a one-word text.

But, the smallest thing that poses the biggest problem for me?  SPIDERS!  These tiny creatures grow into big tarantula monsters with hairy legs.  It's not a problem, per se, but a fear.  A paralyzing, gut-wrenching fear that shuts down all of my faculties and renders me useless when I see or think of them.

Last week, I was driving back to my new home after meeting with some great people, talking about the big picture, life's plan, business ideas, etc. when I came upon some construction.  The day was warm, so I had the window down.  Since I was at a stop, I looked in my rear view mirror, then my side mirror to see if others were as frustrated as me.  Just then a large, black, metallic-looking spider came bouncing down the window frame.  I had nowhere to go.  I couldn't run.  I couldn't escape.  I couldn't scream.  I couldn't breathe.

I somehow found a piece of paper (probably a really important document stuffed in my car) and shrieked like a schoolgirl as I tried to push it out the window.  Nope, spiders may be creepy, but they are smart.  The little booger dodged, weaved and avoided my futile attempts of plunging him to his death.  My car swerved, I opened the door and finally he fell with a thud.  Sure, I may have looked crazy to the person behind me...if only it could have been a paramedic to help me as I endured a major panic attack.

I digress.  It's the little things.  So, as we are thrown into the throws of the presidential election, it's important that both candidates remember the little things.  Spouting about the big picture is great, but  the devil (or spider in my case) is in the details.