Lean Quote: Enjoy the Little Things, You’ll Realize they’re the Big Things

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Enjoy the little things in life for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things."  —  Kurt Vonnegut

Busy lives encourage us to do more, achieve more, be more… and expect more. We raise the bar high for ourselves, our careers, our holiday destinations, our dreams and hopes. We mark the success in our lives by whether we hit milestones, targets, deadlines.

Many get caught up in the hustle, and sometimes I do too. More often, though, I’m able to see that the little things are the big things.

Here are some little tips to help you slow down, appreciate and learn how to enjoy the little things.

1. Slow Down

The truth is, you can’t appreciate the little things in life if you’re too busy, too tired, or too stressed to even notice them. And the best way to start noticing them is to slow down your pace and make a deliberate effort to notice what’s going on around you.

“I just don’t have the time!” Is that what’s going through your mind right now?

Hey I get it, you’re trying to realize a dream, or simply trying to make ends meet. Slowing down may be easier said than done. BUT here are a few questions I want you to ask yourself:

Do I really NEED everything I say I need?

Do I tend to take on other people’s problems as if they were my own?

Do I spend too much time on social media or on other things that don’t produce a whole lot of value at the end of the day?

And keep this in mind: Slowing down doesn’t mean you have to quit your job and retire to the Canary Islands. Even with a genuinely hectic schedule, you can carve out a few minutes each day to slow down and reflect.

2. Stop Chasing

I’ll be happy when… I’ll feel successful when… I’ll have made it when… Stop chasing what you think will make you feel complete, happy, successful, rich, fulfilled and be content with what you have now. If you chase too much, life ends up being all about the chase. What happens if the goalposts move or you can’t chase anymore?

3. Stop Waiting

If you wait for good things to happen, you could be waiting a long time. Instead start your own search to find things that make you happy, bring you comfort and calm. Take responsibility for yourself and your own peace of mind and stop waiting for it to drop into your lap. A good first step on this journey could be by exploring how to enjoy the little things in life!

4. Be Receptive

Not everything in life has to be shiny and irresistible. Sometimes we have to be open to receiving things that are subtle, quiet and hidden. Just because something isn’t bright neon doesn’t mean we can’t see it, we just have to look a little harder and be receptive to looking at the world differently. How you think about things determines how you feel about them. Be open to simple, little pleasures that you might have overlooked or dismissed before now.

5. Be Grateful

Don’t ever forget not to take things or people for granted. Be grateful for everything you have – for small and large things. A roof over your head, the food that you eat, air-conditioning on our ever-increasing hot days and your health. Most of all, being grateful for the people in your life — your mother, your father, your wife, your husband, your son, your daughter, your friends — all of them.

6. Be Present

The most important step in enjoying the small things in life is to live in the moment. It’s about being fully present and engaged in whatever you’re doing, not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

Every moment is unique and fleeting. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. So don’t let these precious moments slip away unnoticed.

Whether it’s savoring a delicious meal, listening to your favorite song, or watching a sunset – immerse yourself completely in these moments.

You’ll find that life is not necessarily about the big milestones but the tiny magical moments that happen every day.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, peaceful, and fruitful New Year!

A Fresh Start: 7 Tips for Making the Most of the New Year

At the end of each year, I set aside a little time to reflect on the past year, clear mental and physical clutter, and set some juicy new goals for the year ahead. I love the beginning of a new year because it offers the chance to start fresh and give some new energy to the parts in your life that need a little love and attention. 5 tips to kickstart your new year coming right up…

Reflect and celebrate.

Take time to mentally review the past year. What do you wish you had done differently that you can change next year? Maybe you spend way more time on your phone than you’d like (my hand is up!), or got sucked into the endless news cycle, or didn’t spend as much time as you’d like on the things you value most. It’s human nature to want to focus on setbacks, disappointments, and challenges, so after I’ve grieved any losses, and clarified where I’d like to improve, I make sure to write down what I’m really proud of. Even during the most challenging years, we can all find bright spots if we look for them.

Celebrate your own personal triumphs. What are you proud of? What did you accomplish in spite of the many challenges of the past year? Jot down all of your large and small victories and celebrate your accomplishments of all sizes.

Declutter your life.

There’s never a bad time to declutter, but the new year is a great motivator to get rid of the stuff that is no longer serving you. There are various things you can declutter from your life for a fresh start to the new year.

Decluttering your physical space can help you enter the new year with renewed focus, clarity, and awareness. It can encourage creativity and critical thinking, making it easier to tackle new projects, pick up new hobbies or revisit old ones.

And it can even improve your physical health, eliminating hiding places for dust and dirt that can exacerbate allergies and other conditions.

While your physical space might be the most obvious one to declutter, it isn’t the only thing you should consider.

Decluttering your digital space can also work wonders on your mental well-being.

Reflect on the progress you made over the last year – and the goals you didn’t achieve.

Looking back on all you’ve accomplished – and what you didn’t – is a great first step to take when giving yourself a fresh start.

While it may not be pleasant, it’s a good idea to recognize where things didn’t go the way you wanted. You shouldn’t approach this with a mindset of failure; instead, it’s important to focus on the opportunity for growth.

Not only will this give you some inspiration for what you might want to focus on in the year ahead, but understanding how you fell short can help you make the adjustments needed to thrive in the new year.

It’s even more important to celebrate your wins – little or big. What good things happened during the year? Did you move states, buy a house, or change your job? Start a new relationship – or step away from one that was toxic?

Material or not, these wins are worth recognizing and reflecting upon. It’s a great way to give yourself some positive momentum as you move into the new year, ready to tackle a whole new set of goals, changes, and challenges.

Pick a theme to focus your energy on in the new year.

Try picking a theme or a word to focus your energy on for the new year that resonates with your personal and specific goals, values, and priorities. Visualize what you want to create, and hone in on how you want to feel. Popular options include: simplicity, abundance, wellness, creativity, connection, and ease. This word or theme can serve as a guide as you make decisions in the new year. When faced with a decision you can ask yourself, “Does this contribute to my feeling of (your word or theme here)?”

Set some specific goals for the year ahead.

While vulnerable and scary, when I write down and share my big goals, I feel much more committed to making them happen. If goal setting for an entire year feels daunting, try setting smaller goals for the first quarter of the year. Three months is a good chunk of time to set some brave goals, and to make a lot of progress towards achieving them. Ask yourself what you want to be different in your life by the end of 2025. What do you want to do or accomplish? How do you want to feel? What do you want to contribute? What specific and measurable things will you need to do to get there?

Identify meaningful steps you can take to achieve those goals.

If you’re committed to making your dreams and goals become a reality, it is imperative that you break down each big goal into tiny micro steps, and schedule each step in your actual calendar. You can make sure that your calendar supports your priorities and goals by scheduling not only professional commitments, but also social plans, time off, self care, spiritual practices, and exercise. Sometimes I block out an hour on my calendar that literally says “Focus Time.” When it comes to goals and habits, it’s also helpful to commit to a minimum baseline you will commit to – even on your hardest day. This is how I started working out everyday after years of failing.

Give yourself some grace.

Changing old habits and routines is easier said than done.

While the new year might be a great motivator for making big changes, shifting your outlook, and setting new goals, it’s important to recognize that it’s hard to change everything overnight.

Keep this in mind as you approach the new year and give yourself grace if you slip up or stumble. Resist taking an all-or-nothing approach as you work towards your goals.

Give yourself a break and let it be ok to have an off day or two. Recognize what happened and refocus on what you want to achieve to help yourself get back on track.

Continue taking small steps toward your goals and don’t give up. Failure only occurs when you decide to stop trying. Every day can be a fresh start and a chance for a new beginning.