Majoring in the Minors

Sometimes I let myself get caught up in details that should not have preeminence over other priorities, but they somehow get the bulk of my effort. It’s not that these details don’t matter. They often do, but they aren’t critical, and at times I let less significant issues demand disproportionate amounts of my resources.

All of us get caught up in this. We place major emphasis on minor things. We get distracted and diverted from what is crucial to do what is convenient. Even if it’s not a matter of convenience, whatever calls out to us the loudest often takes precedent over what is most vital. We end up placing 80% of our effort on the areas that might only produce 20% of the results.

We all have our attention pulled away from what must to be done as we are drawn to what can be done. We end up being firefighters instead of construction workers. We get stuck putting out the fires of urgent, but unimportant matters, rather than proactively building what is essential.

Refuse to major in the minors.

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