D.E.T.A.I.L.S – it can save your life

I was used to hating details. They are just simply boring; being a creative person, I prefer to let someone else take care of the finicky part of work while I develop them. While I am calm and adaptable to complicated people and situations, I am totally impatient with facts. I get to re-arrange my bedroom at least thrice every year. When blogging on a topic, I get to develop the topic and idea in minutes and I could spend the next a week proofreading. Anything I can’t picture in 3D is ‘work’… While these issues might not affect the daily details of your life, one day a demand may be placed on you that will require your exactness. Over four months ago I began to walk the path of developing an eye for details. (My quick test for checking if you have an eye for details? if by now you’ve not noticed that the ‘S’ in the header doesn’t have a dot behind it, you need to work on your detailing).

Though life is calibrated and measured in years and accomplishments, the outcome of those times will depend on the little details of our lives – in days, hours, minutes and seconds. The key to success in life is getting to do little things correctly, all the time, every time, so that the summation of our actions will yield a balanced, structured end result which is a brand of impeccable and sound quality.

Even in my work, where I demonstrate a passion for work and idea generation, I have come to appreciate that commitment to quality and relentless attention to details are essential hallmarks of excellence. Attentions to details save organisations a lot of time, frustration and money. Most organizations and people that have enjoyed the greatest success understanding that it takes hundreds of small, seemingly insignificant details repeated day in and day out to create an unforgettably excellent experience.

Lesson #1: Train your brain, but back it up

Some clichés become so common they often lose their significance like it is often said that the shortest pen remembers better than the shortest memory. I have thus learnt to carry notebooks about wherever I go. I have notebooks for my work plan, personal projects and ideas, meditations and church notes- and I use them.

It’s not that the devil is in the details, but that every detail we forget contain a seed that can potentially make the difference between success and failure. If the benefits of your work, prayers and efforts will be reaped, attention to detail is an absolute necessity.

Lesson #2: Write your life

Even when you have a notebook, make sure you put things down- the stupid, necessary and the critical. Most time we can’t track our progress because we don’t care to measure it by writing it down ab initio. It doesn’t matter the information, put it down (and keep sensitive details secure!). The reason why the history of global development is western is that Africans propagate history by word of mouth which eventually gets lost in transmission.

Lesson #3: Order

Anyway you look at it; they’re going to be times within your job or life where your attention to details will save you. One of the key issues to being exact is orderliness. Having an organized desk, room or life may seem minor, but when the outcome of a circumstance clean and organized desk it’s easy to find papers quickly. And just like your desk, the rest of your job should be organized and neatly projected that so that little things like going over budget don’t get by you.

Lesson #4: Do things immediately

One of the reasons we lose details is usually the ‘I will do it later’ syndrome. The idea that there is a convenient time to do things always makes us rely on our memories to keep us up to speed.

Putting off tasks till later is half leaving things undone.

Lesson #5: Learn how to do things right the first time

No matter what business or personal activities you are involved in, you will be confronted with greater challenges that could have been prevented if you had paid closer attention to the details in the first instance.

Lesson #6: these things are a reflection of your leadership and personality

I was told of someone applying for the post of a financial analyst who was called to an interview. The man was astute in his presentation and was heavy on pedigree, but he forgot his CV and credentials at the venue of the interview when he left.

Excellence in any endeavor is a production in which every little detail tells a story about one’s personality, commitment, and character. Pay attention to the small stuff. Consistent attention to details produces excellence and that’s why every detail counts!

“The magic behind every outstanding performance is always found in the smallest of details.”