Lace Those Boots... (a small secret for success)

The keys to success are not always big and grandiose.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere. Why?”

“You’re putting your boots on”

This was the exchange this morning as I laced my work boots up. I continued to explain that my boots are my motivation…

It may sound odd, but I noticed years ago that there are certain things that seem almost insignificant that completely change the way my life goes. One of those things is putting on my boots. When my boots are on, I’m prepared for action. Ready for whatever the day brings. It’s my secret weapon. The minute I take them off my brain turns off. It’s time to relax.

Making the bed is similar. It gets made the minute I roll out of it lest I be tempted to crawl back in.

I am most definitely a morning person. There are days that I can be frighteningly productive – if I begin early. I can launch whole heartedly into the daily routine and whatever needs to be tackled, IF the bed is made, and my boots are on! Without those two key elements no progress gets made. The later I begin the more fruitless the effort.

We all have those key triggers. Small things that flip a switch in us to get us going. The hard part is paying close attention to yourself to figure out what they are. How things make you feel. What things, no matter how small, make you want to do more? When are you at your best and brightest? Once you figure those things out use them to your full advantage. The keys to success are not always big and grandiose. No journey is achieved in a single bound. It’s in the small things. Each piece in place to create great things. The most powerful piece of machinery is made up of small parts working together. A symphony begins with a single note. A tapestry with a single stitch.

Don’t let life overwhelm you with the big picture. Find that one little thing that will move you on to the next, and the next. What will that be for you? For me, well, I put my boots on.