It’s crazy how a seemingly small thing can have a considerable impact.

My wife called me the other day to let me know her car was not starting. This comes two weeks after the battery and alternator were replaced. My mind instantly goes to the worst-case scenario and I think it’s going to cost thousands of dollars to fix. So, I called a tow truck and drove to pick her up. I got to the car and noticed that it wouldn’t go into gear, and again, I jumped to the worst-case scenario that the transmission was toast.

The tow truck shows up, and tests the battery and alternator. He says, “Those are in great shape; I bet it's a fuse.” I’m like, yeah, right, how would a fuse cause all these issues? He takes a screwdriver and pops it in where the fuse goes, and the power kicks back up for a second. It was the fuse. It was an $8 part. The whole car wouldn’t work without it. You couldn’t put it into gear, no lights, no power… Side note: this was amazing service. Not only did he troubleshoot, he waited for me to get the part and then he installed it for me. He could have easily just towed the car and dropped it off.

It was incredible to me (maybe because I know nothing about cars 😂) that such a small thing could get an entire vehicle moving.

Like our lives, families, and businesses, small things can have huge impacts. When building relationships with your kids, 10 minutes a day can pay dividends over 10 years. Reading for 3 minutes a day or working out for 10. How spending 20 minutes a day honing in your craft will all pay huge dividends in time. Discipline is also involved, but this was a great example of how a small thing like a fuse can enable an entire vehicle to move. Don’t let the small things go; they will eventually compound into the things that push you forward.

What small things do you do personally and in business that you hope will yield dividends in the future?