What we do matters and how we do things matters—a task is what I’m doing right now, the purpose is why we do it.  I saw a clip of a Disney employee who was tasked with cleaning the park.  Rather than just clean, this person took the opportunity to create art, using their tools and water to create Disney characters on the ground.  This person easily could have just picked up and gone about their day.  They would have gotten the task done and collected their check—they did their job.  But this person wasn’t just there to do the job—they were there to create magic and they understood the full magic that was part of their role.  When we choose what we do, we must do so with purpose otherwise we will never fully engage.  The results won’t matter.  If something matters to us, the details should matter.  We all have tasks to do throughout our day—why do we do them?  What drives us to complete them?  We all have to clean the bathroom at some point—but is it a chore or is it an experience in creating a clean environment in a place that isn’t always pleasant?  To do that we have to go the extra mile, add some fragrance, clean under the sink and toilet. 

When I was in massage school, we were taught about the little things.  Having a table set up with folded sheets is a great first impression but what about folding that sheet down to make it look more inviting, almost like a bed?  The purpose of the massage is to relax and heal so there is no reason we can’t take a minute to do that extra little fold.  We’re doing it anyway so make it count.  If we are to make any sort of positive impact on this world, we always need to be cognizant of our why.  Remember there is a reason for what we do, not just to check something off the list.  Sure we want to finish what we need to, but if the goal is merely completing the task, people feel that.  When we care about what we do, we carry that in all we do.  We see what resonates with us and that’s just how we operate.  There are things I’m doing right now that I may not see results from for a decade.  There are things I might see results from next year.  Both are important.  I’m not just trying to check off the list, I’m trying to build something sustainable.  There are tons of sayings like anything worth doing is worth doing right, and it’s true.  To be clear, we’re not talking about perfection here, things don’t need to be perfect to have significance.  But if we execute the task with care and thought and intention, we’ve done something perfectly. 

Find the thing that matters and don’t let go.  Find what matters because when you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.  You’ll find joy in the little things, you’ll find ways to make the mundane seem extraordinary.  We realize that life is extraordinary when we look at what we can do.  And when we operate from authenticity, suddenly time opens up, creativity flows, and we are driven—we become hungry for more.  We can do more, but this isn’t about quantifying it—it’s about putting more into what we do.  We don’t need longer lists of things to do but we need more meaning in our lives.  The meaning is magic.  We all have the opportunity to be that person for ourselves—remember The Leader With No Title.  Anyone can be a leader and everyone has the opportunity to bring their best to what they do.  The little things add up and the more we prepare and offer ourselves, the greater success we see in the long run. Anything with purpose creates longevity and meaning.  What mark are you leaving on the world?