I was a B student.
Not because getting an A was hard. But because getting a B… was easy.
Until 3rd quarter in 4rd grade when my dad sat me down at the dining room table with my report card in his hand.
He wasn’t mad, but he had something to say.
He looked at my list of not bad, not great marks, held up his thumb and index finger 1-inch apart, peered his eye through the gap and said,
“It only takes a little bit to be better than average.”
He then got up and went to the kitchen to eat.
*mic drop*
That thumb and index finger symbolized everything I already knew: I could do better, and he was calling me out on it.
And since I was 9 years old, that thumb and index finger has become the silent prompt for conviction, pivot, and motivation in my life.
Every time I walked away from half-hearted job helping around the house, working for his company, or saying something I shouldn’t have said, there he’d be standing, holding up that agonizing little gesture reminding me of all that I could be if I only tried.
He did it so many times that as I grew into an adult it became an involuntary voice in my head.
I should probably talk to a therapist about that some time.
But today I wanted to share with you how powerful that tiny phrase has been for me, and how powerful I think it can be for you too.
The impact of small moves has long been studied. Modern science knows that small, “little bit,” moves are the neurological secret to brain change.
“Little Bits” are the secret to breaking every bad pattern in life, and building every good thing that you want:
Do you want to earn more money?
– Give a little bit more value.
– Show up a little bit more prepared.
– Polish your craft a little bit more often.
– Get a little bit more organized.
– Communicate a little bit more clearly.
Do you want to have a better marriage?
– Listen a little bit more than you talk.
– Acknowledge her strengths a little bit more sincerely
– Let go a little bit more of your ego.
– Own and fix a little bit more of your mistakes.
– Care a little bit more about her dreams.
Do you want to conquer unreasonable dreams?
– Write them down with a little bit more detail.
– Look at them a little bit more regularly.
– Tell them to a little bit bigger group of people.
– Ask “what’s in the way,” a little bit more seriously.
– Spend a little bit more time with people
who have actually gone through the process.
——
The “little bit” rule has served me every time I have put it to test in the last 26 years; in business, in leadership, in relationships, in being a musician, in being a pilot, in being a dad… it has always lead me to goodness.
I’m never perfect and never done, but I am always sure that behind every challenge is a simple little answer.
Thank you, dad. Your wisdom and your heart are a rare gift.
I am glad I got to be your son.
And I’m glad we all have the chance to go back and give it a little bit more.
Cheers,
BW
