Simply in the Details

It had been a while since I had gone on a school fieldtrip with one of my children. I decided I would join my son's class to an event called "Ice on Whyte". Boy, I am glad I did. What a great time we had. I realized that all of life's lessons are simply in the details.

The field trip started with the children being given a block of ice and a pattern to trace out with a nail. My son whispered in his friend's ear and glanced at me with a smile - he was making his ice project for me. He worked with focus and diligence as he first traced the pattern and then chiselled away at a block of ice until it slowly started to transform. He had traced a heart and was chiselling it out of ice for me. During his chiselling he started to cry as a chunk of ice had broken off and his heart of ice was not the exact replica of what he had traced. I reassured him that it would be okay. He had never ice sculpted before so I explained to him that sculptors simply adjust the plan and fix up areas to compensate. You would never know an error or mishap occurred. My son composed himself and continued to chip away at the ice again. I was so proud of him for seeing the beauty of his work. A block of ice turned into a heart (of gold).

The kids played on a small ice slide until it was time to move on and see some of the ice sculptures in the park. Wow, they were beautiful! People from around the world came here and created these beautiful works of art. The big hit with the kids was seeing an ice sculpture of a well known Transformer – Bumblebee. What amazing detailed work.

I have adjusted the winning criteria from the ice sculpture competition to pertain to our daily lives, newsletters, and businesses. It is simply in the details. Here is what I came up with:

First Impression. Making a strong long lasting impression is something you should strive for when you network and connect with others. The first impression is a lasting one. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Let people remember you.

Utilization of Your Resources (aka Ice). How you use what you have, will determine what you get. Look into your networks and connections for people who you can help and who can help you. Can you delegate or contract some of your project work to others so you can dedicate your time to where you do your best work?

Technical skill. Do you have the knowledge or can you learn it? Is it best delegated to the experts? Commit to continuous learning to help you grow.

Attention to Details. When you pay attention to the details of your events, your emails, or your spoken word to others, you can see what sets you apart from them. Paying attention to details enables you to create your own way of doing things. It is the "little somethings" you do which make a difference. Maybe it is your follow up thank you card, phone message, or email letting people know you care.

Finished Appearance. Your confidence radiates when you walk into a room and you are well groomed, well-dressed, and you are prepared to meet new people or present your ideas.

Structural Technique. How organized and prepared are you to execute your plans?

Proportion to Symmetry. Are you providing valuable content to others or are only selling? Is it all about you or are you focus on serving others?

Design and Composition. Does your content flow? Is it well structured and chalk full of valuable information?

Creativity. Creativity is what captures the imagination of others. People will see possibilities they have not seen before when they are introduced to new ideas. New ideas generate more new ideas.

Artistic Impression. We are all artists of our own lives. We are constantly creating our lives each and every day. Can you adjust and move forward? Do not be so hard on yourself. Only the sculptor will know where the mistakes are. Keep chipping away and focus on your end result.

There are many times in our lives that our well thought out plans or intentions do not go as planned. We can get upset and stop what we are doing or we can stand up tall, re-compose ourselves, and focus on what we want as our end result. The choice is ours. By sticking with your plan, adjusting as you go, and staying focussed on your end result, you can chisel out your own dream or goal. My son's project started with a block of ice and turned into a sculpture of a heart. The heart and effort that went into the project made the difference...the rest was simply in the details.

What details are you paying attention to so that you can chisel out your desires?