Nobody Notices The 98%
Cutting grass in the south in the summer is pretty awesome. It’s 90+ degrees outside, humidity just barely lower, maybe 80%. The sun doesn’t mess around down here. Sunblock, hats, you need them.
And after a rainy week? It’s not called the lowcountry for nothing. I had actually dug holes into the ground with my feet as I pushed the mower forward trying to get 6 inch grass cut at my parents’ house.
But making $10 back in the day as a 12 year old was real money. After all, a Snickers bar at Guerin’s only cost about 30¢.
This particular day, I was forced to wait until the afternoon to start cutting the grass, because in the morning the wet grass would all clump up and clog the discharge of the push mower.
After working for about two hours in the blazing afternoon sun, I finally finished and went inside to clean up.
Now, the deal was, my dad would pay me after he inspected the yard. So I was waiting patiently for him to get home so we could walk around around together and he could see the finished work.
When he finally got home, it was pay day!
Except it wasn’t, not exactly.
There was only one strip I missed in the front yard. And a small patch in the side yard. And then the entire strip of grass at the street.
So I got on work clothes again, started up the mower, and finished the job.
I still remember him saying to me, “People won’t notice the 98% that you finished. They will notice the 2% that wasn’t finished.”
30 minutes later, I was headed up to the bank with my $10 to deposit.
But almost 30 years later, I still remember him pointing out the small strip of grass that I missed.
It’s a lesson I still work on, remembering the details of whatever it is I’m involved in so that the last 2% doesn’t fall through the cracks.
Now as a father, I work on that for my children. In business, I work on systems that help me get all the details covered. When I clean the kitchen, I remember that it’s the 2% that my wife notices I left undone.
(ok, I’m still working on that last one…)
But at the end of the day, I want those who are counting on me to be able to rest because I didn’t miss that last 2%.
Thank you Dad; you continue to inspire me to be better.
