We’ve often heard “it’s the little things” –those nearly unnoticeable annoyances or conveniences, kindnesses or slights–that shift our perceptions. My action partner picked up  my variation on that today during our check-in call.

“You said ‘minor, but major’ a few times,” she reflected, then repeated the minor adjustment that got made in my apartment over the weekend. An organizer helped me partially restore my pantry and hall closet which needed to be emptied for the renovation. Now my living room has a half dozen fewer boxes to contend with until the final phase of the design work is complete.

In the process of getting my home back to semi-normal, I mentioned that I hated bending over to get the dishes out of tub, and could she help me figure out a way to avoid that? A table or something to bring the drying rack to at least thigh-level. She took one of the emptied extra heavy duty Home Depot cartons, reconstructed it, and, voilà! I no longer have to get on my knees to retrieve a coffee cup from the dish rack. Minor, but major.

In coaching, we call these ‘tolerations.’ What do you put up with when an adjustment could make life so much better if you took the time to identify and change it? Whether it’s getting prescription lenses for your sunglasses or taking the time to figure out how to add storage to your smart phone, once the positive change is made, energy and mind space are freed up for creativity and joy.