In ninth grade PE class at Jefferson Junior High School, Coach Snyder pulled all the football players out of line one day and moved us to the front. I don’t remember why we were in line – there was a special event that day and being in the front of the line was an advantage. I was a football player, so I was pretty happy, but there was grumbling from the rest of the class. I remember Coach Snyder telling everyone: “If you don’t like it, get off your butts and do something extra for your school, and you’ll get special treatment too.”
Was it fair? I don’t know, and that’s not the point of this post. Fair or not, it’s how the real world functions – if you do a little more, you’ll be treated a little better.
Sounds great, but who has the time? It was easy in Junior High School, but we’re all strapped as adults. When can we possibly do a little more?
Below are three easy things you can do to help your world treat you a little bit better, and they don’t take that much time, if any.
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Learn and remember the names of the local service people. The baristas at the local coffee shop, the manager at the oil-change place, the greeter at your gym, etc. You don’t have to become best friends with them, but remembering their names shows that they mean something to you and makes their days a little bit better. Not many people do this, and they’ll notice. Before long, you’ll have more hot towels at the gym than Newman (for the Seinfeld fans out there).
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Plan to volunteer for events in the distant future. If I asked you to do something this month, it would likely add stress to your day … heck, the next three months. Look ahead at the needs your company, community, or local organizations might need in six months to a year, and volunteer. Block off the time on your calendar now. You’ll be able to manage it into your schedule, and enjoy the volunteer work … and will be treated a little bit better by those organizations.
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Recognize other people’s extra effort. After an event, special meeting, or any random Tuesday, email or call someone who is putting in a little extra effort and thank them for it. It’s amazing how valuable the gift of appreciation can be. They’ll remember it, and you’ll earn a little bit extra from them.
Of course, the ultimate intention behind these ideas is not to gain a discount on oil changes, but it doesn’t hurt. Try these three simple techniques – or just one. Within a couple weeks you’ll start to notice the little favors here and there being returned to you, and those little favors can make a big difference in your day.
