Are you majoring in the minors?

A common mistake I see with clients (and that I still make myself sometimes) is to major in the minors.

By this I mean to focus too much on small, less important details while ignoring the bigger, more impactful aspects of a situation.

I first heard this phrase used in a health context by Dr. Layne Norton, one of the “jacked” PhDs I follow for research-based information on nutrition and training. 

In the context of coaching, majoring in the minors shows up as people who:

• Worry about which supplements to take but don’t prioritize eating whole foods

• Debate the best type of workout but rarely take a break to walk during the day

• Stress about organic vs. non-organic food while sleeping only 5 hours a night

No shade thrown, I get it. I sometimes do this when I’m interested in doing something new, like changing up my training plan or tweaking my group coaching program. If I’m going to put in the effort, I want it to be worth it. 

The problem is, sometimes focusing on getting the “minor” things right delays you from taking consistent action on the majors that matter most.

An overemphasis on the minors can also lead to another big mistake I see, strategy swapping. 

When we focus on the details too much, a new study, a new article, or an necdote from a friend’s friend or social media influencer can have us second guessing what we’re doing before we’ve given it enough time to know if it’s working. 

Again, I get it - you don’t want to stick to a plan that isn’t delivering results, BUT being only 70% consistent over a 2-3 week period is hardly enough to know if something is working. 

We’re all unique and there is nuance to designing a plan that works best for our individual needs…it’s also true that most of us would get a lot further, a lot faster if we followed the fundamentals consistently before worrying about the minor details.

Go further, faster by following the fundamentals.

You’re busy, you have plenty of things to do and think about; overcomplicating healthy habits doesn’t have to be one of them. 

In fact, while we’re at it, let’s stop over complicating other areas of our life as well. 

Below are some of the foundational pieces of good health and strong, functional bodies. Before you read that list, ask yourself these questions:

• In what ways might I be overcomplicating the situation?

• What are the “big rocks” of my daily work and am I giving them enough of my energy?

• Which “small pebbles” am I spending too much time on?

• What is one health topic that I keep reading or learning about but haven’t taken consistent action on?

What if the secret to better energy, focus, and long-term health isn’t in creating an intricate plan or finding the best “hacks” but is instead hiding in the boring basics of:

• Getting 7+ hours of quality sleep

• Moving your body for 30-60 minutes every day

• Eating real, whole foods and minimizing the packaged stuff

• Proactively managing stress by simply breathing a little deeper

These are the big rocks of health. The foundation. The boring basics. Without them, the little details don’t matter much.

You don’t even have to nail all of these to start - getting consistent in just one of the core 4 of nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management can be the start of a strong foundation that makes it easier to stack healthy habits and easier to reach whatever goals matter most.

So, what do you think? Are you majoring in any minors? Or letting the minor details stop you from making progress on the bigger picture?

If this might be you, know that the antidote is in action, however imperfect it may be.