What is it about the Details?
Friday Flutter Report 4.17.26
If you’re new here, on Fridays I write about one action from the week that made an impact. The goal is to remind myself (and maybe you) that even the small, random things can make a difference. The more we allow ourselves to live, the more we might actually enjoy it.
It’s rather poetic,
I think,
How humans often don’t want to believe that the little details matter.
Yet,
it’s often the little details that make things matter.
Mundane to memorable, remarkable against the ordinary.
It’s all in the details.
Which details, though?
How do we know what’s worth it and what’s a waste? How do we focus on the trees without losing the forest? If we do, in fact, choose to believe in the details, how do we escape the paralysis of perfectionism?
That’s a lot, I know.
All of these thoughts are courtesy of my Wednesday night dinner reservation this week.
I walked into a new-to-me restaurant with my friend and immediately knew we picked a good place.
Large windows letting in the light, Earth tones and corner plants providing the serotonin.
After we sat down, the little details kept on piling.
The server poured our water from a green glass bottle. Art and story clippings plastered the wall. The menu held adjectives alongside ingredients.
Crispy, whipped, toasted
What really pulled my attention was my second (not first) bite of duck. (If you’re wondering why I’m ordering duck on a Wednesday, first of all, I split it with my friend and second, it had already been a long week and I wanted something different.)
The first bite tasted the way you’d expect good duck to taste - earthy and warm. For the second bite, though, I scooped up some of the apple and fig mostarda (yeah, I had to Google it too). The slightly sour, candied fruit cut through the fat and brightened the bite - from savory and dense to dynamic and funky. The duck was done well, but the surrounding details are what defined it.
I left the restaurant feeling content and…a little envious. As someone who is currently heavily focused on creative projects, I want to understand how some people are so good at choosing the right details. How are they capturing personality and style without overdoing it? How do they know when they aren’t doing enough?
Thankfully, Thursday was warm and sunny which meant I could walk out all my questions.
I obviously don’t have answers yet, but I do have a theory.
During my walk, I passed by an apartment pool and it got me thinking about swimming laps and that got me thinking about how I learned to swim. In the beginning, my coach wasn’t concerned about how efficiently I could do a flip turn or how much power I could generate off the block. The first order of business was learning how to float (aka not drowning). The details that mattered were the ones that helped build a foundation and good habits. It was only after showing up, day after day, that I learn the strokes, the techniques, the starts, the turns. Eventually, I had a preferred racing suit, a favorite pair of goggles, and a superstitious pre-race routine. Everything came about slowly, and only after a lottttt of work.
This leads me to my theory.
The details that allow us to create something meaningful and powerful shift with time, practice, and observation. In the beginning, the details are less glamorous and more practical. Are we showing up every day? Is our posture correct? Are we saying our affirmations? As we put in more work, we can learn (from others, from observation, etc.) and make adjustments. Then, we can start turning our attention to the details that make people notice.
In short, we’re thinking too much! Just start creating with emphasis on the essentials and never stop learning. The fancy details come after the functional details (like mostarda on good duck).
Lol, all of this just because my friend texted me, “hey do you want to grab dinner?”