Almost every area of our lives can be affected negatively by not paying attention to detail. But with impending deadlines and busy schedules that make us crave some downtime, it can be very easy to rush through a project at work, home, or anywhere else in our everyday lives.
All of this rushing past details can cost us many things in life. It can also create many negative things in our lives that we would have avoided with just a little extra focus.
Three Negative Consequences of Not Paying Attention To Detail
1. Losing out On Money
Any accountant will tell you how important it is to pay attention to every penny spent and every penny earned, but there is much more to watch out for when it comes to saving money.
For instance, if you are looking for a new home it pays to pay attention to the little things while viewing a potential home. Not noticing a crack in the concrete, an unstable porch, or an electrical socket that is not working can cost you thousands of dollars that you could have saved in negotiations of the house price. You may also lose out on repairs that you will need to pay out of pocket if you buy the house.
2. Limited Progress in Career Goals
If you rely on other things (or people) to help you get through your work tasks, then you could be missing important details that could cost you a job, promotion, and other important recognition. In fact, it can decrease your status in the eyes of others.
For example, if you write an email and rely on the instant spell check to correct the spelling, instead of looking it over yourself, then you may be risking an embarrassing outcome if your email says "I would like to meat you wear we can discuss this farther." You may have spelled the words correctly, but the words 'meat', 'wear', and 'farther' are the wrong words to be using in this email and it can cause you to look unintelligent and unprofessional!
3. More Relationship Fights
Communication is essential to any relationship in your life, both listening and speaking. Not communicating properly can cause arguments over issues that did not need to occur.
For instance, if you only partially listen to someone who is talking to you then you may miss important details that they are trying to share with you. So, when you go to the store to pick up the candy bar that they said they wanted, and you did not listen to the details of what kind of candy bar they wanted, then you forget to pick up the candy bar without nuts.
Alternatively, if you are not detailed when speaking you can cause misunderstandings that result in anger, hurt, and even danger. For example, when talking about meeting for supper at taco bell, it becomes important to say which side of town you want to meet on if there is more than one taco bell. You may end up eating alone if your message is not detailed enough.
There are many more areas of your life that can be affected by not paying attention to detail including your health, your reputation, your knowledge, and your time. Always strive to notice the little things, because sometimes those are the most important things.
