Monday, April 16, 2012

Be a More Detail Oriented Person

You can learn to be a detail oriented person.

Repeat:  You can learn to be a detail oriented person.  

Like anything, improving your attention to detail requires a little study, practice, and dedication. The third item,  dedication, will alone make you immediately look and feel more detail oriented.  If I had to pick one thing, it would be that, largely because that will natural lead you into study and practice.

Dedicating yourself to attention to detail is as simple as doing these things:

  • Double check your work
  • Double check your work slowly
  • Double check your work even if you are tired of looking at it
  • Double check with a reference (don't assume you know the right phone number, spelling, address, etc that you are checking)
  • Double check your work in a different pattern (e.g., read an essay backwards to check spelling)
  • Then, double check your double checks 
I am quite sure you see a pattern there.  Double check... 

In less time than you think, this will become natural. Your double checks will go more smoothly and you will discover the methods that work best for you.  Also, your double checking -- and improved attention to detail -- will reward you almost immediately with higher grades, more praise from a boss or client (or less criticism, at least), and may help you win a bid or contract. It may also help you get more money on a contract or bid because you may notice an opportunity to upsell or mistakenly written low price you would have to eat otherwise. 

You can learn more about how to become a more detail oriented person at DetailOriented.org, which is dedicated to helping people achieve their potential by improving their lives by becoming more detail oriented people, employees, spouses, parents, students...