Big things start small

Black History Month has been commemorated every October since 1987 in the UK. For me, it represents a time for people of all backgrounds to reflect on the contribution of Black culture and history to our society. The theme of this short article is “Big things start small” - a message that applies to each and every one of us.

In December 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating Alabama’s bus segregation laws in not vacating her seat when the “White” section was filled. Her small act of defiance spiralled into a 13-month Montgomery bus boycott that became a hugely important symbol of America’s civil rights movement for many decades to come.

One of my favourite quotes comes to mind, “big things have small beginnings” which is a quote from the story Lawrence of Arabia. Another quote in the same vein is “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu).

Starting small prevents that feeling of paralysis; it’s easier to take a small action rather than a big one, right? Also, it provides the opportunity to illicit early feedback (we love an Agile MVP development project here at Jumar!).

So next time you feel a tad overwhelmed by the size of a task you need to tackle, start small in order to create something bigger, just as Rosa Parks did nearly 70 years ago.

Lisa Nicholson
Head of Presales, Jumar