Have you ever wondered the significance a seemingly minor decision had on your life?  I do. 

I moved out west, from Philadelphia, at the age of 25.  I had a pretty cushy life going in Philly town.  I worked as a securities broker and was favored by the management of my employer.  When other brokers left the firm, I was reassigned some of the best accounts.  I worked hard to gain that favor but it definitely gave me an advantage over the other new brokers.

I chucked it all for a move to Phoenix.  I wanted to live a warm climate.  It cost me a bunch of money, too.  One of my contemporaries just retired, from our old employer, after twenty years service as a stock broker.  That may very well have been my story, to...IF...I just stayed put in Philly. 

Retired at 42.  Sounds appealing, doesn't it?

The prescient Jeff Brown rekindled these introspective thoughts with his article "The Little Things Matter" :

So what small changes can you make to your investment strategy to have this kind of impact on your portfolio? Assuming your current agenda is capital growth, in anticipation of retirement – here are some tweaks you might consider.

• Is your equity to value over 65-70%?  Consider reinvigorating your leverage
• Time for a move? Seriously consider cheaper, out of state, growth regions
• Reassess your current position – don’t lose money via procrastination
• Have unused depreciation piling up?  It’s a gold mine – take advantage
• Unused capital today, can cost you six figure$ in retirement income --      really
  

For the record, that’s just the short list

The little things DO matter.  I learned the principle of systematic saving from my parents.  That's given me options in life, options to avoid some bad decisions.  Those little crumbs I've stored have built themselves into loaves of bread.  They're not quite big enough to feed me in my old age but substantial enough to give me peace of mind that I'm on the right track.

Battleships turn more quickly than rowboats.  Little adjustments, on the bridge, at the start of the trip, have a profound effect on the navigation.  Chart your course today so you avoid stormy seas tomorrow.

Jeff reminds us, the little things really DO matter.