Don’t Wait: Small Fixes Can Change Everything

At one of Toyota’s large car manufacturing plants, everything runs on a carefully timed automated assembly line. The process is streamlined: the machines assemble the car, and then workers fine-tune it afterward to fix any small issues.

But one day, a factory worker did something unexpected. When he spotted a tiny glitch, a single faulty screw, he did the unthinkable: he stopped the entire assembly line. He called out, “Everyone stop, let’s fix it now!”

His coworkers were outraged. “Why bring everything to a halt over something so small?” they asked. “We can finish the job and fix that part later. Why stop everything for one tiny flaw?”

But the worker stood firm. He insisted the issue be addressed immediately.

That one decision stirred up arguments and disrupted the usual flow of production. It wasn’t an easy choice. But they paused the machine and made the repair.

What happened next surprised everyone.

After that change, the number of defects coming off the line dropped by 70%. Why? Because one tiny issue, if ignored, can lead to many more. A small misalignment might cause several other parts to stop working properly. But fixing the root issue right away prevented a whole chain reaction.

The team learned a powerful lesson: if you stop to fix something small now, you avoid much bigger problems later.

It’s the same in life.

How often do we notice something small, maybe a task we keep putting off, a comment we regret not making right, or even something in our spiritual life, like skipping a mitzvah, and think, “I’ll take care of it later…”?

But those small things can grow, just like that faulty screw. They can lead to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, or even emotional pain. What starts as a delay in sending a message or apologizing for something small can ripple into bigger problems.

The Torah teaches us the value of hishtadlut, making an effort and also of teshuvah (return or repentance). When we catch something early, whether in our actions, our relationships, or our personal growth, we have the power to change the outcome.

Traditional Chinese medicine has an interesting idea: you don’t pay a doctor when you get sick. You pay when you’re healthy. Why? Because the doctor’s job is to guide you in preventing illness. If you follow their guidance and stay well, they’ve done their job. But if you get sick, something went wrong.

It’s a beautiful example of how prevention matters. A small fix can prevent a major breakdown. A small win can lead to much greater success.

We all want to achieve big things. But sometimes it’s those small achievements, the short story before the novel, the one healthy choice before the diet, the one extra moment of kavanah (focused intention) during prayer, that carry us forward.

Even in our connection to Hashem, every small step matters. Saying one beracha (blessing) with sincerity, taking a few minutes to learn Torah, or simply stopping to say “thank you” to someone, it all adds up. One small step leads to another. And before we know it, the path ahead feels clearer.

So don’t wait. Fix the little things. Celebrate the small victories. Because those are the seeds of something much greater.

From the book “Attention and Concentration” by Gilad Shamai and Yechiel Elias.