August 8, 2018

By Lindy Earl

It’s the quality, often pronounced QUAAAAAA-lity, not the quantity, that matters.  I want quality time with you.  It’s worth paying for quality.

We’ve all heard about the importance of quality, but has anyone defined it?  We could borrow from Supreme Court Justice Stone, when he was asked to define pornography:  “I don’t know how to define it, but I damn well know it when I see it.”

Is the same true with quality?  Does quality change with people or with circumstances?  It makes sense to me that what I considered quality when I was 25 I would not consider quality today.

Sometimes, quality is a matter of effort.  I like to give gifts, but I’ve learned that the appearance is almost as important as what’s inside the package.  Now, a useless or misguided gift, no matter how prettily wrapped, is not as good as the perfect gift without wrapping.  We both know that.

Still, taking a few minutes to drop an item into a gift bag simply means more.  For one, it piques interest as soon as it’s seen.  Second, there is something fun about unwrapping a gift.  For me, bows make the difference.  I have a drawer full of bows, so even if I don’t wrap a gift, I’ll often tie a bow around the item.  This adds a quality of life to the simple joy of giving somebody a small gift. It can turn a task (remember to give the item when you see the person) into an event (here, I was thinking of you. Please open this.).

Quality can be seen in taking a few minutes to add details.  My daughter had an amazing Kindergarten teacher.  My cherub would return from school with much better pictures than she had ever drawn in our play room.  Why?  Attention to detail.  Her teacher had a rule, “No white showing,” on the paper.  This encouraged children to take the time to fill the entire page – so they were adding clouds and stars and trees to pictures they drew.  What a difference!

When you’re getting dressed, taking time to add a sports coat or jewelry, even a simple watch, will set you apart.  The attention to detail shows a quality. If you’re taking time with your appearance, which has to be redone every day, you’re probably giving time and attention to your work and projects.  What a great non-verbal message to send!

A point that I think needs to be made is that quality is not always equal to cost.  Sometimes it is, thus the line, You get what you pay for.  I’m a huge proponent of saying that I can’t afford to buy cheap.

Still, when your child needs a blue t-shirt for class day, a $3 tee will work just fine.  Spend your clothing allowance on the outfit that will be worn repeatedly and needs to stand up to frequent abuse. Buy the $30 backpack for school so it will last several years, versus buying a $10 backpack that falls apart four times in one year.

You can choose the quality of life you want, then take steps to achieve it.  If you want a quality job, then invest in your education.  If you want a quality wardrobe, then buy fewer pieces of nicer quality clothes so your bottom line remains consistent. The same is true with finer dining – higher scale but less often.  Or, if you find your level of dining could be lowered and you would be equally happy, then make the change and either go out more often or pocket the difference.

Quality of life is a decision we make.  It may have once been put upon us, by our circumstances.  When I was 20 I was a poor college student and lived as such.  A trip to McDonald’s was a treat!  With experience and age, we learn so much about our own likes and priorities.  Take some time to think about where you would like to improve the quality of your life and make the changes.

Lindy is a Business Consultant and Speaker for companies of all sizes and individuals of all levels.  In addition, she is an author and columnist.  Contact her at LMEarl@EarlMarketing.com to speak to your corporation or organization.