How you do anything is how you do everything.
/haʊ juː duː ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ɪz haʊ juː duː ˈɛvrɪˌθɪŋ/
B2
Definition
This phrase says that your behavior in any small or big task is a sign of how you behave in all parts of your life. It means that habits, care, or attitude you show in one thing usually appear in everything you do. It encourages paying attention to small actions because they represent your general way of working or living.
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See It in Action
Your habits and attitude in small tasks reflect your overall character
- •How you do anything, like cleaning your room, shows how you handle bigger responsibilities.
- •If you do small tasks carefully, you probably do big tasks carefully too.
- •This phrase reminds us to take all actions seriously, even the small ones.
Encouragement to be mindful and consistent in all actions
- •She believes in the saying "how you do anything is how you do everything" to stay focused.
- •Teachers use this idea to teach students to build good habits early.
- •It motivates people to improve their behavior in all areas of life.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "how you do anything" like "how you do small things," and "how you do everything" like "how you do all things"—the small shows the big
- ✓Picture a person folding laundry carefully; this carefulness is like how they handle their whole life
- ✓It's the feeling when you notice someone is always late or careless in small things, so you expect the same in bigger tasks
- ✓Sounds like "how you do ANY-thing is how you do EVERY-thing" → imagine a small ripple in water that spreads to the whole pond
- ✓Think of a story where a hero’s small good habits helped them succeed in big challenges later
- ✓NOT like "some things are different" — this phrase says your way is the same everywhere, not changing by situation
- ✓NOT like "only important things matter" — it says even small things are important and show your true self
- ✓NOT like "you can act differently sometimes" — it suggests your habits are consistent across all actions
Try Other Words
- •Your small actions show your true character: The way you do little things reflects who you are (Use when you want a clearer, simpler explanation)
- •Consistency is key: Being the same in all actions is important (Use when focusing on the idea of being steady and reliable)
- •Character is shown in every action: Your personality appears in all you do (Use when emphasizing personality)
Unboxing
- •The phrase is a full sentence made of simple words: "how" (in what way), "you" (the person), "do" (perform or act), "anything" (any small or big task), "is" (equals), "everything" (all tasks or actions).
- •No special prefix or suffix; it is a proverb or saying used to teach a life lesson.
- •The phrase likely comes from self-help or personal development ideas emphasizing habits and character.
- •It is used today to remind people that small actions matter and show who they really are.
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a small action you do that shows how you handle bigger tasks?
•Do you believe this phrase is always true? Are there times when someone acts differently in small and big things?
Fill in the blanks
1.People say "how you do anything is how you do everything" because small ___ often show your overall ___.
2.If someone is careless in small tasks, this phrase suggests they might be ___ in bigger tasks too.
3.This phrase encourages us to be ___ and ___ in all parts of life.
4.Unlike thinking "small things don't matter," this phrase says small actions are ___ of your true ___.
5.When you hear "how you do anything is how you do everything," you can ___ that habits are ___ across different situations.
6.Teachers use this phrase to help students build good ___ from the ___.
7.The phrase shows that your attitude in one task can ___ how you approach ___ tasks.