Putting the laces inside your boots

Staying squared away

I was guiding a client who had borrowed some boots of mine. When we finished the day, he handed the boots back with laces tucked neatly in the boots. I noticed it and asked him about it. He said, “the Army taught me to do it.”

It told me a lot about the guy. He didn’t need to do it. I wouldn’t have thought less of him he hadn’t done it. Giving me the boots back that way was a sign that he cared enough to do it right. It made a big impression on me.

When I was new to the Navy, they taught me that shoe and boot laces went out board over inboard. It was part of being “squared away.” To this day, that’s how I orient my laces.

It’s a little thing, but it helps remind me that little things make a difference. It’s the discipline of doing it that translates to other situations where doing something correctly, even if it takes a little more time or thought, pays off in the long run.

Keeping my boot laces squared away is a simple reminder to square away the rest of my kit. Tucking in the laces means the boots and the rest of my gear are ready to go when I need them.