Good choice MM! And while they are doing these minor quests and dealing with the consequences of their other actions, don’t be afraid to allow your bigger story to unfold around them. If it unfolds without their input, so be it. They probably will sit up and notice at some point, not wanting the real action to continue without them.

Hail and well met! I’ve just started playing D&D and I’ve jumped in as the DM. I’ve already felt the hopelessness at trying to get the players to follow some epic story line I’ve created. My thief character decided to steal something from the lord of a village so all the PCs ended up running away from the village where I had everything planned out. Oooh well. I’ve decided that the best way to run things is to just have a bunch of mini situations and quests planned out that I can implement in any place they choose to go to. This way, I can lead them on some over arching story while still providing them with choice. Wow, that kinda sounds like how to justify the coexistence of fate and free will. I should be a theologian.