🌍 When in doubt, zoom out

Sometimes it is difficult to see the progress we have made, yet when we compare ourselves to who we were 10 years ago the differences become obvious. The same is true with problem, it can be hard to see what the problem really is, to ‘see the woods through the trees’.

Getting objective feedback can help a great deal, somebody else who can see the bigger picture for you, but that isn’t always possible (or the person isn’t always able!). External help is useful, but we also need to be able to see the bigger picture ourselves.

Being perpetually zoomed in creates two challenges:

1. Struggle feels bigger than it really is.

   
   

2. Growth feels smaller than it really is.

Zooming out provides perspective, both on the manageable nature of your struggles and the impressive nature of your growth.

There are two highly effective ways to zoom out:

1. ↔️ Horizontally: Zoom out via “time travel” to the past or the future and observe the present through that new lens. Think back 10 years and consider how your past self would react to who you are today. Go forward 50 years and think about what life you wish to be leading or how your future self would give anything to be back doing the things you get to do today.

   
   

2. ↕️ Vertically: Zoom out via "altitude" and see the bigger picture context of the moment. Write about, or talk through, your situation. Try to identify what variables are affecting the situation, and which variables are within your locus of control. Consider the causes and consequences. Which people are involved, why are they involved, what are the causes of the thing, what are the consequences. Creating scenario plans can help, especially with particularly tricky situations.

Zooming out is made much easier by being well rested, recharged, and even idle. You can learn more about that here.

💡 Quote I'm pondering

"I think many of us have the sensation ­– I certainly do — that we’re standing about two inches away from a huge screen, and it’s noisy and it’s crowded and it’s changing with every second, and that screen is our lives. And it’s only by stepping back and then further back and holding still that we can begin to see what the canvas means and to catch the larger picture” - Pico Iyer

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I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-september-27

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