Take time to zoom out
getting the big picture back in view
We are often focused on what is directly in front of us. The things that we are actively working on, the people or tasks that need us. Which is fair and needed.
In order to live a life that is filled with meaning, passion, and enrichment, we have to spend intentional time creating clarity around our vision for the collective sum of our days. What does everything I do accumulate toward? You can have great relationships, be diligently budgeting time and money, have a good reputation and be crushing your goals, but if you haven’t established a clear vision, these may be moving you in the wrong direction. Not wrong morally or inherently, yet ultimately wrong for you and who you are meant to be.
Clearly Articulated
In organizational landscapes, leaders should be able to clearly define and express the purpose of the organization. Often, organizations have a weak, cloudy, or vague vision and mission. A perfectly wordsmithed statement is not the goal, though; clarity and memorability is the goal. The same is true of us as individuals running our lives. We should be able to clearly articulate why we feel we exist (even if just in this season). Describing what we are passionate about and what we need to prioritize in decision-making is paramount. A clear purpose turns us from a tumbleweed into a sailboat, not tossed by the wind, but harnessing it.
How to find it
This clarity is not fostered or mined in the rushed margins of our calendar. This requires intentional time and space. The slow climb up and away from the daily grind to remind ourselves the bigger picture and how things are working together.
Tim Tassopoulos, retired President of Chick-fil-A, Inc, often encouraged leaders to “broaden your time horizon,” and intentionally zoom out. He’s pretty wise, maybe we should listen?
I have a milestone birthday this year, and have been considering the big picture, particularly career-wise.
If I work until I am 70 (hopefully longer!), and think about the
decades as ‘quarters of a big game’,
I’m actually presently in the pre-game
—I haven’t even started.
This changes my perspective, attitude, and emotions: my career has so much space to grow. What’s the rush? But I can only keep this big picture in mind one way:
taking the time.
The end of the year/start of a new year is a great and natural time to do some of this thinking. Looking back and reflecting on things that worked, didn’t, and could have been better, but then looking forward and considering where we are trying to end up in the big picture. Our goals and habits should flow out of the greater vision we have for what we are doing with our life and career.
If you need ideas or support in zooming out, I’m happy to share what I can and support you on your path.