Trees at Columbus Circle, New York, January 2012
One of the things I started my new year off thinking about are my larger, longer, and bigger life and business goals. When taking stock of 2011 I realised that I had lost track of some of these bigger goals all for being focused on the smaller day to day ones.
Most of us have our lofty dreams, our go-to goals, and our list of must-dos. Each one of these dreams and goals are made up of a series of much smaller actions – actions that, when put together as part of an overall plan, help to shape these big dreams. Sometimes, though, we can get so involved with the smaller bits, the day to day, that we lose sight of where we are headed, or even momentarily forget where we are going, and our overall plan for how to get there.
You know that old saying: She couldn’t see the forest for the trees? Sometimes the trees all look so lovely and so compelling that we forget to shift our perspective and look at them all together, as a forest.
Let’s look at the pieces and the whole as a movie camera would: Close ups of the leaves, and the branches, shifting to the trunk and to the earth where the trees are rooted, and shifting again to the tops of the trees, and further to the sky. Now, slowly, the camera moves back. Our vision is widened, and we see all the varied and sundry trees growing together in the forest. Each tree a goal or a dream, each tree linked to each other through the earth and through the sky.
So as you begin this new year, as you move through this first month of the year, how are you putting your vision to work?
Are you remembering to switch your focus from close up to panoramic view, and vice versa? Are you focusing on the small bits that make up the whole and stopping now and then to step back and look at the whole picture?
One of the practices that I will be putting to work for myself is the use of perspective. Just as in drawing or painting or photography, the use of perspective gives us depth and spatial relationship, it gives us space, it gives us context and it gives us a view to where we’re going.
So whatever the task at hand – writing copy, working on a new piece, designing a promo piece or finishing a piece of jewelery – I will be building in time to step back and look at where I’m going. This will mean changing some patterns {see Maeg Yosef’s post on changing patterns}, and adding some time to stop and look and listen.
What things are you doing this January to change up your focus a bit, and keep your eye on the forest as well as the trees?
About Liz Kalloch
Love this post Liz!
I’ve been guilty of looking at the forest (or the big empty space) too much and not growing the trees in the past. I’m now really focusing on the trees, taking small steps to work towards a forest. Of course, I still need to maintain a view of the forest to ensure my actions line up as well.
Great metaphor for a very important concept!
Cheers, Caylie
What a great post Liz!
This month I’m highly focused on small actions, thank you for the reminder to take a step back and make sure they’re leading me where I want to go.
Stephanie : )
i love this post, liz! i find it especially tricky to focus on the big picture when the day to day is so great, but so busy. looking at the big picture helped me not get so focused on the little things and to make sure the decisions i make, especially regarding opportunities that come my way, allow for bigger goals too…like writing a novel and having my artwork and stories turned into films
thanks for the reminder!
xo, juliette
Nice post Liz. For me, I find focusing on the little things (every day) helps me towards completing those larger, big life goals.
This month my partner John and I launched a crazy project to do 365 new things in 365 days. Yesterday we learned how to tie a windsor knot. Before that we learned how to make Green Eggs & Ham. It’s the little things…the act of “doing” and “making” and “trying” that will set us on the path to achieving those big goals. For me at least.
Check out our blog if you have the chance.http://www.365thingsin365days.com/
Perfect timing to read this post.
Exactly what I have been re-assessing this past week.
In an effort to keep the horizon in sight, I’ve just re-arranged my business hours to accommodate a part time work week and do authoring the other part time. Feels pretty darn good. Thank you Liz for your continued focus on what’s important.
as always, you have me at hello! i need to take a deep breathe and give myself some slack and perspective I think. you’re right…we get all wrapped up in the day to day that we (I) lose sight of the whole gosh darn plan! it goes for my marriage and my family time too. oh liz! thank you for opening my eyes a little wider.
xx