Dr. Leo Marvin

My wife and I were talking a couple of weeks ago about how easy it is to get overwhelmed by gigantic tasks. Ones that require a lot of time and energy. Or even lots of little tasks that add up to significant amounts of work.

Here's the thing, thinking with a big picture point of view can definitely provide you with a more holistic view of life, a challenge, etc. However, it can also prove to be extremely nerve wracking if you start seeing all the little things begin stacking up on each other, becoming one immoveable mountain.

Therein lies the challenge between big and small picture thinking. How do we reconcile this tension? How do we strike the right balance between thinking holistically, and doing the small tasks in front of us?

We start with...baby steps.

I'm reminded of Bob Wiley, Bill Murray's character in "What About Bob?". In the film, Bob is encouraged by his therapist, Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfus' character) to begin dealing with his fears by taking baby steps. "Baby steps to the front door...baby steps down the hallway...baby steps into the elevator."

We all have certain ways we approach life. Some of us see things from an altitude that is more conducive to big picture thinking. And yet others are perfectly fine tackling what's right in front of them.

The key to accomplishing any task, is understanding what perspective works best for what you're trying to do. Baby steps work great for chipping away at large projects, and thinking in the big picture thinking works well for when your stuck in the mud.

Regardless of how we approach life, it's important to remember that our altitude can greatly impact our attitude.

 

Getting it.

Throughout the course of history, there have been many big picture thinkers. Men and women who saw things in the broader context. Paul was one of those individuals.

I think we can all agree that Saul (pre-Paul) was a thug...you know, trying to stop the movement of Christianity and all...

But I want us to look at his life, post conversion.

After "seeing the light", Paul began to view things through a different set of lenses. One of the things I find interesting is the world Paul came from. The Sanhedrin were all about the law...and following the letter of it. Are laws important? Yes. But if we constantly looked at the letters instead of words, they would start to fall a..p...a....r.....t.

When Paul begins to look at life in the context of his salvation, he "gets" it.

I'm not naive enough to suggest that seeing everything in the big picture eliminates the struggles we go through, or that they will be easy. On the contrary, as we look at Paul's life after his conversion, it doesn't get easier. As a matter of fact, it gets tougher. There was the whole prison and death threats thing...

• Prison: You'd best believe that chains, shackles and that whole bit would give anyone cause to reflect on their actions and whether they should continue. Paul? Pshaw.
• Death: Have a group of people hell bent on killing you? I'd be considering a career change. Paul? Whatev.

Why then, in the face of all this adversity, did Paul keep traveling, sharing, caring? Because he understood his life in the broader narrative of humanity and the gospel.

Let the challenges you face define you. Better yet, use them to tell your story.

 

The catalyst called change.

Change is a funny thing. Okay. It can be a funny thing. It can also be an unwieldy thing. But there's one thing I think we can all agree on. And that is that change is a catalyst. It causes movement.

We've all experienced significant change at one point or another in our lives. Having your first child. Perhaps college graduation. Maybe falling in love...

These are all moments that require thought, reflection and a choice.

Well, change has come my way, and will radically change the course of my life. I'll be leaving the company I've been working with, for over 15 years and begin efforts to help those who need it the most. It is bitter-sweet. It will be difficult. Root is a remarkable place to work and it is an organization that is truly dedicated to engaging people within the context of their work. It has formed how I think about learning, communication, and life. Although it is unfortunate not to continue working alongside colleagues that I have come to admire, it is an exciting time that is full of hope and opportunity.

This change began building momentum a few years ago with a small 2-word phrase that I heard while meeting with some friends...

"Reject Passivity"...small words with deep meaning.




















Generally speaking, we avoid change. Change often creeps up on us, and if it causes us the slightest bit of discomfort, or requires significant change, we will do our best to steer clear.

"Rejecting passivity" requires change. A choice. These words held a lot of weight in our decision to adopt. No longer could I sit by and allow passivity to dictate the narrative of my life. I had to reject it...like the Heisman trophy, forcefully pushing opponents aside.

What's interesting to me is that rejecting passivity, passively, is easy. Did you follow that? We write blog posts, update our status, send tweets. Worthwhile efforts. However, what is more difficult is the activity of rejecting passivity. Look at adoption. Is it easy? Um, no. But wow, let's look at it in the context of the bigger picture...redemption. Seeing it in this light, it becomes part of a much bigger and beautiful narrative.

So as we encounter change, let's not be so quick to run the opposite way. Let's see change in the context of our "big picture".

Change can be a powerful catalyst that reveals something remarkably beautiful. Embrace it.

Think big. Act small.

I love tackling Mt. Everest challenges. Thinking them through. Surveying the field. Plotting the course.

In contrast, I'm not particularly fond of the part that comes afterward. The acting part. No. Not movie acting, although I've read a few lines in front of a camera before [#wink]. I'm speaking about the act of doing.

Now why would someone who loves tackling big issues, hate seeing them through? Well, fortunately for you, this is not a post on the analysis of brain chemistry, so we'll leave those topics for future posts.

My propensity for tackling gargantuan tasks hit me as I recently stumbled upon an article/presentation about low-tech innovation. In it, Jonathon Ford of Pearlfisher (a design company), talks about his work with the Haller Foundation in Kenya. He discussed Dr. Haller's mantra of "Think big, act small." while talking about the sustaining effort he made with communities in the country. Coming from the corporate consulting world, this simple little phrase really resonated with me.

Organizations are typically always in a state of action. Like gears in a giant machine, providing service or producing products, employees are always at various stages of "do" and "act". Even as thinkers, how often do we get caught up in the "act" of thinking? Not only thinking, but thinking in the context of the bigger picture? "Is what I'm doing adding value?" "Am I contributing to something greater than myself?"

Let's apply this concept to our daily lives outside of work. While we go about our day, interacting, planning, doing, do we neglect "thinking big"? More often than not, our vision is likely cast on the trees rather than the forest.

It is important to realize that despite our small (or large) acts during the course of a day, week or month, these actions add up to a big picture that represents a life that we lead. This big picture perspective can often set things in context and simplify the tasks we have in front of us, providing a sense of purpose and resolve.

Don't let the small brush strokes of you lifes' tapestry distract you from the story it wants to tell.