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.