Do you think about that big picture in terms of how you live your life on a daily basis, or do you generally just take each day as it comes?
I’ve tended to have a mixture of both throughout my life, but what I notice is, when I have a big picture orientation, no matter how tenuous or vague it is, I am more motivated to do things and more fulfilled when I do them.
When I take each day as it comes, it certainly feels more relaxed, but I struggle for motivation. I find myself adrift and unfulfilled, as if I need to be making an impact. I suspect the sweet spot is somewhere in between.
When I think of a big picture overview, I’m thinking in terms of my impact in the world and an overall sense of why I’m doing what I’m doing. It helps me to have direction and connect my daily activities with the big picture.
What I have learned is that the “Big Picture” doesn’t have to be clear or well defined, but more of a specific direction or abstraction. In fact, when my big picture is too well defined and clear, I feel constricted and rail against it.
So, I have learned to have something more vague. For instance, I want to have an impact on mental health and positively change people’s lives.
When I get too focussed on the how of doing that I feel closed in and unable to significantly make progress. When I have this as my main theme for my work, I’m open to opportunities that come along and free to explore different ways of achieving it.
The key here for me is to notice whether I’m making progress. If I’m not making progress, I start to feel a little bored and this is a sign I need to up my game.
I’m not suggesting my approach is correct or anyone else should do this. I think by highlighting what happens for me, you can perhaps think about your own life, and whether tying your day to day activities to a bigger picture would give you more meaning.
Or, conversely, learning to let go of a rigid plan for your life would open you up to living with more spontaneity and joy.
Whichever it is, don’t feel like you should live your life according to someone else’s rules. It tends to leave you missing something in your own life.
My best advice for anyone is to learn to figure these things out for yourself and find what works for you. As Bruce Lee once said “Take what is useful and discard the rest”
