Part of what gets hard about keeping the big picture in mind is getting caught up in everyday decision-making that overwhelms your system. For the purposes of this article, 'big picture' refers to something that gives you a sense of purpose, a feeling goal to orient towards, and/or something greater than yourself.
Everyday 'fires' tend to overwhelm your nervous systems and that of those around you. This makes it harder to drop into the flow state where creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving lives. That means that part of the key to keeping the picture in mind is learning how to navigate moments expansion and contraction in your everyday life long enough to remember what it is that you're working towards.
The first step to keeping the picture in mind is to actually create the space to get curious about 6 questions:
What bigger picture am I moving towards?
Why does this bigger picture matter to me?
How do I want to feel on my way there?
How do I want to feel once I'm there?
What type of relationships, places, and experiences add up to that bigger picture?
What type of supports can help me get there in a sustainable way?
Once you get clearer about these questions, I invite you to consider three facets:
Relationships:
Another way of keeping the big picture in mind is connecting with people who can support it and remind you of it when you're having a hard time remembering. That's where relationships and safe co-regulation comes into place. Q: who are those humans for you? Who are you that human for? How can showing up that way support your team or community?
Places/Environment:
The invitation is to make the big picture explicit or conscious for you and your nervous system with something that reminds you of why you're doing what you're doing. That can look like an image of a saying or something that is visually appealing in your area of work or rest to make it easier to remember. Q: what's that for you?
Experiences:
Take some time to get clear about how you want to feel as you get to where you want to go. Q: what experiences contribute to feeling that way more of the time? What experiences support you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially?
For coaching support on keeping the big picture in mind as a leader, book a Discovery Call with me today.