Tips On How To See The Bigger Picture in Life

Wow big is the "bigger picture"?

My parents always told me to see the 'bigger picture' when I was a kid. I'm sure you've heard the same at some point in your life?

When I'm trying to get a good view, usually it involves a long hike up a mountain in order to get to a higher perspective where then suddenly I can see for miles.

Seeing the 'bigger picture' in life is no different.

Sometime you need to put in a little effort, in order to change your perspective, so that you can see things more clearly from a distance.

If this makes sense in concept, great !

But putting words into action isn't always easy.

Those who master seeing and thinking with-in the context of the 'bigger picture' understand that it can be massively beneficial to your health, mental wellbeing, and success.

Seeing the 'bigger Picture' increases self-awareness gives you control over your life, your emotions, actions, behavior, and brings a sense of calmness and reduced daily anxiety.

The trouble is, we often get swept up trying to solve smaller issues and forget about the bigger issues that really matter.

What Is Big Picture Thinking?

When you're focusing on minute details, or working away on a task, or towards completing a goal it's easy to get caught up on non-important details.

An old boss of mine used to call this "getting caught up in the weeds".

In order to avoid wasting time or money on unimportant details in life, it's important to step back and practice "bigger picture thinking".

How Do You Practice Big Picture Thinking?

The same way you would if you were trying to get a big picture view of the ground.

Change your perspective.

Look at things from as many perspectives as possible. Understand all perspectives.

What is problems are you facing? What is the roof cause of those problems? How do you know for sure you're right? What are the best solutions? Have you looked at everything from all perspective to make sure you have the best solution to the problem.

Have you put in enough effort to climb to the top of the mountain in order to get the best perspective?

Are you thinking big enough?

Is the mountain being overshadowed by an ocean or another planet the size of Jupiter?

Big picture thinking is the  ability to get hold of abstract ideas, concepts, and possibilities.

In short, big picture thinking is broadening your perspective by looking at the wholeness of a situation.

Don't Get Caught Up In The Weeds

Big picture thinking starts when you decide to get your bearings back and start viewing things in broader perspectives instead of over-analyzing every small detail.

When you see the bigger picture in life you begin to understand where you are heading. At this point you can strategize and refocus your attention on your future goals and timelines.

Both big picture thinking and detail-oriented thinking is important in life. And, it is possible (and necessary) to do both.

How To See And Build Big Picture Thinking In Your Life

1.      Ask Questions

Big picture thinkers do not dwell on the minute details.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn't ask questions about minute details in order to get a complete understanding and form a full perspective.

 2.     Get Motivated By Seeing New Opportunities

Why see the bigger picture?

I mean, what's in it for you?

Well, there are opportunities in seeing the bigger picture.

When you start seeing the big picture in life, possibilities become exciting, you gain purpose, and start to see new opportunities. 

Gaining new perspectives makes you ambitious, you start thinking big, and your borderless perspectives push you to come up with unimaginable ideas.

You’ll be able to see how different things and events connect, something that you'll likely miss if you're only focused on the details.

Big picture thinking makes you aware of your chances to make a difference.

You’ll develop the ability to look past your immediate problems and set conditions for superior achievements.

Get inspired and get motivated by consciously looking for new perspectives.

3.     See Details With-in The "Context" Of The Bigger Picture

Of course details are important but you need to see them with-in the correct context.

If you were to look at the artwork to the right, you would just see a bunch of screws and miss the fact that with-in the context of the "bigger picture" they make up a face.

Don't get lost in the  chaos around you which can happen if you only concentrate on specifics with-out big picture context.

Seeing the big picture of life allows us to focus on that aspect of life that matters the most, be it family, career, business, or education, without being distracted by details which you may think are important, but are actually trivial.

Keeping the overall picture in sight allows us to be better at predicting what’s most likely to happen in the future. Big picture thinking guides the decisions we make as people, big or small, and helps us predict and understand the implications or consequences of each.

Because we have the broad-vision capacity, we are able to think beyond the decisions we make and not only what they mean in the short term, but also their implications years and ages down the line.  

4.     Don't Dwell on Problems, Invent More Solutions 

When seeing the bigger picture you become very fast at solving problems.

By not limiting yourself to specific means, you have enough space in your mind to devise more creative ideas.

Big picture thinking allows you to gain a new perspective on your approach to issues and see things more clearly. The broader vision gives you the ability to observe, break, correct, improve things and in turn, come up with more solutions for every problem.

You’ll start considering how your ideas will unfold and be able to visualize future impacts.

When you develop a bird-eye view on things, you begin aligning your efforts, inventions, solutions, and ideas with your life goals.

5.     See Your Goals Very Clearly

Developing big picture thinking helps keep your final destination in sight.

I used to fall victim to starting a project, getting caught up in the details, and then loosing sight of the 'big picture' end goal. At which point i would usually throw up my hands in frustration and walk away.

But by seeing the bigger picture, the path towards completing your goals becomes very clear. You may have to 'dive into the weeds' but you still maintain a clear view of the bigger picture.

This conscious effort will allow you to set goals, turn the invisible into the visible, and take much control over your life and circumstances.

The big picture perspective works to reinforce the real reason for the activities you engage in daily.

Unfortunately, in the absence of clearly set objectives, we become strangely committed to being pulled in so many directions by trivial acts, making us shift our priorities.

Are You A Big Picture Thinker Or A Detailed Thinker ?

Characteristics of Big Picture Thinking

• If you are a big picture thinker, you quickly notice patterns in problems.
• You have a low tolerance on routine, tedious errands, and busywork.
• You are great at outlining what needs to be done and get tired quickly when you start getting into small details.
• Most people find big picture thinkers creative and innovative.

Characteristics of a Detail-Oriented Thinker

• A specifics’ person tends to dwell on the ins and outs of a project and sometimes miss the big picture.
• You are detail-oriented if you enjoy optimizing something that already exists instead of creating new things and ideas.
• You are very analytical, meaning that if you highlight study notes, you may end up highlighting everything.
• A detail-oriented thinker is inflexible and becomes frustrated if things change.
• You fear failure and not doing things the right way.

Summary

Seeing the "bigger picture" is not something you can just decide to do. Like hiking up a mountain to get a better view, seeing the bigger picture in life take a little effort.

The tips we outlined in the post should act as a guide on where to focus your effort in order to gain deeper understandings for new perspectives.

And the more perspectives you look through, the more complete your understanding for truth will be. And you'll have an easier time seeing the bigger picture in different life scenarios.

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