The devil is in the detail but the angel is in the bigger picture!

I was once talking to a young friend who was at the early stages of his career. He was confused and unclear about the next steps in his career. He was probably preoccupied with a lot of things happening in his present life.

I asked him to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I asked him to take a deep breath and reflect on this big-picture vision. Where does he see himself in 10 or 15 years from now? Slowly he started articulating his vision and where he saw himself going. The next question was – you know where you are and you know where you wish to go – what is stopping you?

Our young friend came up with milestones of every five years and where he saw himself at each milestone. Quickly, he developed an action plan to reach the first milestone. He had more clarity now. Reflecting and understanding the bigger picture and also getting clarity on the milestones did the trick.

In the hustle and bustle of running after our daily activities, we forget the big picture. Take a breath, take a step back, and understand the bigger picture. At the same time, do not let go of the detail. Because, without the detail, you cannot execute your vision.