One thing I have been thinking about lately, and have also noticed in conversations with some people, is how easily we develop tunnel vision in life.

When something becomes important to us, we naturally focus on it. A career problem, a relationship, a goal, money, health, or even an idea we strongly believe in can take up most of our attention.

Sometimes that focus is useful. It helps us concentrate, make decisions, and get things done.

But there is a problem.

We can become so focused on one part of life that we forget to look at life itself.

It is like looking through a camera lens.

Sometimes you need to zoom in. You need to see the details and deal with what is directly in front of you.

But sometimes you need to zoom out.

When you zoom out, you may notice things you could not see before. You may realize that the problem is smaller than you thought. You may see another option. You may understand another person’s perspective. Or you may realize that what seemed extremely important a month ago is not that important anymore.

Career

You can become so focused on getting promoted, making more money, or solving a problem at work that you forget to ask:

Am I building the life I actually want?

Working harder is not always the answer. Sometimes the answer is changing direction.

Relationships

You can become so focused on whether someone likes you, what they said, or why they did not respond that you lose sight of the bigger picture.

Zoom out.

Ask: Is this relationship healthy? Are we communicating well? Are our values compatible? Am I being myself?

One conversation should not become the entire story.

I have also noticed this in people who avoid things simply because they feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar.

They stay with what they know because it feels safe. They avoid meeting new people, trying new things, having difficult conversations, traveling somewhere unfamiliar, or doing something they believe they cannot do.

But comfort and insecurity can become its own kind of tunnel vision.

The world is much bigger than the small circle we are used to.

There are billions of people, different cultures, different ways of thinking, different places, and countless experiences we have never encountered.

Sometimes we need to zoom out and remind ourselves:

There is more than one way to live.
There is more than one kind of person.
There is more than one path forward.

What feels like the end of the road from where we are standing may simply be the edge of our current view.

Sometimes the answer is not to push harder inside the same tunnel.

Sometimes it is simply to step outside and look around.

Personal Goals

The same thing happens with health, fitness, learning, and personal growth.

We set a goal and become obsessed with reaching it. Then the goal becomes more important than the person we are becoming.

Sometimes we need to step back and ask:

Is this still the right goal?

The Skill of Switching

I think the real skill is not avoiding tunnel vision.

Tunnel vision can be useful.

The skill is knowing when to switch.

Zoom in when you need focus.

Zoom out when you need perspective.

Then zoom in again when it is time to act.

Learn when to ZOOM IN, when to let go of the zoom-in mindset, and when to switch to ZOOM OUT.

Most people learn how to focus. Fewer people learn how to step back and question what they are focused on.

Maybe wisdom is partly the ability to change the distance from which we look at our own lives.

Sometimes we need to look at the tree.
Sometimes we need to look at the forest.

And sometimes we need to remember that we are the person holding the camera.