The larger picture

Sometimes I get pulled deep in the details of some project we are working on. It can be easy to focus in on just one little technical thing, because then you don’t need to think about anything else.

But then there are other times — notably after I have found a few days to put some space between my ears — when I remember to look outward rather than downward. That’s when I am able to see how all of those details fit together.

That’s when I realize that I am actually working on just one project. What might seem at first to be many little unrelated tasks are actually different components of a single large and coherent goal.

I think this is the right way to think about things when you are doing research. Everything you do, no matter how tangential it may seem, is actually a brushstroke in a single large painting.

The trick of course is to remain mindful of this. And to remember that sometimes you need to put down your paintbrush, take a few steps backward, and get a good look at the larger picture.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *