To achieve results, focus can be a good thing. But I know that sometimes I get so focused on results that I don’t notice what’s going on around me. I get such tunnel vision that people begin to show up as obstacles, not as sources of help.

We all suffer sometimes from the tyranny of the to-do list. In our efforts to complete a task, we sometimes put the task before the people we’re with. I’ve noticed this doesn’t work well for me in the long run. I start to behave like my neighbor, a wonderful man who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s.

If he puts something down, he won’t find it again until he looks right at it. If he looks six inches to the left or right he won’t see it. His field of focus is so narrow he can barely carry out the simplest tasks. And then he gets enormously frustrated. That’s a lot like what happens to me I’m feeling pressure to get something done, and I respond by “zooming in”’ and ignoring everything else around me.

To help me maintain a healthy balance in my life, I choose to think that the people ARE the task. Unless I’m willing to live in splendid isolation, I can only get my work done through the help of others. When I notice myself zooming in and barely noticing the people I’m with, I remind myself to zoom out, widen my focus, and make sure I don’t lose track of the big picture.

As consultants, we contribute the gift of fresh perspective to our clients. When they’ve zoomed in narrowly on a problem, we can help them zoom out and understand the context. When they get stuck in big-picture conversations that don’t lead to results, we can help them zoom in and find specific ways to move into action.

What does it mean to be focused? To me, focus implies an ability to notice where you’ve placed your attention at any moment; to assess whether your field of attention fully fits your purpose; and to know how to zoom in or zoom out, at will, to fill in whatever is missing from your field of vision.

Who helps you zoom out when you’ve got tunnel vision and can’t see the forest for the trees? Who helps you zoom in and narrow your focus when you’ve taken on more than you can handle? How do you check, day by day, to see if your focus fits the goals you’ve set for yourself?

I invite you to spend a few days paying attention to how you pay attention, and see where you find opportunities to contribute to others by consciously “zooming in” or “zooming out.”