How to See Opportunities and Answers You Initially Missed

Have you ever been so focused on one thing that you missed seeing opportunities or items that were right under your nose? I do this standing in our cluttered pantry. I expect it to be hard to find the molasses, for example, so it is. I give up for a while, come back later, and there it is at eye level, plain to see.

The more emotional or fixated we become, the more we seem to miss opportunities that are easily available to us. This could happen in your business. If you’re stressed about finances, you could totally miss all kinds of money-generating opportunities. If you expect life to be hard, you can miss the easy solution right at your fingertips.

When we’re hyper-focused we can also miss out on lots of fun “yes, and” opportunities. As I’ve waded through hundreds of bird photos I’ve taken over the last week as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count, I’ve noticed how much I miss when I’m hyper-focused.

On Day 2 of the Great Backyard Bird Count, I was tracking a beautiful bluebird through the field. I crept closer and closer, with eyes and camera lens fixated on him. I was loosely aware that there were other birds in the field, but that bright bluebird really caught my eye. I usually start with a broad photo, get my bearings through the lens, and gradually zoom in on the bird I’m trying to capture.

I snapped nearly a dozen photos, gradually zooming in, and refining my focus, hoping to get a crisp photograph. When I got back to my computer and pulled the photos up, the bright male bluebird stood out, grabbing my attention. I started to zoom in and crop a photograph to make the bird bigger. As I did, my mouse went wonky, and I zoomed in on another area of the field. There, in front of me, was a female bluebird in the same photo! I had no idea I’d captured the female bluebird. I would have completely cropped her out!

When I was in the field and saw the movement of other birds, I assumed they were field sparrows. I honestly forgot there had been any other birds in the field until I started writing this article.

I was not looking for anything but the bright male bluebird when I was editing my photos. The female did not stand out because her more muted colors camouflaged her in the grass and corn husks. As I scanned back through my photos, I realized I’d gotten a few with her in it.

Yesterday, I did the same thing with a blue jay. I was sitting in an Adirondack chair in our front yard and spotted a blue jay on the far end of the yard. I grabbed my camera and took some photos. It wasn’t until last night when I pulled the photos up on my computer that I realized that I’d missed seeing the female blue jay nearby… but in the photos, there she was!

11 Ways to See Opportunities and Solutions to Challenges You May Have Initially Missed

My birding experience is teaching me some interesting life lessons:

If you get fixated on one train of thought, you can miss a lot of other cool opportunities.
Keep an eye out for unexpected blessings! Sometimes you get lucky when you’re focused on one thing, and draw in something else that is also useful, fun, or can help you.
Step back, take a break. Taking a break resets your vision. It helps you release the train of thought you were fixated upon. If you’re overwhelmed, taking some time to step back and do something else or nothing at all can help you return with fresh eyes later.
Take a second look, then a third, shift your perspective, look from another angle, zoom in, zoom out. My favorite prayer is, “Lord, help me see this situation through Your eyes.”
Don’t be quick to trash an experience as a waste of time. I have accidentally deleted photos with my trigger-happy finger, thinking they’re just a duplicate, that there wasn’t a bird in them, or that they weren’t good enough, only to realize I deleted something valuable. Fortunately, I work with duplicates, not originals. Slow down, really look, observe, and see what you have in front of you.
Make backups of your work! As I said, my trigger-happy deletes have made me miss something important.
Try, try, try again. I take lots of photos, refining my focus. The downside is that I have tons of photos to wade through after a birding session. The upside is that I usually end up getting at least one or two photos that are good. My colleague, Sue Painter, used to say, “Don’t tell me your business idea doesn’t work until you’ve tried it seven different ways.”
Make micromovements. I continually adjust my lens focus as I’m zoned in on photographing a bird. These small micromovements help me get a clearer photo. When you’re experimenting in life or with your business or learning something new, make small moves, one change at a time, so it’s easier to pinpoint what works. Remember it took Edison 1,000 tries to create a lightbulb that worked.
Practice, practice, practice! When I first started using my new camera, I was very frustrated. I thought I was focusing clearly, but my photos turned out blurry. I didn’t give up. I kept playing and learning. Part of why I take so many photos is because I’m trying to learn what works.
Take action, regardless of how many opportunities you see. You might say, “Well, I don’t know what to focus on, so I won’t do anything.” And then you don’t do anything. Pick something and take action! In my case, if I don’t take the photos, I don’t get anything at all … including the wonderful surprises I discovered later! If you don’t do anything, you can’t “stumble” onto the things you didn’t see initially.
Ask for another person to look at the situation. Sometimes Dave – who has more expertise with birds – sees things in my photos that I completely miss. He certainly sees more birds out in nature than I do! Be willing to ask for help. This is why people work with coaches, consultants and various experts. They can help you see what you are missing.

If you’d like another set of eyes on your life, business, or problem you’re wrestling with, let’s talk. I offer a free 20-minute strategy session to help you see things you may be missing or your next best step.