Balcony Thinking: Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Balcony Thinking: Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Here in Virginia, winter has set in, bringing snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. With the weather forcing more time spent indoors than usual, I’ve found myself consumed by an overwhelming deluge of household minutiae. Hosts of little things like untidy corners, minor email mishaps, or a pile of unfolded clothes have taken on an outsized role in my daily life. Despite having exciting, meaningful projects to work on—wonderful big things—I’ve been struggling to gain perspective. Focusing on this small stuff looming so disproportionately large, I’ve lost sight of the bigger picture, leaving me with a claustrophobic sense of tunnel vision.
This isn’t just a personal phenomenon. It happens to leaders too. One of my coaching clients, an experienced professional, was hired to lead and provide course correction for a team long mired in chaos and dysfunction. Despite her expertise and best efforts, she found herself caught up in the problematic dynamics she’d been brought in to address. Conflicts among team members, negativity, and an endless stream of petty crises began consuming her focus. Like me, she too realized she could no longer see the forest for the trees—at times, even forgetting the forest entirely.
We’ve all been there and in situations like these, the Getting on the Balcony practice from Resilient Leadership is an invaluable tool.
What Is “Getting on the Balcony”?
Getting on the Balcony is a two-step practice; first stepping back from the midst of a situation and then stepping up to gain an elevated and broader system wide point of view. Like looking through binoculars, it allows leaders to observe situations from a distance, gain a fresh perspective, and refocus on systemic big picture factors. To see the entire forest, not just wander among the trees.
For my client, Jessica, this shift was critical. She needed to rise above the immediate challenges to realign herself with the larger goals she hoped to achieve. But breaking free from being stuck in a limited viewpoint isn’t always easy and often requires a more structured exercise to facilitate that cognitive shift. Blending heart-mind coherence (Freeze-Frame®) with a breathwork and somatic practice (3-2-1) offers a powerful reset that allows you to step back, rise above, and see the bigger picture.
Get on the Balcony: Freeze-Frame® and 3-2-1 Technique
Step 1: Step Back
Pause for a moment. Recognize that you’re stuck in a limited perspective. Notice, without judgment, any feelings that arise.
Step 2: Shift Attention
Move your focus to the area of your heart. Imagine you are breathing through your heart. Take three deep breaths, letting each exhalation be slightly longer than the inhalation.
Step 3: Invoke a Positive Perspective
Bring to mind a joyful event in your life or think about someone you love fully or treasure in memory. As you focus on this positive feeling, place your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder, gently hugging yourself.
Step 4: Step Up
Staying in this position, imagine you are breathing through your heart. Ask your heart to guide you to a new and wider perspective on the situation. Continue heart-focused breathing for one minute.
This blend of heart-focused breathing and somatic activity creates space from the immediate situation, and grounds you in a more positive mindset to allow you to shift to the systemic broader view. The self-hug also stimulates both sides of the brain (bilateral hemispheric stimulation), which has a calming effect.
Finding the Forest Again
After incorporating these practices, Jessica was able to regain her perspective. From the balcony, she could see the patterns and opportunities she had previously missed. She realigned her team’s goals, prioritized their efforts, and began leading with renewed clarity and confidence.
For me, using these techniques has helped me shift my focus from the small things consuming my day to the exciting, big-picture projects that truly matter.
If you find yourself trapped in the details—whether it’s due to winter blues or the pressures of leadership—try Getting on the Balcony by applying this blended approach, using Freeze-Frame® and 3-2-1 techniques, to rise above the noise, regain clarity, and … see the forest for the trees.
References
Pearce, J. C. (2002). The biology of transcendence: A blueprint of the human spirit. Park Street Press.
McCraty, R. (2015). Science of the heart: Exploring the role of the heart in human performance (Vol. 2). HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath.
Nongard, R. (2020, April 21). 3-2-1 Anxiety Reset (Stop Panic in One Minute!). Subliminal Science. https://subliminalscience.com/2020/04/21/3-2-1-anxi