I glued a project recently. Spreading the glue was a bit complicated and it involved some time constraints.

As I put the pieces together, I focused on one area to make sure it was aligned. My focus was so intense that I didn’t notice another section that had shifted out of alignment. By the time I noticed it, there was no opportunity for adjustment.

No worries; I was able to trim off the excess without too much trouble.

Satisfied that I had corrected the problem, I observed my work ... only to realize that I had glued the entire element upside down.

* * *

This happens. Sometimes we’re so focused on one thing, that an equally important (or more important) other thing is overlooked.

We’re focused on the text and we forget to make sure the people in the back can hear us. We’re focused on the food and we forget the utensils. We’re focused on the departure time and we forget to make sure we have all our bags.

At any moment, we can become too narrow in our focus ... at the expense of other things that should be in our view.

We need to pause from time to time to make sure we haven’t missed something important. And of course, backing up to assess the big picture is best done before the proverbial glue has dried.