By Jackie Camacho-Ruiz
Whether you’re choosing a side in an argument, leading a company, or taking off in your own private airplane, sometimes “doing it all” is all about perspective.
I’ve had the question often in media interviews: How do you do all that you do? On the surface, my list is pretty daunting: wife and mother of two, CEO of JJR Marketing and Fig Factor Media, Founder of the Fig Factor Foundation, author of 13 books, international speaker and sports pilot. All of them require time, energy and resources. My secret? Perspective.
I’ve met leaders with amazing ideas and flawless execution but there is just something missing in what they offer. I call it the convergence of magic and practicality, which in my case, is fueled by perspective.
On a clear day when I feel like flying, I race down the runway in exciting anticipation of that feeling of ascension, when I slip into the alternate state that has become my calm, my zen, my escape, my second home. Up in the clouds I see everything differently. Highways become winding ribbons with little car insects crawling along them. Fields become patches in a glorious, verdant quilt. And the local water park? It looks like a hamster’s playland set on a child’s green rug stained with blue and white.
I am “zoomed out” and it gives me a different perspective on my world. It’s this kind of dramatic shift in perspective that I bring back to Earth in order to fuse magic and practicality and make things amazing happen every day.
When I zoom out, I can conceive the magical possibilities beyond my idea. My zoomed out perspective showed me how my anthology series of Latinas overcoming diversity, Today’s Inspired Latina, could support a movement of Latina empowerment that would one day skip across the ocean to flourish on the European continent. It was my zoomed out perspective that let me envision the establishment of a publishing house, Fig Factor Media, to help authors bring inspirational and significant stories to the world. The zoom out helps a leader visualize the magic. Without taking that perspective, the magic will never manifest.
But if the zoom out allows us to conceive the ideas, the “zoom in” helps us achieve them. Before I take flight and zoom out to my 20,000-foot view, I must adjust my perspective and “zoom in” during my pre-flight preparation. Pre-flight requires inspections and checklists, focusing on the details so I can thrive. Once I get in mid-air, I am the master of my fate and my survival depends on how well I “zoomed in” as well as my skill as a pilot. At work, the zoom in means making sure sure my team is prepared with the right tools to do the job and our processes are airtight so we make deadlines and delight clients.
By developing the ability to “zoom in” and “zoom out” when needed, your journey to success will be much easier. “Zooming in” and “zooming out” are both important features of perspective that help us to grow and thrive. So next time you are wondering how to get it all done, remember, it’s all about the perspective. Zoom out and see the possibilities. Zoom in and make it happen!