How to visually “zoom out” when everything feels urgent.

Because not everything needs to be done today.

Let’s talk about how to step back—and see what actually matters—when life feels like it’s coming at you from all directions.

So… the last two weeks for me were… A lot.

One sick toddler.

One big school-to-camp transition.

One business that does not pause for motherhood.

And one brain trying to hold it all.

And yet… clients were served. Payments came in. Work got done. IT WAS NOT EASY. In fact, it was brutally hard and exhausting. But I felt like I had the tools to get through it.

So how do I do it?

I zoom out.

I pause the noise. I reset the frame. I look at the big picture instead of getting swallowed by the small stuff. I’m not perfect…but I try my best and have found success in the process.

Unfortunately… that’s the exact opposite of what most of us do when we’re overwhelmed.

We zoom in—and way too far.

We hyper-focus on missed deadlines, messy schedules, overflowing inboxes, skipped routines.

And suddenly every task feels urgent. Every decision feels impossible. And your nervous system is fried before 9am.

Here’s what else happens:

• You stop sleeping, because your brain won’t shut off

• You stop showing up online, because you don’t know what to say

• You stop trusting yourself, because everything feels off

• You start disconnecting—from your why, your work, and your presence

But here’s the truth:

You don’t need to do more.

You need to zoom out—and get your perspective back.

Here’s how, step by step:

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Step 1: Recognize the “urgency trap” and pause the spiral

When everything feels urgent, nothing gets done well.

So the first thing I do? I stop.

Literally. I put my pen down. I breathe. I ask:

What’s the story I’m telling myself right now?

Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it aligned?

When I can see the spiral, I can step outside of it.

For me, this looked like giving myself permission to skip time at my desk at night to spend time snuggling with my daughter, and come back clearer the next day.

Step 2: Draw the full picture—not just today’s fire

This is where visual thinking saves me.

I pull out my sketch-notebook or Notion board and I brain-dump everything—not to act on it, but to SEE IT in front of me.

Then I zoom out and ask:

What’s the bigger arc here? Where are we really heading? What’s noise vs. needle-mover?

Doing this helps me reclaim my agency.

Instead of reacting, I get to choose what matters most this week—and let the rest go.

This week, I chose:

✔ Serving my existing clients with presence

✔ Sleeping so I could function

✔ Prepping one live event that can help so many

Step 3: Return to what anchors you—daily

This is the real work.

Because clarity isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a practice.

I come back to the same question every morning:

What actually matters today?

Not what’s on my list.

Not what everyone else is doing.

Not what feels urgent.

What will actually move me—and my people—forward?

Some days, the answer is content. Some days, it’s quiet. Some days, it’s canceling a meeting to hold my kid.

And all of it counts.

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When you zoom out, you remember:

You’re not behind.

You’re building.

You’re doing your best with a full plate—and a full heart.

You don’t only need a bigger strategy.

You need a clearer picture.

And if you want help finding it?

👉 Join me Tuesday for a FREE 60-min SUBSTACK LIVE training!

I’ll walk you through the exact visual method I use to zoom out, reset my focus, and move forward—especially when life gets hectic.

You’ll leave with:

• Why strategies alone aren’t enough—and what’s actually keeping you stuck

• The 3 core patterns that quietly sabotage your consistency and momentum —and how to break free from them for good

• A simple system to finally organize your ideas, get out of your own way, and take aligned action

• How to start seeing progress NOW—even if you’ve been stuck for months (or years)

Hope to see you there.

Rooting for you, always.

—Tamar