Instructions #

This exercise is designed to cultivate your mental flexibility, a crucial skill for navigating life’s complexities. It teaches you how to consciously shift your perspective, finding the optimal balance between granular details (the ’trees’) and the overarching big picture (the ‘forest’).

The core technique you’ll practice is known as “chunking.”

Chunking up involves moving to a higher level of abstraction. You ask questions like, “What is the purpose of this?” or “What’s the bigger goal here?” This is useful for gaining perspective, finding motivation, and understanding the ‘why’ behind your actions.

Chunking down involves breaking things down into smaller, more specific components. You ask, “How specifically will I do this?” or “What are the client steps?” This is essential for planning, problem-solving, and turning abstract goals into concrete actions.

By mastering the ability to move up and down this ladder of abstraction, you can strategically manage your mental state. When feeling overwhelmed or anxious, chunking down can make a daunting task feel manageable. When feeling lost or unmotivated, chunking up can reconnect you with your purpose. By considering the context and your stress level, you’ll learn when to zoom in and when to zoom out, enabling you to manage worry effectively and make decisions that are both well-informed and proportionate to the situation at hand.

Worksheet #

Source #

Access the full suite of 500 therapy and coaching templates. This worksheet features in my book, available on Amazon:

500 Practical NLP Forms, Templates & Worksheets: For Therapy, Coaching & Training