Here's a breakdown:
* Trees: Represent individual details, specific tasks, or small problems.
* Forest: Represents the bigger picture, the overall goal, or the broader context.
Example:
Imagine a student who spends hours researching the grammar rules of a specific sentence but forgets to actually write the essay. They are so focused on the trees (the grammar rules) that they lose sight of the forest (the overall goal of writing the essay).
Other ways to say it:
* Can't see the wood for the trees
* Missing the big picture
* Getting bogged down in details
* Losing sight of the bigger goal
It's important to:
* Step back and look at the situation as a whole.
* Prioritize tasks based on their importance to the bigger goal.
* Avoid getting overwhelmed by minor details.