1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: tip is about one way to keep plotting along toward 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: a goal, even if the process feels discouraging or unpleasant. 5 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: You can tell yourself that someday you will be telling 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: this story and all this muddling through will just be 7 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: the obstacles that the hero had to face on his journey. 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: The outcome is certain. What's going on now is just 9 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: making the plot more interesting. So not long ago, I 10 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: had a conversation with a friend who was finding dating 11 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: incredibly discouraging. It was all the usual complaints. People weren't 12 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: who they said they were, people didn't show up, or 13 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: they ghosted. I said something along the lines that dating 14 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: was terrible until the moment it wasn't when you met 15 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: that person who you could see building a life with. 16 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: So how does one get through the rough stuff? One 17 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: option is to picture yourself with this future mister or missus. Right, 18 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: the two of you are deeply in love, sharing a 19 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: happy moment together. You are laughing about all the ridiculous 20 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: dates both of you went on with other people until 21 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: you met each other. Someday you will be telling this story. 22 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: All this messiness just becomes material. Same thing with job hunting. 23 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: I know this can be as discouraging as dating. You 24 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: know you have useful skills, and yet it is hard 25 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: to convince impersonal organizations of just how helpful you could be. 26 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: Along the way, there are interviewers who are late, or 27 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: who mispronounce your name, or who don't even seem to 28 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: understand what you are talking about. There are jobs that 29 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: sound great and then strangely disappear. There's a lot of silence, 30 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: and sometimes people who you thought would be helpful aren't. 31 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: But maybe you could picture yourself six months from now 32 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: starting something really exciting. You are looking forward to the workday. 33 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: You really enjoy getting to know your colleagues. You have 34 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: coffee with one during which you are telling the story 35 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: of all the ridiculousness that happened before you and this 36 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: organization met each other. Everyone is hanging on to the 37 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: story because the hero's struggles make the plot so much better. 38 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: That is what you are going through now. I know 39 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: this is just a mental trick, but it really does help. 40 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: In retrospect, things can seem inevitable, but there was always 41 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: a moment when it wasn't. In the best stories, things 42 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: weren't inevitable, the hero had to keep going, forging on, 43 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: ultimately emerging victorious. So if you are going through something 44 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: rough right now, picture yourself in the future when the 45 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: current problem has been solved. Someday you will be telling 46 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: this story. Someday this will be a plot point where 47 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: everyone's just waiting to see how the hero will keep 48 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: moving forward. But you do, and you'll get to the 49 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: happy ending. Knowing that someday you'll be telling this story 50 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: can keep you going now. In the meantime, this is Laura. 51 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 52 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 53 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 54 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 55 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 56 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 57 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.