WEBVTT - Second Cup: Make a moonshot map

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to make a moonshot dot to dot map.

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<v Speaker 1>If you have big goals that are not currently achievable,

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<v Speaker 1>brainstorm the various intermediate steps that might bring you there.

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<v Speaker 1>Seeing these steps and what they might require can help

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<v Speaker 1>make a big goal feel more doable. Today's tip comes

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<v Speaker 1>from Elizabeth Sharp mcketta's new book, Edit Your Life, which

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<v Speaker 1>is about living with intention in a messy world. Elizabeth

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<v Speaker 1>explains that a moonshot dot to dot map is a

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<v Speaker 1>prompt for brainstorming how to move toward any currently unachievable goal.

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<v Speaker 1>That is, it is a moonshot. When President Kennedy talked

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<v Speaker 1>about going to the Moon in the early nineteen sixties,

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<v Speaker 1>the technology to go there wasn't ready for prime time,

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<v Speaker 1>but it got there with a lot of work. Similarly,

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<v Speaker 1>just because something isn't currently achievable doesn't mean it never

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<v Speaker 1>will be. You just have to figure out the intermediate steps.

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<v Speaker 1>So Elizabeth tells us to draw a dot for your

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<v Speaker 1>life as it is today, then draw a dot for

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<v Speaker 1>your moonshot goal. What steps could you set up to

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<v Speaker 1>succeed in getting there, brainstorm a bunch of dots that

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<v Speaker 1>might go in the middle. For example, Elizabeth says, if

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<v Speaker 1>your dream is to be a lawyer and you currently

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<v Speaker 1>work in customer service, one of those dots would need

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<v Speaker 1>to be going to law school. You could then think

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<v Speaker 1>about other aspects of that, like that there might be

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<v Speaker 1>night classes, so maybe you could keep your day job.

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<v Speaker 1>Another dot would be prioritizing regular study time, and another

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<v Speaker 1>might be finding mentors and allies in the legal field.

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<v Speaker 1>Be creative and be specific, she says, which is the

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<v Speaker 1>simplest dot to dot path between your now life and

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<v Speaker 1>your ideal life? Which steps feel easy and which feel daunting?

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<v Speaker 1>Break your dot to dot map into smaller steps if

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<v Speaker 1>you need to, she says, until each dot feels, if

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<v Speaker 1>not easy, at least achievable. I like this idea. Many

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<v Speaker 1>big goals are about layering on bits of progress. What

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<v Speaker 1>isn't doable now might be doable in a year with

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<v Speaker 1>consistent motion. When I first moved into my new about

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<v Speaker 1>a year ago, having all the renovations finished and having

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<v Speaker 1>everything unpacked and getting any needed furniture and making things

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<v Speaker 1>look nice seemed almost overwhelming, and it would have been

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<v Speaker 1>overwhelming to do in a week or two, but in

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<v Speaker 1>a year or two it's not so bad, And I

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<v Speaker 1>could map out various steps in the middle. First, unpack

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<v Speaker 1>the kitchen boxes. Later, get curtains, later, yet unpack the

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<v Speaker 1>boxes in the closet. I am working on revising a

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<v Speaker 1>novel now, and the finished product seems far in the future.

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<v Speaker 1>But I mapped out a chapter outline, and I wrote

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<v Speaker 1>the flap copy, and now I am following a revision

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<v Speaker 1>schedule that has me doing one to three short chapters

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<v Speaker 1>worth of edits each week. Then I will work through

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<v Speaker 1>the whole book at once, and then I will get

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<v Speaker 1>test readers and so forth. What big goals are you

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<v Speaker 1>currently pursuing? Getting a handle on the various steps might

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<v Speaker 1>seem daunting, but I think it makes big goals feel

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<v Speaker 1>more doable to know those steps. Sure, there might be

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of steps, but each individual step isn't so much.

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<v Speaker 1>If you give yourself enough time, probably you can get there.

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<v Speaker 1>After all, getting to the moon took less than a decade.

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<v Speaker 1>You can do a lot in that time. In the meantime.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making

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<v Speaker 1>the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,

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<v Speaker 1>or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Book

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<v Speaker 1>and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the

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<v Speaker 1>number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia

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<v Speaker 1>dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all

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<v Speaker 1>the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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