The brat in the back seat: Are we there yet?

We have all have either been or been in a car with an annoying kid in the backseat, who chanted “are we there yet?” for the entire trip. By the end of the trip, the rest of the people in the car are looking for large pieces of duct tape. The constant nagging and focusing on the destination took the fun out of the trip for everyone. 

But how many of us, when it comes to our goals and dreams, are the same bratty kid?  We are so intent on the achieving it that we put on blinders.  We may be more focused and disciplined, yet in the process, we limit our options.  In the military, they call it target blindness. Pilots become so fixated on the target that they can't see the obstacles and fly right into them.  However, it's not just the fun of the journey, but other opportunities and solutions that we can no longer see.  By taking a broader and wider perspective we open our mind to more constructive alternatives that could actually be more beneficial in achieving our goals.

I have been returning to the film and television industries as a writer and producer.  I have been away for a long time, so I've had to make new contacts.  As the Executive Producer finding the resources as well as the cast and crew are major parts of the job, especially when it comes to funding.  Along this journey back, I've met some amazing people.  I was also able to update my skills.  Yet at the end of the day, the funding or lack thereof would determine if the day was successful.  Even though I had made some amazing contacts, including with those in the industry that I greatly admire and who are well respected, how I graded the day depended on that one criterion.  I was the annoying the kid in the back seat. 

So how did I change it? Simple. I took a step back and looked at the whole picture. When I did I started to see my own pattern of behavior, but I also started to see how the individual pieces were fitting together to create a mosaic of talents and resources. In doing so, it took the pressure of me to do it all myself, which reduced my stress and gave me a fresh perspective. I was able to see the open doors that I previously overlooked.  Amazing things have been happening since. I'm enjoying this leg of the journey.  We aren't quite there yet, but soon we will be and then the next leg of amazing adventure will begin.

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