The Director wear’s a different hat. Once we’ve decided where we want to end up, we can be certain there are going to be challenges along the way. Problems to solve. This is where we must adopt a different role. I have taught for many years in my TV and film production classes that the best job description for the Director is simply “problem solver.” The Director must deal with whatever situation comes along and still bring to life the script to the best of his or her abilities.
As an experienced Director, I know, despite my best attempts as Scriptwriter at creating a very realistic, do-able script, when I show up to shoot a particular scene I will have problems to solve. I may have to deal with whatever lighting I’m stuck with, whatever weather Mother Nature throws at me, whatever moods the actors are in that day… I may have inexperienced crew members, broken equipment, a lousy and loud location, or any of a million other issues. But – I have to solve each and every problem! I have to get on with the execution of the script, as best I can. Guess what? So do you!
As the Director of your life story, you are the problem solver of each scene in your story. Of course, you don’t know everything. Sometimes you can only do your best. Sometimes things don’t turn out exceedingly well. But fortunately, you can always get better. You do that by learning. I am very serious about that last part. You, as the Director, are not just the problem solver, you are also the “constant learner.” You get better at solving problems, and therefore executing your life script better, by constantly learning. Fortunately, I think you already know that. That’s why you’re reading this!
Again, I’ve written much more about this in the upcoming book on Life Framing, so let’s keep it brief here. Whatever challenge you have written above, let’s acknowledge that you could still learn more about it. Maybe there are things to learn about how your internal biological processes affect that outcome, or perhaps about how your internal psychological processes affect it. Maybe you need to develop some skills or acquire a certain type of knowledge so you can make better decisions regarding that topic. To solve the problem better, you most likely need to learn some things.
When you are problem solving and learning you are being the Director. Importantly, ignore or divorce yourself from whatever feelings you might have about any previous failed “getting in shape” attempts you’ve made. Those feelings, if they are negative, are not going to assist you at all. Right now I’m trying to address you as the Director, not the Lead Actor, and you must be dispassionate about the problems you need to solve. I call this the “Director’s Distance.” There must be a separation between the Lead Actor, who is emotionally involved and invested in the scene, and the Director who is analyzing and problem solving the scene. I won’t belabor the point here, but you must play the Director, not the Lead Actor, when you step out of the scene to analyze it and discover how to do it better.
Most importantly: the Director, always, must execute the script they are given! The Director does not get to rewrite the script!
(This is an excerpt from my upcoming book “How to Get in Shape! (for Life)”. Look for it on Amazon in January of 2013.)