From Coach Marielle's LA Marathon Training Journey
As each day at the end of the year approaches, it causes me to stir a little. What are my plans? What are my goals? Where do I want to go next year? Who will I see during the holidays? All of these questions create a sense of anticipation I’m trying to temper with routine and something I learned last week. In script notes, a common piece of feedback from producers is: This feels unearned. It means that when something too good, too profound, or too final happens to a character before they’ve done the emotional or physical work to deserve it, the audience rejects it. The character hasn't faced the obstacles, put in the grueling training montage, or grappled with the inner conflict yet. The reward, the breakthrough, or the new identity, therefore, feels premature and hollow. And right now, for many of us, any major goal we set for the New Year, or a certain Sunday in March still feels unearned. We’re getting there, we’re doing the thing, but we aren't there yet! We haven't earned the right to that massive new identity because we haven't yet mastered the immediate scene.
So, my producer note for you this week is stay in the scene! It's too soon to decide where your character is headed. Instead of writing the opening chapter of 2026, focus on the closing credits of 2025. This final act of closure is the work that earns a strong race day in 2026. Clear your inbox. Organize your workspace. Hydrate. Get good sleep. Stretch. Do the strength work. Complete the projects that are still dragging! Anticipation is a wonderful feeling, but instead of letting that energy manifest as pressure to plan, channel it into presence and completion.
P.S. If you’re feeling the urge to plan (like me!), don’t suppress it entirely. Instead, try this: Open a clean page and title it "Future Plot Twists (Do Not Execute Yet)." Just dump all your massive, daunting ideas there. Then, close the file. You've honored the anticipation, and now you can go back to being present in the current scene.
Have a great week, make it a movie!