The art of waiting
TL;DR
Waiting is an unavoidable reality of this industry. But what if you considered it as a natural part of the process when it comes to achieving your goals?
The point is not to be at the mercy of someone else’s timetable — be proactive, not reactive — and harness that time spent waiting to your advantage.
In a recent coaching session, one of my actor clients said, "I’m getting SO tired of waiting around to be seen."
It got me thinking: if every one of you listed here in the comments how many hours you’ve spent waiting (on set, in line at auditions, after a meeting for the phone to ring, for a higher up to read your script, for that casting director, agent, manager, producer, etc., to choose you…you get the idea), I’ll bet it would make your eyes pop out of your head cartoon-style.
Unfortunately, waiting is not going away — it’s an unavoidable reality of this industry.
So, rather than looking at it as a nuisance, what if you reframed it and considered it as a natural part of the process? Think about it within the context of what you’re ultimately waiting for.
In other words, look back at your goals.
If they’re strong, and you feel passionately about them, then the wait should be worth it.
And if that’s the case, you will want to accept that waiting is a natural and necessary part of the process, not a nuisance.
Trust me, it’ll make your life a whole not easier.
Now, I’m sure that there are plenty of you out there that are thinking, "Sure, Betsy, that all sounds very lovely and Zen. But, I wait around for EVERYTHING in this industry."
And to that I say: no one said you only had to wait while you wait.
So, the last thing you want to do is merely kill time by checking Instagram or TikTok or your email every two minutes until you hear something.
Believe me, that will drive you crazy in the end.
Instead, why not think about what else you could be doing for your career during that time? Like I always tell my clients, most of the work you do will come during what most people consider “down time.”
Instead of pacing back and forth, you could update your website or resume.
Maybe there are follow-up emails you need to write or contacts you’ve been meaning to get in touch with.
And don’t forget about evaluating the state of your goals — things are constantly changing in your career and the industry, so why not take advantage of that waiting time and make sure your goals are in shape?
I just hosted two free coaching events this week for writers impacted by the strike where we did just that!
The point is not to be at the mercy of someone else’s timetable — be proactive, not reactive — and harness that time spent waiting to your advantage.
Look, I know it’s not always easy to accept that waiting is part of the process.
And you’re going to have your moments. We are human. We have egos.
Especially in this day and age of instant gratification, we want things to happen when it’s convenient for US.
And we design our expectations accordingly, forgetting that we are not, in fact, the center of the universe.
There are a WHOLE host of other people, places, and things working with us to get everything done. How about we work with all of them too?
This requires that magic word – Patience.
Which requires another magic word – Trust.
My coach once shared a really cool mantra with me: “I choose to trust that all is unfolding perfectly."
When I have chosen to trust this, it’s worked. No kidding.
So, the next time you find yourself waiting (which is probably sooner rather than later), try shifting your perspective in the moment by practicing some good old-fashioned Patience. You might just discover that everything IS unfolding perfectly.
"But Betsy," you might be wondering, "HOW do I do this?"
Glad you asked. It’s easy.
Breathe.
And then Repeat.