Movies are fiction – even those which are based on or inspired by real stories tend to exaggerate to make plot more interesting. Therefore, movies are not the best examples of how things are off-screen in real life.
Like most romantic comedies do not describe human relationships correctly, so do most movies which do not portray career issues properly. The reasons I claim this are many, but here we will focus on editing.
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Editing in real life
Yes, editing. You know, that part of the movie where the protagonist decides to give it all for the fight. Or the moment that will later serve as the climax of the film. The screen then blinks through excerpts of training scenes, starting with a real struggle. Then, it swiftly switches with continuous improvement enhancements to excellence, while uplifting soundtrack binds them all together.
Here’s the problem: editing is terribly misleading. It creates the illusion that success can be achieved more quickly and more easily than it actually does. It’s a handy tool to help stream a movie. A month or two of strict training (the maximum time a movie can produce) is probably not going to be enough to make someone successful. You cannot catch up so quickly with those that have been devoted for a long time, no matter how much you want something.
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In addition to this, editing removes the hard parts of an effort, turning the whole process into a steady upward trajectory toward victory. In a movie, becoming good is given and is achieved soon. In real life, you cannot predict how long your effort will last and you are meant to fail several times before you reach your goal.
Realism VS Montage
Even if you know that you should not set your expectations according to what’s happening in the movies, it’s hard to avoid the inner idea that things should not be so difficult for so long. But it is. I am not saying this to discourage you. On the contrary, my purpose is to help you create a more realistic plan that does not involve an inevitable disappointment. In other words, if you hope for a meteoric career rise, you simply “condemn” yourself in a disappointment when it does not happen. Rather than counting on a series of events that will spur you directly to the top, focus your plan on a sustainable course that will yield steadily
and progressively.
To have read this article, I imagine you are patient and know that your dreams will not happen in one night, but the change will come with time and effort.
