Sometimes life can throw so many things at us, at the same time, that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by then. But when that happens, I think of this Michael Fassbender anecdote and it just works:

The moment Michael Fassbender had this script in his hands, he became instantly mesmerized. The complexity of the character was already legendary, the stages of development were perfect for painting strong emotions and the project looked amazing.

There was only one problem: Fassbender is a perfectionist. And the script in question was for the biopic “Steve Jobs”, another hopeless perfectionist. Imagine such combination.

Danny Boyle, director of the project, understood Fassbender’s concerns. The script was as big as the looming legend itself. It was, by all accounts, a faithful illustration of the word ‘Overwhelming’.

But there was a big opportunity hidden in plain sight, thanks to Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the screenplay.

(Now that’s a trifecta of movie Kaijus… Boyle, Fassbender, Sorkin, that you don’t see often, but enough with the fan drooling on my part)

Well, the case is that Sorkin’s screenplay was divided into three ‘acts’, each referring to one product development in Jobs’ life.

So, they approached the filming of the movie in a non conventional way: splitting the schedule over the three chapters. Rehearsing the first one for two weeks, then shooting for two weeks.

Then it was on to chapter two. Rehearsing for two weeks, then shooting for two weeks. Finally, rinse and repeat for the third and last chapter.

Boyle later recalled that this allowed all the crew to stay on their toes and be able to stay fresh along all the production. And especially for Fassbender, who could laser-focus in each chapter in a way that he couldn’t have done if he had done it all on one sitting.

As I said, deceptively simple.

When something is complex, cut it in smaller chunks.

Now that I think of it, I could have told you the story of the Gordian Knot, which is something complex that was ultimately… cut, LOL

But you get the idea. But here’s the catch:

It’s not enough to cut the thing that’s bothering you in smaller pieces.

You have to pick one piece IMMEDIATELY and act upon it. Finish, and move on to the next one.

That’s it. It’s that stupid.

By the way, that’s the approach I give my body language students. Human behavior can be overwhelming, so it’s a must to go through stages to decipher it.

Right now I don’t have any places open, but rest assured that as soon as I open a new cohort, I’ll let you know.

Meanwhile, you can download my free body language tips here: https://knesix.com/tips

And don’t forget to ACT over those mini-problems right after you’ve sliced the overwhelming whole.

Much Love and Bliss,

Jesús.

The Body Language Guy.