Tell Yourself a Story From the Other Side

A mental exercise for when you’re feeling outmatched

Medical workers hug outside NYU Langone Health hospital in New York City on May 7, 2020. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

Sometimes, when I feel outmatched by the thing in front of me, I do a little mental exercise: I pretend I’m on the other side and tell the story of what happened as if I’d nailed it. If I’m struggling to write, for instance, I might imagine being at some future book reading and telling the audience that I…