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Archive for the ‘time management’ Category
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Every actor plays the waiting game. Regardless of if you’re waiting to hear about a student film auditions, an agent offer, or whether or not your pilot was picked up, waiting is part of your job. I know, I know, you’ve been told this a million times, but it’s true. You must be patient while you pursue your dream. Patience is indeed a virtue and it’s one that ironically becomes more challenging to master the closer you get to the finish line.
Develop the Habit
It has been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. In order to increase your chances of success and avoid show business burnout, you must commit to habits rather than attach to any specific result. You must practice patience.
You cannot control when your agent will call, when you’ll get your big break, or how often those residual checks come in, but you can control your own daily activity. Commit to developing the habits of a successful and balanced lifestyle. This goes back to The Rule of Seven. No one thing you do will make or break you, but you can create success by consistently doing one thing each day.
Poet and writer, Ian Krieger, wrote the following about our friend, Mr. Habit.
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn over to me
and I will do them-quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed – you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done and
after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people, and alas of all failures as well.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine though I work with the precision of a machine
plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin –
it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me and
I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
I am habit.
My client, Marissa, really wanted to book a guest star role on a network television series. This goal seemed somewhat challenging to her, but the prospect of breaking out of her co-star rut and into the guest star level really thrilled her. Marissa created a plan and went all out in her efforts to achieve this goal within thirty days. For the first two weeks of her plan, Marissa did everything she could to make the guest star thing happen. She worked hard, she self-submitted, she told everyone she could about her intention, and she continued to feel excited.
Then week three came and with the looming deadline quickly approaching, Marissa began to feel discouraged because she had not yet booked her guest star role. Soon her efforts and focus slowed down and eventually crept to a stop. At the end of her 30-day deadline, Marissa decided she had failed. Period. No guest star for her. Bummer.
The mistake Marissa made was to cling desperately to the deadline and timeline rather than just commit to developing the habit of taking steady action everyday toward her desires. She became attached to extremely high expectations instead of committing to the vision of her greatest desires. She did not allow herself the opportunity to form the daily habit of work. She became impatient and distracted by perceived results.
Though deadlines do work to motivate you and create accountability, they can also become a distraction. Marissa’s deadline distracted her from her commitment to her acting career as a whole. She put so much meaning and pressure on her timeline, that it left her little room for error or exploration.
Marissa agreed to try something new. She dropped this thirty-day guest star goal and replaced it with the commitment to take five specific steps each day toward booking a guest star. The actions involved in both goals stayed the same, but with a shift in her perspective, Marissa focused on maintaining her momentum and creating the habit of working hard.
Wouldn’t you know it! Over the next four weeks, Marissa booked the lead in an independent film, she booked another co-star role on her favorite series and began auditioning for guest stars three or four times per week. Marissa now knows that regardless of when she books her first guest star, the only thing standing between her and that goal is time.
Most of the time, deadlines work to motivate you and keep you on track. But don’t be fooled by their importance. In truth, a deadline is just a mile marker or measuring stick. They’re something you decide on. They’re also something you can change. Use deadlines to stay in momentum, but don’t allow them to rule your life.
The only place of power is in the present moment. Marissa could not change the past, she could not predict the future, all she could do was attend to the situation at hand and embrace patience in that moment, on that day.
What’s happening right now in your career? What do you choose to do about it? How can you maintain your goals and action plans all while staying focused on the present day? The key is to notice when you are distracted by worry and impatience. Notice when you focus more on what might happen than on what’s actually happening. Pay attention to how often you regret past mistakes or decisions. You cannot know what you do not know, so stay present and open to what’s coming. You cannot change your past regardless of how much you worry about it. To control your career and develop your Tao, you must be willing to stay present and develop successful habits.
An easy way to set yourself up for success in this area is to create an accountability system to keep you on track and motivated. Here are a few fun suggestions:
Create a Tip Jar. Money talks, so reward yourself when you keep your commitment. Let’s say you want to book a guest star too, so you commit to devoting one hour of work toward this goal each day. Every time you keep that commitment, you can tip yourself three bucks. The dollar amount doesn’t really matter here, but I recommend making the amount small enough to afford but also large enough to matter to you.
Sounds fun, huh? Well, on the days you don’t keep your commitment you must remove three dollars from your tip jar and donate it to a charity of your choice. Not so fun. Knowing you must part with cold hard cash is a fantastic incentive to keep your word.
At the end of a month (or specific time period of your choice) you get to empty your tip jar and reward yourself by spending the dough on a lovely treat: a massage, a dinner out, a bottle of gin, whatever suits your fancy.
Pick a Partner. Accountability is a lovely thing, so invite a friend to help you stay on track. The two of you can commit to check in at the end of each day and report on the actions you took for that day as well as your plans for the coming day. Just knowing that someone will be expecting a report on your work will keep you going. I once had two students agree to hold each other accountable to complete three tasks per day toward their acting business – one before 10:00 am, one before 1:00 pm, and the last before 5:00pm. At each designated time, they sent a text message to each other just to say, “Yup. Got my ten o’clock done.” Over a very short time frame, they each made significant progress towards their career goals thanks to their buddy system.
Hire a Coach. As a coach, I understand the value of coaching. I myself often work with a coach of my own. A coach will not only create intense accountability for you, but your coach will also raise the bar and really push you to expand your personal realm of possibility. Also, there is something to be said about the power of financially investing in yourself. If you are paying someone to assist you in achieving your personal and professional goals, trust me you will make sure you get your money’s worth by following through on your commitments. Your coach will also present you with new ideas or methods to accomplishing your goals. Your coach will also empower you to take bold risks and encourage you to challenge yourself. Coaches assist you to break out of old, ugly habits and overcome other personal blocks. Coaches rule!
Celebrate Your Progress. With all this focus on your to-do list and what is left undone, it’s easy to forget about your successes along the way. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my to-do list, every time I check something off, I add even more things. My to-do list becomes the never-ending log of what I haven’t done yet. That’s fine and all, but come on! When do you get to celebrate those things you’ve actually finished? Where is the focus on the accomplishments? Don’t wait until you’re an Oscar winner to celebrate your life! Try keeping a success journal. Write down five of the day’s accomplishments each night before you go to sleep. Sometimes your accomplishments might be award-winning, other times they might be very simple. It doesn’t matter. An accomplishment exists when you are willing to own it and celebrate it. So celebrate the journey. It’ll make the ride a lot more fun!
Tags: accountability, actor, habits
Posted in balance, psychology of the actor, time management | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
It was Albert Einstein who said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Every action you take produces a result. Your job is to take an objective look at the results you produce and make the necessary adjustments before taking the next action. If you audition countless times without producing a callback, it’s time to adjust how you approach auditions. If your current headshots look great, but don’t produce auditions, it’s time to re-evaluate your photos. If you’ve been with the same manager or acting coach for years yet your career hasn’t changed, it might be time to shake up your team a little. If you can’t seem to catch a break doing what you’re doing, it’s time to do it differently. It’s not time to quit, but it is time to avoid insanity. In order to create the career of your dreams, you must be willing to take action, to try new things, and to make some mistakes along the way.
Let me be crystal clear here. I am in no way suggesting that you jump around giving up on things before they have time to develop. I am also not suggesting that you quit when the going gets rough. I am simply reminding you to stay alert and open to making changes. Be flexible in your actions and willing to adjust the plan as things unfold. That’s all.
Flexibility can help you to avoid failure. Please know however, that failure itself is not actually real. Dr. Wayne Dyer discusses failure in his book, Ten Secrets for Success and Inner Peace. He writes, “This may come as a surprise to you, but failure is an illusion. No one ever fails at anything. Everything you do produces a result.”
Failure is only a concept. It’s just a judgment. Failure is a concept you create whenever you apply a particular value to an act or an event. It’s impossible for you to fail at anything because everything you do simply produces a result. So then, what will you do with the results that you generate? Will you quit or beat yourself up when an audition goes south? Will you tell yourself that you aren’t cut out for this business after your first rejection?
Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar for his film, The Departed, in 2007. Does that make all his other films failures? Does it even mean that The Departed was his best piece of work? Michelle Kwan entered the 1998 Olympics as a World Champion Figure Skater and the gold medal favorite. But the gold slipped through her fingers and she won the silver instead. Does that make her a figure skating failure? Babe Ruth holds the Major League baseball record for most strike outs, yet he is known as one of baseball’s greatest legends rather than a failure. You see, failure is just an idea. It’s only a judgment, and it doesn’t have to exist in your acting journey.
A client named Grant was a full time commercial actor who had worked consistently over the course of about fifteen years. One day, Grant fell flat on his face during an audition. Not literally, but he may as well have… it was that bad. After slinking out of the room, Grant hopped in his car where his friend awaited him. Feeling like a failure, Grant complained to his friend, “It’s just not worth it. I’m not any good at this. I guess I’m not really meant to be an actor.”
Luckily, Grant’s friend was much less dramatic and quickly knocked some sense into Grant. He said, “Excuse me, but if I am not mistaken you’ve already won at this acting thing. How many more people do you think move to a city where an acting career is possible, but go home after a short time? How many other people live here and say they’re doing this acting thing, but don’t study or workshop or attempt to improve their craft? You’re already successful. You’ve already won. Everything from here is just part of that.”
Thanks, Grant’s friend. I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Just like Grant, you, too, have already made it. You’re here, you’re doing this, and you’re getting better. Most importantly, you’re willing to move through setbacks and perceived failures along your journey toward acting success. Failure is a fake out. It’s just a tricky form of resistance. Don’t fall victim to it.
If failure isn’t actually real, then neither is perfection. They are both ideas about good and bad or about right and wrong. Neither concept really serves you. Perfectionism can distract you from taking action and being happy with your career. When you strive for perfection, knowing it isn’t real, you simply set yourself up for disappointment.
I worked with an actor named Emma who had hit a plateau in her career. Emma felt stuck and unmotivated. She knew what she needed to do, but for some reason couldn’t manage to ever get it done. You see, Emma suffered from a little thing called perfectionism and it paralyzed her.
Emma needed new headshots, but wanted to lose ten pounds before re-shooting. She wanted to find the perfect agent, but didn’t know who that person was yet. She wanted to complete a postcard mailing, but didn’t know what message to write. She wanted to join a networking group, but couldn’t decide which one would be best for her.
I asked Emma what stopped her from pursuing representation. She told me that she was afraid of signing with the wrong agent. I asked her what prevented her from testing out the networking waters. She replied that she felt overwhelmed by too many options and didn’t want to end up at the wrong place.
Emma’s desire for the perfect career, the perfect agent, and the perfect networking group prevented her from taking any action. Her belief in perfection and failure wasn’t working for her. She was so afraid that she might make a mistake that she didn’t do anything.
I decided that Emma needed to free herself from her need for perfection. Perfection, just like failure, isn’t real. It’s just an idea about how things should be or what they could look like. But it doesn’t actually exist. When you attempt to attain this thing that is completely unattainable, you guarantee disappointment and often, paralysis.
Perfectionism is shrewd. It’s the ultimate form of resistance. It’s just a fancy way to avoid being truly accountable. When you insist on perfect results, you provide yourself with an out. Why take any action if it can’t be perfect, right?
In order to have the career you really desire, you must be willing to practice imperfection. This is precisely what I encouraged Emma to do. So, for the next several weeks, Emma began to practice imperfection.
Playing with imperfection opened Emma up to new possibilities. It also transformed her career. She began networking. Yes, she found a few networking groups that weren’t her style, but soon enough she found the “perfect” group for her. She discovered it only because she was willing to find some wrong groups first.
Emma decided to mail her imperfect headshots out to fifty agents whose names she literally drew from a hat. Two days after the mailing went out, she received a call from a top commercial agency and had a meeting set up for the following week.
Emma busted out of her rut when she practiced imperfection. She learned that the more willing she was to make mistakes, the more easily she found what was right for her. She understood that the path to a “perfect” career included some rather imperfect steps. She realized that perfectionism only kept her stuck.
You can eliminate failure by practicing imperfection. In order to take your career to the heights you are capable of, you must release any need for perfection and get used to making mistakes. The only way to really succeed at something is to be willing to be bad at it first. That’s how you learn. That’s how you get better.
The next time you are paralyzed by ideas of failure or perfection, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to find out if I’m right?” Then be open to finding out. If you fear your postcards won’t work, what do you need to do to find out if that’s true? You must mail your postcards. If you fear that your headshots are bad, what do you need to do in order to find out just how bad they are? Show them to people and get some feedback. If you fear that you’re horrible at improv, what do you need to do in order to find out? Well, try some improv. The cure to perfectionism and to a fear of failure is to do it anyway. Take action, practice imperfection, and grow from there.
Posted in Goal Getting, psychology of the actor, time management | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
I remember reading a magazine interview with Uma Thurman. I think it was Vanity Fair. Anyway… While describing the scene of the interview, the reporter pointed out that Ms. Thurman was enveloped in support from the time she arrived to well past the end of the interview.
When asked about her entourage, Uma Thurman pointed out that success requires an impeccable level of support. Okay, you may not feel “entourage-ready” just yet, but if you want to elevate your success, you must examine three keys areas of support. You need systems to support your process, people to support your vision, and an environment to support your creativity.
Your Systems
You probably utilize systems but just aren’t aware of them. Systems are more than fancy database software or some sort of assembly line. Systems are habits or rituals that support your day-to-day life.
Perhaps you do your banking online. That’s a system to save you time and paper. Maybe you always do laundry on Sundays. That’s a ritual. Take a moment to brainstorm what systems you currently utilize.
Here are a few examples to get you started:
managing contacts
google alerts
marketing rituals
bill paying
email management
exercise routine
classes or workshops
research
bedtime, rise and shine
J.O.B hours
TV time
After you’ve identified your current systems, ask yourself, “How well is this system working for me?” If your current systems support your success, keep ‘em. If they don’t, it’s time to change things up.
I discovered a subtle but destructive system in my own life. I had a bad habit of setting my alarm an hour earlier than I needed to get out of bed. In my mind, I figured that I’d get to hit the snooze button five or six times before actually rising in the morning. The truth is that I could have use that time exercising, meditating, preparing for my day, or better yet, actually sleeping rather than snoozing. The snooze button is not a supportive system.
Remember that your systems must support where you’re going more than they support where you are. If you want more success, you must set up systems that you can grow into. Think of your systems as coffee cups. A Venti won’t ever fit into a Grande-sized mug no matter how hard you work at it.
A great example of this is your contact database. Perhaps, right now, you don’t know a ton of people. So, keeping track of them is pretty simple. You’ve got an envelope of business cards in a desk drawer, some email addresses in your Gmail account, and phone numbers stored in your Blackberry. Sure, this disjointed system works just fine when you’re only managing a couple dozen contacts. But how are you supposed to build relationships with more people if you don’t have a system able to support those future contacts? If you build it, they will indeed come. So, create a contact database now that can support all the relationships you intend to build on your road to success. I like Performer Track, Bento, Filemaker, and even Gmail if you utilize it properly.
Your Team
Jim Rohn once said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So, who are you hanging out with? Are you surrounded by supportive people who want you to realize your fullest potential? Do you align yourself with experts who can teach you those things you don’t yet know? In general, do your friends and colleagues reflect the life you desire for yourself? Or are you surrounded by people who struggle, who believe that the entertainment industry is tough, people who complain, or lack a generous spirit?
Either way, the people in your life simply reflect who you are. So, surround yourself with trailblazers, positive thinkers, filmmakers, moneymakers, and change makers. If you are the most successful person in your circle, it’s time to expand your circle of influence in a big way.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you abandon your friends and dump your spouse. Instead, reach out to experts, coaches, and mentors who can show you what else is possible. If you really want success, you must take a leap into the unknown. Surrounding yourself with successful people arms you with the courage and knowledge you need to take that leap.
Next, what jobs can you delegate to someone else so you are free to do what you are really good at? If you’re like me and you can’t cook well, it’s time to hand that task over. Don’t worry, you don’t have to hire a personal chef (though that’d be nice, wouldn’t it?). Instead, look into the prepared and balanced meals offered by Wholefoods. Dream Dinners, a low cost “we make it, you bake it” service is a dream come true for non-cookers who want to eat a healthy meal.
Perhaps you’re not a natural networker. This is not reason enough to avoid building relationships. Instead, bring an outgoing friend with you to events. Introduce each other to new people. That way you can toot your friend’s horn and vice versa. It’s much easier to brag about your buddy than it is to talk about yourself.
Supportive people feed you in two ways. First, they inspire you to be bigger, bolder, and more successful. Next, they help you realize your fullest potential by taking over tasks you may not excel at, leaving room for you to focus on what you love.
Your Environment
Last but not least, you need a supportive environment. Believe it or not, your environment plays a huge part in your productivity, perspective, and all around well being. I remember returning to my hometown in northwestern Washington State after living in Los Angeles for a year. I was struck by how blue I felt in that rainy weather! I’d lived in Washington for years with no idea that I do better in sunshine.
Do you like where you live? Is your home or apartment clean, organized, and colorful? As an artist, it’s essential that you can be comfortably creative every day. Your home either supports your creativity or it hinders it. Which side is your home on?
Creating a supportive environment is easier than you think. Start by designating a space just for your work. This can be a corner of your desk, an office, or counter. Just be certain that your workspace doesn’t overlap with your TV space or sleeping space. Now, when you’re working, you’re working. When you’re playing, it’s all about play.
Next, clean up. A cluttered environment leaves no room for anything new and exciting. So, take the time to clean up and get organized. The expert in this area is The Flylady. Click here to check out her informative and inspirational site dedicated to being clean, organized, and inspired.
Most of us share a home with a roommate or spouse. So, don’t shrug off a supportive environment just because your space is shared. Your job is to establish an outside environment that supports your work and creativity. The public library is fantastic. I actually wrote the majority of my book at the Santa Monica Public Library. It worked for me because the space was gorgeous, and I was surrounded by people who were quietly working. Perhaps you are inspired by nature. Take your work to the park. If you like art, frequent your local museum. I’ve got a client who loves the hustle and bustle of her neighborhood coffee shop. Each night after work, she stops by the coffee shop to work on her script for a couple of hours.
Consider your environment. What changes can you make to your home in order to support your career endeavors? What museum, coffee shop, park or library can you visit to get down to business more easily? Now, take the time to uplevel your environment so you can ignite your creativity.
While surrounded by inspiring places and things, your inner genius can more easily shine. Supportive systems allow you to streamline your workload and accomplish more. Lastly, the people in your life make the biggest impact. Surround yourself with the people you admire as often as you can.
With unlimited support from your systems, your team, and your environment, you’ll have more time to focus on what you really love. So, you’re sure to be unstoppable in no time!
Want more on this topic? Check out my blog post about how to delegate, appreciate, and automate your life.
Tags: acting, acting success, actor, support, team building
Posted in Goal Getting, Uncategorized, psychology of the actor, time management | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
As you and I both know – we can’t control how much time we have. But we can control what we do with the time that we do have, and make sure we make the most of it.
I’ve selected some of the best time management tips I’ve come across. They are also ones which are easier to follow, guaranteed to work and can be done by almost anybody.
1. Create a list for yourself. You have probably heard this one before – but do you do have a list? Order your to-do list from the most important/urgent tasks down to the low priority ones. Simply writing your to-do list down will help you prioritize the tasks in your life, you may find there are some things that just aren’t important enough to you to make the list. The key is to actually follow through – and do the things on your list!
2. Keep to a set routine. This is a powerful time management technique. A good routine means that you will not be haphazard, rather do things with purpose. Your to-do list will thank you too, as you will not waste time reorganizing it constantly.
3. Recognize importance over urgency. According to an article, importance leads to achievement of goals while urgency is more for the achievement of someone else’s needs or an uncomfortable situation. Importance should always prevail. Since your aim is to target goals that gives you the greatest gains.
4. Identify your time wasters. Doesn’t matter if it is playing online games, chatting on the phone, Facebook, worrying, daydreaming, internet time – all these things make you less productive.
5. Track your time. You may want to keep a time management journal to record how you spend you time. This is better than guessing or estimating as often you will be wrong. By doing this you can work out what time of day you are most alert and productive. Schedule your work to be at these times.
I remember my old teacher saying that there is no such thing as “Time Management”, he said that’s because we are given only 24 hours each day. We can’t change that. What’s more realistic or appropriate to say is “Task Management”. I’ve never forgotten about that ever since.
Time management tips can help us to manage our time better and if we manage our time wisely we get our work done. We also improve our productivity and we get to more time to enjoy the things we want to do at the same time!
Michelle is the editor of a time management website where you can find more time management tips. You will also learn how to overcome procrastination, how to manage your personal time and the importance of time management.
Tags: acting, actor, time management
Posted in balance, time management | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
 PART 3
In order to create, we all need three specific areas of support. We need people, systems, and environments to support what we’re creating. I was at the conference in November, and I saw billionaire entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran speak. Her key piece of advice was to create a system for anything and everything you do more than once. Most of you already have systems in place and you just don’t know it, so think about something you do on a regular basis for your acting career. I want you to then break that action down into small steps so that you can identify your system. Once you know your system, streamline it; make it a little easier to follow.
We must have an environment that supports us. I wrote the majority of my book at the Santa Monica Public Library because I was surrounded by people who were quietly working and free of distractions. So when it comes to your environment, do you have a clean, orderly space? Is there a specific place in your home dedicated for your acting career? Are you aware of when you’re at your best? Are there certain colors that you respond well to, certain foods or scents that really speak to you? Be sure that those items are in your work environment. This will support your mental health, but it will also make you more productive.
Lastly, we need people to support us. It’s been said that every top peak performer has six key people on their team. Six key people, and it doesn’t matter who’s on your team; they don’t all have to be industry experts. You could have a best friend or partner who’s really supportive. Just really pay attention to who you’re spending time with and make sure that those people are supportive and reflective of where it is you want to take your career. Now, if they’re not, I’m suggesting not suggesting ending friendships, but it’s time to now reach out and bring more people into your circle. Maybe step out of your comfort zone and start surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do and who are more successful than you are. This is how you get where it is you want to go.
Now take a look back at those goals that you identified in the beginning of this process and take some time to draw out a specific plan of action. What resources do you need in order to accomplish the goals that you’ve identified? What might be in your way and how can you overcome those obstacles?
I encourage every one of you to take some time to clean up behaviors or patterns that aren’t in line with where you want to go. Where in your life can you get complete and what will completion of afford you? From there, it’s time to build on your successes and create what’s next. You can do this easily by relying on your values and making decisions from that place. Now, the fun part comes with setting intentions for 2010.
Tags: get creative, support system, work environment
Posted in Goal Getting, Networking & Relationships, time management | No Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
 I found this outstanding article by Elizabeth Kuhn about stress management. I feel like she wrote it especially for me, but I have a feeling you’ll think it was written for you. Please, check out more about Elizabeth at: http://www.freestresstipsreport.com/
Is your to do list too long? Chances are, the answer is yes. And you’re not alone. Time management stress is all too common. Here’s what you can do to reduce your stress about that endless list.
I’m sure you’ve heard about the 80/20 principle, also known as the Pareto principle. It means that 20% of the things we do bring us 80% of the benefits. It works in sales, and it works just about anywhere else.
How can that help you with your to do list? Here’s how:
Just because an item is on your list doesn’t mean you have to actually do it. Refuse to submit to time management stress. There’s a better way.
Just think about it. If there are more things on that list than you can possibly do, you simply cannot do them. It’s physically impossible.
So what to do? Relax! That’s right. It may seem counterproductive, but it’s actually going to help you get MORE done.
The reason for that is that stress slows your brain down and saps your energy. So you’ll work more slowly and get less done. Once that stress is taken care of, you’ll feel invigorated and able to tackle your tasks.
So eliminating the stress over the impossible to do list is our number one priority.
Here’s what you need to do instead of getting stressed: Go over that list and figure out which of these tasks simply must get done, and get done right away, on that day.
Write those down on a separate list. Consider how long it will take you to do them all and whether you can actually do them in the allotted time. If the answer is no, you need to cut something out.
However, if you believe you can do those and only those that you have written down, that’s going to be your new to do list for the day.
If there’s room to spare, look back over the original list and see if there is another really important task that you can fit in without driving yourself ragged.
If so, add that to your list.
And what about the rest? There’s always another day. Maybe they’re not yours to do in the first place, or maybe whoever wants you to do them will simply have to wait.
So if you refuse to be held hostage by time management stress, and instead follow the 80/20 principle, you will likely get done what really needs to get done. And you’ll be able to do a better job than if you had had a nervous breakdown.
Whether you use the 80/20 principle or some other stress management techniques, you’ve got to do something to help you stay calm under pressure.
For more stress tips, you’re invited to download Elisabeth Kuhn’s FREE stress tips report at http://www.freestresstipsreport.com/
Tags: acting, Elizabeth Kuhn, stress, stress management for actors
Posted in balance, time management | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
As you may know, my mantra is “Do Less More Often.” I often encourage my clients to work for just twenty minutes each day on their acting business. Though they don’t believe at first, they soon discover how effecient and effective their careers can be when they focus for just a short time each day.
Well here’s an outstanding blog post by Peter Bergman on DailyGood.org. He outlines how to make the most out of just eighteen minutes. So, I guess he’s got me beat. Check it out below and thanks to Peter for the fantastic advice.
Yesterday started with the best of intentions. I walked into my office in the morning with a vague sense of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and checked my email. Two hours later, after fighting several fires, solving other people’s problems, and dealing with whatever happened to be thrown at me through my computer and phone, I could hardly remember what I had set out to accomplish when I first turned on my computer. I’d been ambushed. And I know better.
When I teach time management, I always start with the same question: How many of you have too much time and not enough to do in it? In ten years, no one has ever raised a hand.
That means we start every day knowing we’re not going to get it all done. So how we spend our time is a key strategic decision. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a to do list and an ignore list. The hardest attention to focus is our own.
But even with those lists, the challenge, as always, is execution. How can you stick to a plan when so many things threaten to derail it? How can you focus on a few important things when so many things require your attention?
We need a trick.
Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, knows all about tricks; he’s famous for handcuffing himself and then swimming a mile or more while towing large boats filled with people. But he’s more than just a showman. He invented several exercise machines including the ones with pulleys and weight selectors in health clubs throughout the world. And his show, The Jack LaLanne Show, was the longest running television fitness program, on the air for 34 years.
But none of that is what impresses me. He has one trick that I believe is his real secret power.
Ritual.
At the age of 94, he still spends the first two hours of his day exercising. Ninety minutes lifting weights and 30 minutes swimming or walking. Every morning. He needs to do so to achieve his goals: on his 95th birthday he plans to swim from the coast of California to Santa Catalina Island, a distance of 20 miles. Also, as he is fond of saying, “I cannot afford to die. It will ruin my image.”
So he works, consistently and deliberately, toward his goals. He does the same things day in and day out. He cares about his fitness and he’s built it into his schedule.
Managing our time needs to become a ritual too. Not simply a list or a vague sense of our priorities. That’s not consistent or deliberate. It needs to be an ongoing process we follow no matter what to keep us focused on our priorities throughout the day.
I think we can do it in three steps that take less than 18 minutes over an eight-hour workday.
STEP 1 (5 Minutes) Set Plan for Day. Before turning on your computer, sit down with a blank piece of paper and decide what will make this day highly successful. What can you realistically accomplish that will further your goals and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling like you’ve been productive and successful? Write those things down.
Now, most importantly, take your calendar and schedule those things into time slots, placing the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. And by the beginning of the day I mean, if possible, before even checking your email. If your entire list does not fit into your calendar, reprioritize your list. There is tremendous power in deciding when and where you are going to do something.
In their book The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz describe a study in which a group of women agreed to do a breast self-exam during a period of 30 days. 100% of those who said where and when they were going to do it completed the exam. Only 53% of the others did.
In another study, drug addicts in withdrawal (can you find a more stressed-out population?) agreed to write an essay before 5 p.m. on a certain day. 80% of those who said when and where they would write the essay completed it. None of the others did.
If you want to get something done, decide when and where you’re going to do it. Otherwise, take it off your list.
STEP 2 (1 minute every hour) Refocus. Set your watch, phone, or computer to ring every hour. When it rings, take a deep breath, look at your list and ask yourself if you spent your last hour productively. Then look at your calendar and deliberately recommit to how you are going to use the next hour. Manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours manage you.
STEP 3 (5 minutes) Review. Shut off your computer and review your day. What worked? Where did you focus? Where did you get distracted? What did you learn that will help you be more productive tomorrow?
The power of rituals is their predictability. You do the same thing in the same way over and over again. And so the outcome of a ritual is predictable too. If you choose your focus deliberately and wisely and consistently remind yourself of that focus, you will stay focused. It’s simple.
This particular ritual may not help you swim the English Channel while towing a cruise ship with your hands tied together. But it may just help you leave the office feeling productive and successful.
And, at the end of the day, isn’t that a higher priority?
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Monday, September 14th, 2009
 Last month, a student asked me for tips on working through the day to day errands that often distract you from your true purpose.
She wrote, “Since I started to practice the principles you teach, I’ve truly discovered what I am most passionate about. Now, I find that tending to necessary errands has become particularly difficult because it is so contrary to my Tao. Can you suggest any tips for making these tasks less tedious and painful, and more fun or rewarding?”
Once you discover your true passion, you certainly want to devote as much time as possible doing what’s most fulfilling. So, how do you manage the day to day busy work that must be done, but isn’t always fun to focus on?
Here are three tips to effectively manage your errands and leave more time to pursue your passions:
Automate
Save time by automating as much as possible. List all of your administrative tasks such as paying bills, cleaning your house, going to the post office, buying groceries, and running general errands. Which tasks on your list can be automated? Most banks now offer automatic bill pay, saving your time and energy. You can also automate your mailings with services like AmazingMail.com. Create a schedule for most of your monthly marketing while you’re at it. Doing so will free your mind up to focus on your craft and your career. The more you automate, the more time you’ll have and the less stress you’ll experience.
Delegate
Don’t forget that it is just another form of energy. If you are willing to spend a little money delegating some errands, you’ll have more time to focus on what you really want to do.
Years ago, I had a roommate who just couldn’t keep track of her bills. She was frequently late with her payments and struggled to establish a schedule she could stick to. So, we traded tasks. I kept track of her bills and paid them each month while she took care of all the laundry. Pretty good trade-off, if you ask me!
Think about what tasks you can hand off to another person. You might be able to barter away some tasks and perhaps pay someone to remove other jobs from your plate. Do what you’re good at and let others take care of the rest.
Appreciate
Like it or not, you will inevitably have to tackle certain jobs that are often unfulfilling, and tedious. You can easily complete these boring, yet necessary errands by identifying how these tasks serve your bigger purpose.
My client, Alicia believed that nothing was as tedious as washing her car. Alicia could list at least fifty things she’d rather do than clean her car. So, she allowed her car to become so dirty that she was embarrassed to be seen in it. Horror overtook her every time she pulled into a parking lot.
T. Harv Eckert brought renewed attention to the phrase, “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” So, in effect, Alicia’s dirty car reflected the mess in her acting career. Alicia soon connected the dots between her messy car and her acting career. She realized that her car did not reflect the life she wanted to lead. So, she began to treat her car the way she would if she was an A-List actress. Alicia understood that the way she does anything is indeed the way she does everything. Now keeping a clean car is simple for Alicia. Every time she washes it, she knows she’s one step closer to acting success.
When you can appreciate how today’s tedious tasks serve your passion as an artist, you’ll soon fall in love with every job you do knowing that it reflects a brighter future.
Try it out. Automate your errands, delegate some jobs, and appreciate how tasks today serve your passion tomorrow.
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