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Archive for the ‘balance’ 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 »
Friday, June 18th, 2010
 Keep Your Word
Your word is your bond, so follow-up and follow-through. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Do what you say you will do. Don’t gossip. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. Speak freely and openly about your life and career, but walk your walk. Remember, actions speak louder than words.
Mind Your Own Business
Bette Davis once said, “I do not regret one professional enemy I have made. Any actor who doesn’t dare to make an enemy should get out of the business.” The opinions of others are, quite frankly, none of your business. Do not allow yourself to be distracted or discouraged by what others think, or say, or do. Yes, accept advice and feedback, but never forget that no one knows you like you do.
Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
When you take yourself too seriously, you create unneeded stress, worry, and disappointment. Your best work comes from a place of freedom and playfulness. When you adopt a make-or-break attitude, you stifle your creativity. Though it may be tough to hear, no one else takes your mistakes or questions as seriously as you do. You are not as important as your ego would have you believe. So, take a chill pill, set your ego aside for a bit, and play with possibility.
Connect the Dots
Contrary to what you might think, every aspect of your life is connected. Think about it. When you exercise, you feel energized and confident. This confidence helps you in audition or performance situations. An organized desk leads to peace of mind and more freedom. Your relationships with others reflect your relationship with yourself. The way you do anything is the way you do everything. It’s your job to connect the dots. Appreciate how your day job serves your artistic vision. Understand how keeping a balanced checkbook affects the balance in your life as a whole. Realize that now is the time to live the life of your dreams. Treat yourself like you’re already there.
You’re Here to Work
If you desire an income-generating career as an artist, you must also respect the business. You cannot thrive by just being an art-eeest. It just doesn’t work. Sure, you can be creatively fulfilled, which is fantastic! That’s kinda the point, isn’t it? If that’s all you want from your art, then step out of the business. Stop looking for an agent, stop attending workshops, and stop any marketing you may be doing. Instead, put up incredible plays, do a lot of great writing, paint, travel and create whenever you can. You’ll be happy you did.
But if you want to make money and have a career in show business, you must be informed about your industry. You must be well trained. You must network, read the trades, and market yourself. Otherwise, you’re not here to really do business.
Live Dangerously
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.”
Take risks. Live Boldly. When you feel fear, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that might happen if I take this risk?” The answer is that you’ll move past your fear. You’ll survive. You might even get somewhere.
Don’t Think
Most artists spend a lot of time thinking about what they want rather than acting upon their instincts. Don’t think your life away. Follow your instincts. Listen to your gut – it’s telling you something. When you wonder whether or not you’re making the smartest move, you’re likely to think yourself right out of taking any action at all. Every step you take brings new results. Those results determine what comes next. So, you simply must take action in order to achieve your goals. Don’t think. Just Move.
Wanna Thrive? Join me in the premier coaching club for actors, The Thriving Artist Circle.
Tags: thriving artist circle, time management
Posted in Goal Getting, balance, marketing for actors, psychology of the actor | No Comments »
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 1st, 2010
 PART 2
The second phase of this process is clearing out. It is time to create some space in your life for all the new, good things to happen in the new year ahead. Sometimes clearing out can bring up a lot of emotion because we’re literally digging up old issues and situations when we’re clearing out.
To begin, think of one to three specific, measurable goals that you would like to accomplish by the end of 2010. These goals are not written in stone but just for the purpose of this exercise, go ahead and jot down one to three specific goals.
After you have your goals in mind, it’s really important to look at how to congruent your life today is with what you want to create. Are your actions contributing to your desires?
For example, I have a coaching client; she has a very extensive résumé, a lot of television credits, costars and guest stars primarily. Her goal is to break into that series regular round, and it has eluded her for years. When we took a look at her career, we found that she was saying yes to every single job opportunity that came paid or not paid, and there was not a spare moment in her career for the next level, which would be series regular. She had to actually start saying no to things in order to create the space for the series regular roles to land. This action is really scary because we’re stepping out of what’s familiar and stepping into a place of trust.
Take a look at your goals and identify what specific habits or actions you take that are not inline with those goals. Think about environments you are in that don’t support the results you’re trying to generate. What do you need to do, say, or who do you need to be in order to eliminate those actions? The key to creation is identifying your successes so that you can honor them and build on them, but more importantly, so that you can identify what habits, beliefs, and patterns work for you and apply them to what’s not working.
Posted in Goal Getting, balance, visualization & creation | No Comments »
Monday, January 25th, 2010
 PART 1
With the beginning of a new year, I’d like to talk about this word completion. I had a career coach named Suzanne Lyons years ago who instilled this concept in me. Suzanne basically shared that as human beings, we often avoid a feeling of completion because it takes us into uncharted territory and if we’re not complete in our lives, it’s easy to get stuck in our stories and easy to avoid a high level of accountability. For artists in particular, it’s essential that we tap into a feeling of completion in order to be able to create everything we’re capable of.
Completion essentially means being at peace with how things are. You don’t need to fix it, improve it, or dwell on it, but how do you know if you’re complete? You feel satisfied; you’re looking forward, not backward, and the feeling in your stomach is a feeling of excitement and perhaps gratitude versus regret. What completion allows for essentially is rebirth. When we are complete, it allows for creation. When we’re not complete, there’s no room for something new, and we’re bringing baggage along with us.
Start by considering where in your life or in your career you feel incomplete, and write that down. Perhaps you have an agent that you’re uncomfortable calling. Perhaps you have some regret about dropping the ball on a project. Where in your life do you experience guilt, regret, or hesitation? That’s probably a sign that you’re incomplete in that area.
Next, think about what action can you take or what decision can you make in order to get complete. Create a realistic strategy by getting back to basics. Remember, you can always do extra credit, but this way, your goal is manageable and not overwhelming.
Finally, and this is where completion comes in, I want you to decide today that you are exactly where you need to be. Every setback thus far is water under the bridge; it no longer exists. In the past, you may have struggled, but today, moving forward, you start your action plan with a clean slate. Just remember that this is an ongoing process and you can decide for yourself when you’re complete and when you’re not complete.
Be sure to check out Part Two of this series next week.
Posted in Goal Getting, balance | No Comments »
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
 Okay, before you dive into declaring your career goals to your friends, agents, coaches, and relatives, it’s important to first master your self-talk. You must frequently think about, write about, and whisper to yourself your career vision. Doing so will allow your bones and bloodstream to absorb this vision. When your bones feel it, your body will act upon it.
Create the physical connection to your visions. Keep a goal-getting journal where you not only log your daily achievements, but also describe on paper what your long-term vision looks like, tastes like, and feels like. Talk about this vision privately at first and then share it with the people you trust most.
Develop a deeper awareness of the questions you ask yourself. Did you know that the average person has over fifty thousand thoughts per day? Many of these thoughts appear as questions. Most people walk around asking themselves mental questions all day long. Go on and admit it. You talk to yourself every day. It’s okay. It’s actually normal.
It’s important to realize that your life today is a direct reflection of the thoughts you have. The questions you ask yourself impact the way you feel. Your mood and emotions always influence the actions you take and your actions then shape your life.
Your subconscious mind is programmed to affirmatively support the questions you ask it. It will automatically answer your questions and even provide evidence to support the idea you’re inquiring about. So if you ask, “Why do bad things always happen?” your subconscious mind will give you all the reasons why bad things do indeed happen to you.
Don’t believe me? Try it. Go ahead and ask yourself, “Why can’t I get ahead?” Go on… I’ll wait.
Did you notice that your subconscious mind answered you or that your physical body responded with a knot in your stomach, pressure on your shoulders, or an all around icky feeling? That’s a common reaction. Your gut is designed to agree with your head. The trouble with that comes when your head asks the wrong questions.
Never fear! There’s an easy fix here. If you want to generate new results, the trick is to simply ask yourself different questions or practice what I like to call Living Mantras.
Living Mantras are empowering questions that reflect or support the life you desire. They’re powerful, present tense statements about the person you are becoming. When practiced regularly, Living Mantras will not only help you accomplish your career goals, but they’ll absolutely transform your life!
Give it a whirl and try asking yourself, “Why am I so lucky?” Again, I’ll wait. Really, I don’t mind.
Did you notice that your subconscious mind answered that question too? Did you also notice how differently your body responded? It sounds silly, but it works. Your subconscious mind can’t help but support the questions you ask it, sparking a positive reaction and jump-starting your progress toward change.
The next time you find yourself at an audition thinking thoughts like, “What if I don’t book this?” or “Why am I even here?” Try out the Living Mantra technique and just ask, “What if I book this?” Or, “Why are auditions so easy for me?”
One key element to making Living Mantras work for you is the way you feel when you practice your mantras. You can ask yourself questions all day long about how wonderful your life is, but if you don’t feel wonderful, you won’t experience the reality of your mantras. You must allow your entire being: body, mind, and soul to experience the feeling of your mantras at work. Remember, when your bones feel it, your body will follow. When it comes to declaring your goals and sharing yourself with others in the industry, Living Mantras allow you to feel happy and confident on the inside enabling you to convey that grounded feeling on the outside.
Creating your own mantras is a piece of cake! Here are some of my favorites below:
Relationships
Why am I so highly respected for the work that I do?
Why are my relationships so fun and fulfilling?
I believe in the power of teamwork.
How is it so easy to connect with all the right people?
Success
Why am I so successful and prosperous?
The entertainment industry is fun & easy!
How is it so easy to be so successful?
Why does success follow me wherever I go?
Confidence
I trust myself to be myself in everything I do.
When did I become so confident and grounded?
Why is it so easy to take risks and grow?
How did I become such a genius?
Wealth & Money
Why does everybody want to give me money all the time?
Where did all of this money come from?
Why do I get paid so much to do what I love?
How did I get so filthy rich?
Booking the Job
Why do I book everything I audition for?
How does great work always fall in my lap!
Why is auditioning so much fun?
Perseverance
How is it so easy to let go of the past?
I am willing to fully experience my own unique journey.
I am right on time, all of the time.
My career unfolds in remarkable ways.
Life
Everyday and in every way, I live the wondrous life I was meant to live.
I joyously embrace all of life’s possibilities!
Why is life so fun and fulfilling?
Like this stuff? You’ll love my audio CD, “Living Matras”. Click here to get your copy now.
Tags: acting, actor, affirmations, living mantras, positive speaking, psychology of the actor
Posted in balance, psychology of the actor | No Comments »
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
 Researchers have found that it takes the average person 21 days to form a habit. Just three short weeks to begin a lifestyle shift.
I’ve been thinking a lot about habits lately. Many of us take unconscious actions daily out of habit. Some people feel they cannot change “the way they are”. It’s just not true. With some focus and a little effort, you can create powerful habits that create meaningful change.
Flip Your Perspective
A lot of people live in a constant state of hesitation. They believe that they must WAIT to have success, money, time, or energy before they can then live the life that they dream of.
They operate from a place of HAVE – DO – BE, which looks something like this, “Once I have my career in order, then I can focus on my relationships, and finally be fulfilled.”
How often do you postpone certain trips, activities, or projects because you don’t quite have your ducks in a row? How often do you tell yourself:
* As soon as I book a national commercial, I’ll be able to travel.
* Once I have enough money, I’ll be able to donate to charity.
* After I have more credits, I’ll feel confident enough to network.
These statements are excuses. They are resistance to bold action. There is no time like the present to live out your desires.
The truth is that success doesn’t change you. It allows you to express who you are more fully. So, rather than living from a place of HAVE – DO – BE, why not operate from BEING first?
If you want success, live every day as though you are successful. Be success. Make your decisions based on the success that awaits you rather than your lack of it now.
Here’s what I mean by BE – DO – HAVE Living:
Be happy today. Feel successful. Be famous if you feel like it. From that place – choose your actions, habits, or behaviors. Then you’ll notice that you have everything you need to be the person you want to be right now… today. What you have or don’t have becomes irrelevant when you’re already being the person you want to be.
Focus on the Process
If you want to see major results, start by developing a small set of consistent habits. The life you dream of begins with one step. Then you’ll take another. It’s really that simple.
Focus on developing habits rather than attaining results. Choose healthy habits that support the career you really want and live them now. Focus
on the habits first, the results will naturally follow.
Here’s my challenge to you:
1. Think about the life or career you want. Think about how you can BE there today.
2. Select one specific habit you wish to develop that supports your ideal career.
3. Commit to putting that new habit in place over the next 21 days.
4. Now, identify one habit you wish to eliminate. What action do you take habitually that doesn’t support the life you desire?
5. Put that negative behavior on hold for the next 21 days, so you can let it go forever.
I’d love to hear what habits you choose and how this process works for you, so let me know!
“Habits are cobwebs at first; cables at last” – Chines Proverb
Posted in Goal Getting, balance | 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 »
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
 How much time do you spend preparing to get ready to begin a project? How long does it take you to shoot new headshots, create a demo reel, or execute a mailing?
My guess is that you spend more time thinking about these projects than you actually spend doing them.
I believe a key element to success is decisiveness. You must be willing to take action if you want results. It’s not what you do, but that you do that really matters. Perhaps it’s time to stop thinking, planning, and preparing and start practicing imperfection so you can finally get things going.
A couple of months ago, I got an email from a complete stranger who found my website. Her note said something like this:
“Dallas congratulations on the great work you are doing! I think your site is valuable and it contains a few typos. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve taken the liberty to correct them for you. Attached is a copy of my corrections.”
Upon opening the attachment, I was shocked and a little embarrassed to see that the document was six pages long. Six whole pages. Yes, of typos.
I’m not going to lie. I had about 30 minutes of being mad at this stranger. Who does she think she is, anyhow?
But then I realized something. Wow, if I had waited until I had a typo-free website, I still wouldn’t have a website up. I’d be stuck in the cycle of preparing to get ready to begin the site. Now I have a typo-free website thanks to this kind stranger. But the only way I got to a typo-free website was to first have typos.
If you want to produce results in your career, you must be willing to make mistakes, try something new, and just put yourself out there.
In order to get great headshots, you must first take some headshots. Good or bad, you can’t get to great without taking the first step. That’s how you learn; that’s how you grow. The more willing you are to have crappy headshots, the more quickly you will arrive at really great pictures because you’re taking action.
The same is true with a demo reel, your website, and every other element of your marketing. The first step to greatness is not-so-greatness.
You may have noticed that the last newsletters you received from me contained 3 typos in the first two lines. I’m sure this one has it’s fair share as well. I know… pretty impressive.
Sure, I’ve learned the hard way to be a little more careful before sending these biweekly articles out.
But I have to tell you that there’s a part of me that feels a little proud of the typos. I used to spend so much time preparing to get ready to begin, that I wasn’t actually doing a thing. I was stuck. I was so afraid of making mistakes that I took no action. And nobody knew who I was.
It’s true for you. The more you can fall in love with the learning process, fall in love with your dumb little mistakes, with your crappy headshots, and with your imperfect demo reel, the more quickly you will arrive at where it is you really want to be.
Don’t get it perfect, just get it going.
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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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