There are very few times I would tell an actor not to take action. And I’m not going to do that today. Actions can lead to all sorts of great stuff. But if you want to get the most out of your actions, you have to have a goal. So I’m going to suggest you don’t do anything more until you know what your goal is.
Look at some of the crazy things that mankind has pulled off. We have walked on the moon, explored the deepest oceans, even sent a dune buggy to Mars—four times! As Groucho Marx might have said, “Why we sent a Rover to Mars, I’ll never know.”
The key to every single one of those accomplishments was actually knowing what it was.
Unfortunately, most actors are only willing to make vague statements about what they want. They love to say, “I just want to be a working actor.” You have to realize that you are your own fairy godmother. She is granting you one wish, so wish clear and wish big.
Following the Greats
Unfortunately, most of us aren’t born with a burning desire to do anything in particular. When asked what we want to do when we grow up, we just stare blankly. If we want to do something big, we have to accept that even accidental successes like the Post-its, the microwave oven, and Buffalo wings came from very focused attempts to do something specific.
We can learn so much from the few lucky people that are naturally goal-oriented. While the titans of creation may fumble around for a while, ultimately something manages to burn itself into their brains. Steve Jobs wanted to make a computer for everyone. Sir Edmund Hillary wanted to climb Mount Everest. Thor Heyerdahl wanted to sail a papyrus raft across the Atlantic Ocean. They could not have done these things if they didn’t name them.
Just Say It
We all have an evil twin. I may even have triplets. They are the largely bossy dominant twin in charge of holding us back in life. Isn’t it time the twin with big, clear ideas and confidence became the dominant twin?
If you listen to your “practical” twin, you will never accomplish anything because there is always a reason why you shouldn’t do something. To succeed at anything—including acting—you have to listen to your fantastical twin. Your fantastical twin knows the one reason why you should do something. You should do it because you want to and you have no other pressing engagements.
So do me a favor, or do yourself a favor. Just say it. I’m talking about right now. Spit out your dream acting job as though you are getting your final wish. Muzzle your evil twin and just say it! There shouldn’t be a general word in your dream acting goal. It should have names and times and places. You should be able to close your eyes and see it. No peeking!
Now you have a goal. You have something to work towards. Doesn’t that feel better?
Now That You Know
Now that you have a goal, you can do all the things you need to do to accomplish that goal. How do you accomplish a goal? You have to have a plan.
Can you guess what the topic of my next article will be?
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and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
