So, you’ve done your 3 years full-time training, you’ve done your workshops, you’ve signed up to a great agent, you have your headshot ready with your CV looking good, but are you achieving what you want as an actor?
It’s all very well to be practicing your craft with voice lessons, scene workshops and drama classes but what might you be missing to stop you achieving where you want to be as an actor?
I have laid out 7 ‘life’ steps to help take you to that next level. I call them ‘life’ steps as they really are what we all need to take us to the next level in whatever goal we hope to achieve.
The one thing I haven’t mentioned though (because I’m not sure where to start or finish!) is that acting is portraying life. The more life experience you can have, the more textured your characters are. As an actor you have to jump in fully clothed and see where the experience will take you!’
Here are my thoughts to help you achieve more as an actor:
#1 Believe in yourself
You have got to believe in yourself before others start believing in you. Whatever it is that you would like to achieve, make sure that you believe in it and trust your abilities to accomplish it.
The problem is that people tend to underestimate their capabilities that stops them to reach their true potential. Take a notebook and write your strengths, uniquenesses, greatest achievements and accomplishments in it and read them aloud every morning. This little technique can do wonders to strengthen your belief in yourself.
Everyday, I see so many people with a lot of potential but their low self-esteem and lack of confidence is getting in their way to success. It’s essential to accept yourself and believe in abilities to live your best life.
#2 Take action every day
Now that you know what you want to pursue in life, it’s time to make an action plan for it. Whether your goals are small or big, you need to be commit yourself to take massive action every single day without any excuses.
It starts with preparing your brain to passionately chase your dreams or whatever you are passionate about in life. You can begin by making a plan.
I suggest taking a look at our Audition Masterclass Series.
https://www.theauditiontechnique.com/courses/audition-masterclass-series/
Don’t be too casual or overly ambitious about them. Be as realistic as possible so that you are inspired enough to take massive action on them everyday without any excuses.
#3 Be adaptable and learn continuously
Adaptability and tenacity to grow can take you places in life. We are constantly seeing actors in the audition space not wanting to take risks and wanting just to get the lines right. Unfortunately, it’s because of this inability to be instinctive that they reject any suggestion or new approach given to them. It can be dangerous for their career and overall life in general.
In the words of Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Learn as much as you can from who ever you want, as it would be something no one can take away from you. Never stop learning – most times there are more than one way to do the same thing. The moment you shed your preconceived notions and embrace adaptability, opportunities will automatically present themself in the most unexpected ways.
#4 Be willing to lose sleep and say NO!
Success often comes to those who are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. You would not only have to work your butt off but might have to say no to several things that don’t align with your goals.
It might be tempting to go shopping or party with friends on weekends but working on your lines or your character is what is going to make to make all the difference. Work on your job during the day then the only way to work on your dream is by losing some sleep.
One more thing, start saying NO more often. It might take a lot of courage to say no to work but doing it will make your life more successful and happier .
#5 Don’t do unethical or immoral stuff
There are two ways to succeed: the easy way and difficult one. Going for an easy way means doing ‘whatever’ it takes to reach there — by hook or by crook. It means taking shortcuts, favors, doing unethical things that go against the moral compass. Now, the commitment is not to do any of the things mentioned above.
You might get seduced with the idea of doing something unethical and get quick results. However, such things always come with a price — that can easily ruin everything within a snap of a finger. Remember that the journey to success is going to test your character along with dedication.
#6 Maintain work-life balance
Do you know what is the single most important thing in your life? Health!. Your physical and mental health plays an important part in your life as everything directly or indirectly depends on it.
Don’t get too consumed in working hard that you start ignoring your health. If you’re working on weekends, try spending at least a few hours with your near and dear ones and recharge your batteries.
#7 Never give up.
As cliche` as it may sound – never giving up on yourself is the ultimate mantra to success. As you walk through life, you will fall down many times. You might also make mistakes and fail, and it’s absolutely okay. That’s life and things will happen but never let this hamper your spirits in any way.
Keep in mind that in order to succeed and become your best version, you have to have a lot of faith in yourself. This indomitable spirit will help you get through these tough times a bit easily. Don’t give up ever — come what may.
The thing about commitment is that it means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you. In order to help you grow in your career why not look at our ‘Audition Masterclass’?
https://www.theauditiontechnique.com/courses/audition-masterclass-series/
