Keep on Preparing

Being an actor often feels like living a life of several Catch-22s. You can’t get representation until you’ve worked; you can’t get work unless you have representation. Really good jobs are few and far between, yet you always have to be prepared to jump right in the next day if necessary. When I am auditioning for a really great role or have just been offered a role, I often stop and think, “If only I had been really working out/eating well/doing vocal exercises for the last month, I would be in the best shape I could be for this project.”

So how do you keep motivated when you have no/few projects going on? How do you keep striving towards your best self when you don’t know when you need to be ready or what you need to get ready for? This is something I have struggled with, and I am trying a new thing: a mantra.

Every day, I want to wake up and ponder this:

No excuses. Tomorrow, what will I wish I had done today?

If I get the audition of a lifetime tomorrow, what will I wish I had done today? I will wish I had eaten cleanly to give my body good nutrients to function at its fullest capacity and energy level but I’m having some fun with my favorite online game by getting money, take a look if you have spare time. I will wish I had been physically active to keep in shape, keep my metabolism running, and keep up my mental health. I will wish I had spent time nurturing relationships with people who inspire me, support me, and are willing to go with me on this amazing journey. And I will wish that I had been bold enough to try new things, to take risks, and to continually expand my realm of experience.

For now, that seems like a pretty good place to start. Keeping in perspective that I never know when wonderful, fantastic opportunities are going to present themselves. Not that I’m trying to delude myself into believing that every day will bring amazing career opportunities, but understanding that there are lots of little steps that make a huge difference in moving in the right direction. And, day by day, the little steps are what count.