Last New Year's Eve, my mastermind group and I created vision boards. They were filled with words and pictures of what we'd like our lives to be in the coming year. Among other things, I set goals to work as an actor a certain number of weeks and to work at a certain caliber of theaters. That sounds pretty specific, but within that was something super, duper specific: I cut out the audition notice for a certain national tour.
I don't like to be so specific about my resolutions, at least the ones over which I don't have much control. If I set a range of criteria that is just a bit above what I'm currently doing, I increase the chance that I'll reach my goal. It's frightening to actually make my resolution so specific in a very competitive field. It makes it more obvious if I fail, and I don't have control over the factors. A goal of getting a specific theater job is not like doing 100 situps in a minute since someone else makes a final decision about whether you reach the goal. That's probably why I immediately forgot that I'd included that national tour on my vision board.
Last week, I took out that vision board to prepare for this year's session. (Yes, I know you're supposed to look at it every day, but I'm an Urban Nomad. I travel light.) I was shocked when I saw that audition notice on the vision board. Why? Because the producer of that show actually called me. I set a specific goal and it happened, just not in the way I expected. I wasn't cast when the tour began, but someone had to leave the show and I was next on the list. Even more surprising was that I didn't take the job. I was already booked to do something even better!
It's not magic: I had to take action, because they certainly never would have called if I had not even auditioned. It's also not a guarantee: my life unfolded in even more surprising and interesting ways than I dared to dream. Finally, it's not unattainable: Even though hundreds and hundreds of people audition for these tours, I knew that I could be a serious competitor based on previous experience.
Go back to your resolution and make it super specific, and then take every action that you can to make it happen. And then watch something even more interesting unfold.
Are you in Minnesota or New York City? Register now for my live, 90-minute workshop on "12 Essentials for 2012" in the next few days! Anyone serious about making 2012 a great year is encouraged to attend.
Learn what actions to take as you work toward your goals! Another round of interactive eCourses begins in one week, January 10! Spend the next 4 weeks exploring the topics of Personalize, Organize, or Realize.
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