Intentions, Deadlines, and The Practice

Hi There,

I received a lot of responses to the last installment of The Dialogue. It means so much to me.

Many of you asked great follow-up questions, and throughout classes this month we discussed more about Goals and Making Things Happen. I thought I’d address some of those areas in this month’s Dialogue.

The big question that kept coming up:

Okay, I can’t control outcomes, but how do I figure out
how to spend my time most effectively?

I went through the same struggle. And after much trial and error, I finally arrived at an effective technique for managing my own time. For years now, I’ve been using that same strategy to point myself towards the growth I envision for myself. And I’d like to share it with you.

So, in this Seventh issue of The Dialogue, I’m talking about the most powerful tools I know to create focused, intentional change:

• The Magic Formula: Intention and Deadlines
• Words of Wisdom from Seth Godin
• Interviews & Ideas to Fuel Your Creativity

FYI – The waitlist for On Camera Lab is open. Actors currently enrolled in the November/December sessions get first access to classes. While all classes are currently full, we will notify actors on the waitlist when space becomes available.

Look below to find out how you can join the On Camera Lab waitlist and be first in line for open spots.

Be well,

JC

Intentions are the detailed, measurable Tasks required in order to accomplish the Wants or Goals we might have. Deadlines are just that – specific set dates by which to accomplish the Intentions we choose. And while giving yourself precise actions to finish by a specific time might seem restrictive; ironically, it turns out to grant freedom.

Breaking Goals into Intentional Action

For me, vaguely pursuing anything is overwhelming. Left with random thoughts zipping through my mind, it’s easy for me to become flustered by the sheer number of possibilities out there. What am I not pursuing? What am I not thinking about, that I should be?

Intentional Actions are magic. They help create focused momentum, and a tangible roadmap towards the experiences we want in our lives. But being intentional is scary, because it means you’re trying for something definite—and it might not work. It risks failure, and failure hurts.

But the long-term effects of Unintentional Actions are deadly. Unintentional actions lead nowhere.

How do I know if my actions are Intentional or Unintentional? Let’s say you’re in a comfortable routine: you take classes, you read acting books, you watch films and shows you enjoy, and you participate in the creative community. All good, right? Not necessarily. Because if I asked you where you were headed, would you know? And if I asked you when you anticipate getting there, could you tell me?

Participation, without direction, is generic. And you cannot just get better at things by generic action. You can only achieve what you’re aiming for with intention.

Design Your Days

Don’t leave your story to chance. Fill your time intentionally, and take charge of your own narrative.

Planning your day is an act of creation. Daily planning takes the invisibles—dreams, ideas, and goals—and gives them the space in your day that they deserve.

Here’s a helpful formula to break down what actions you might take today to get you on the right path. This is from the wonderful, late, Jim Rohn: a simplified version of Building Goals for the Next Year.

What will you have accomplished a year from now?
Let’s say it’s: having a finished short film to submit to festivals.

With that aim in mind, figure out what you need to do, and by when:

• 12 Months
  Festivals
  Festival submissions, PR, maintaining social media
• 9 Months
  Post-Production
  Editing, color correcting, sound design, festival research, maintaining social media
• 6 Months
  Production
  Shooting the film, maintaining social media
• 3 Months
  Pre-Production
  Developing script, hiring, casting, social media campaign planning
• 1 Month
  Writing and Funding
  Outlining, drafting, seeking feedback, funding
• 1 Week
  Decisions and Planning
  Will you hire a writer or write yourself?
  If you’re going to write, how much extra time will it take to learn how?
  Who is paying for the production, and what is your budget?
• Today
  Concept and Premise

What is the story you want to tell?

Working this way helps you create both intentional actions and set deadlines.

The Power of Deadlines

When we see the date April 15^th most of us think of one thing: taxes.

The IRS isn’t going to leave collecting that money to chance. There’s a deadline.

You can create specific deadlines in your own career. For example:

• That short film you want to make: What is the perfect festival for it, and when is the submission deadline?
• That TV show you fit perfectly: Is the Casting Associate teaching a workshop, and if so, when is it?
• That director you want to work with: Do they need interns on their next project, and when does it start?

You’re taking the invisible and bringing it into existence every time you write tasks into your calendar. And by taking actionable steps every day, you’re taking strides towards making it happen.

Don’t wait to “arrive.” You’re somewhere now. Where you go next depends on what you choose to do, and when you choose to do it.

So, when I saw that exact phrase in an excerpt for Seth Godin’s latest book The Practice, I was curious to see if the context was the same. It was.

To say that I highlighted most of this book would not be an exaggeration.

In talking about creative work, Seth Godin makes a compelling argument for releasing outcomes and instead embracing the fulfillment that comes from engaging with your daily practice.

FAVORITE PASSAGES (EMPHASIS MINE)

• Focusing solely on outcomes forces us to make choices that are banal, short-term, or selfish. It takes our focus away from the journey and encourages us to give up too early. The practice of choosing creativity persists. It’s a commitment to a process, not simply the next outcome on the list. We do this work for a reason, but if we triangulate the work we do and focus only on the immediate outcome, our practice will fall apart. Our commitment to the process is the only alternative to the lottery-mindset of hoping for the good luck of getting picked by the universe.
• Identity fuels action, and action creates habits, and habits are part of a practice, and a practice is the single best way to get to where you seek to go. Before you are a “bestselling author,” you’re an author, and authors write. Before you are an “acclaimed entrepreneur,” you’re simply someone who is building something. “I am _______ but they just don’t realize it yet” is totally different from “I’m not _______ because they didn’t tell me I was.” The only choice we have is to begin. And the only place to begin is where we are. Simply begin. But begin.
• Generosity is the most direct way to find the practice. Generosity subverts resistance by focusing the work on someone else. Generosity means that we don’t have to seek reassurance for the self, but can instead concentrate on serving others. It activates a different part of our brain and gives us a more meaningful way forward. People don’t want to be selfish, and giving in to resistance when you’re doing generous work feels selfish.

If you’re in the business of creative work, Seth Godin’s The Practice is a must-read.

Purchase on Amazon:
http://jamiecarroll.me/the-practice-amz

Purchase on Barnes & Noble:
http://jamiecarroll.me/the-practice-bn

Purchase from an Independent Bookseller:
http://jamiecarroll.me/the-practice-indy

Or, check the stacks of your local Public Library.

Just tune in to the dozens of interviews they’ve thoughtfully curated with the industry’s premiere talent. Each episode features either a well-known film director or panel of television directors, taking you behind the scenes and into their creative process.

I’ve been listening to Ava Duvernay’s episode for three days now. And I keep pausing to write down notes.

My favorite so far is what she told her young cast members during the filming of When They See Us:

“At the moment that I cast you, I am no longer the expert for this character. you are the shepherd for this character. You have to know everything. You have to tell me what he would say, and do, and move. I trust you now.”

The Directors Cut

Brought to you by The Directors Guild of America, The Director’s Cut brings you the behind-the-scenes stories of today’s most talked about films. Each episode features a new director interviewed by one of their peers, leading to revealing conversations about the grueling but rewarding process of bringing the most interesting stories to life.

https://www.dga.org/Craft/Podcast.aspx

Get Curious About Your Own Potential

I keep coming back to these quotes from Abraham Maslow as told in Orzan Varol’s great read: How to Think Like A Rocket Scientist:

“We play not to lose instead of playing to win.”
— Orzan Varol

“The story of the human race…
is the story of men and women selling themselves short.”
— Abraham Maslow

Are you playing “not to lose”? If so, what can you do to change that?

On Camera Lab is designed to be an on-going practice for your development as an artist. This work is structured, specific, and follows a repeatable set of steps designed for actors to craft and hone their own On Camera Technique.

It’s different from any ongoing On Camera acting class out there, and I’m so glad to share it with you.

Actors are encouraged to return to the Lab each month, as long as they are experiencing growth and progress.

The waitlist is ongoing—and since we’re still in a time of economic upheaval, upcoming sessions are still available at a special “relief rate”.

Click here to learn more about the workshop—and find out how to apply.