Winter 2015
THE
SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Conservatory
BEING A PROFESSIONAL
“Turn dreams into goals… You can do this.”
By Lee Garlington The end of the year – or the beginning of a new one – is a great time to review and assess, and then set your intentions for 2015, both as a person and as a professional performer. Without this timehonored process, it’s almost impossible to align with your (higher) self and turn dreams into goals. Review and Assess: Two sheets of paper. On one write, “What Worked in 2014”, and on the other write, “What Didn’t Work in 2014.” Don’t limit the lists to just career achievements (or non-achievements.) Look at everything, health, love life, family relationships, living situation, exercise, keeping commitments to yourself and others, time management, adventures, having fun, friendships, emotional wellbeing, spiritual fitness, financial stability – consider the whole package, every aspect of your life. What did you do this past year? Or not do? Put each item on one of the two lists. AND, there may be a few things that go on both lists. We have to be able to hold the polarities - few facets of life are not, on some level, IN THIS ISSUE: both assets and liabilities. How to Register for 3 After you make the Classes lists, walk away for a day, or at least a few hours. When you Workshop 4 come back to see Schedule what you’ve written, review it with a Workshop discerning eye. Look Descriptions and 5 for patterns. Are all the things that Times worked in one area of your life? Is most of Conservatory what didn’t work Rules and 8 related to poor time management? Are Regulations
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most of your disappointments related to a lack of self -esteem? Or too much entitlement? Are the things that worked more or less important to you than the ones that didn’t work? See what you can garner from the lists. You may want to write about it – pray, meditate, talk to someone you trust, whatever works for you – and see if there’s anything there that informs the next part of this process. Intentions for 2015: Based on what you’ve just discovered about what worked and didn’t work this past year, how do you go about setting intentions that are both realistic and yet inspirational for 2015? If one of the “not working” things was the fact that you only had five auditions this year and no jobs, perhaps it would not be “real” to set your cap for 50 auditions, starring in a film, and becoming a series regular on a hit Showtime series. That can be a dream, but what’s a more realistic yet challenging goal? Pick your numbers, the specific goals you want to realize. Do you need new representation in order to achieve that goal? What do you need to do this month, this week, this day, to make it happen? I’m a big believer in victories. I always tell the people I coach, don’t make commitments to yourself that you’re not going to keep. We can encourage ourselves to do more when we feel the pride of having accomplished what we said we were going to do. If I tell myself I’m going to write for 20 hours this week and only get in six, I’m going to be disappointed. If I commit to 10 hours and write for 12, I’m going to feel fantastic! Proud! MOTIVATED TO DO MORE! The difference between a dream and a goal is a plan and a deadline. You can do this. Just break it all down into bite-sized pieces and make those dreams come true, one commitment at a time. Bon chance! www.leegarlingtontheactress.com
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