We all have a list of things we "should" do -
balance our
check book, take that class, read that book,
call that
casting director - yet somehow most of these
things
remain undone. We know that our life
would improve if
we were to complete these tasks, and we
know that we
feel a constant level of concern around not
doing them.
Yet, somehow, they keep getting pushed off.
The reason, I believe, for our procrastination
in areas
where we know it is hurting us is fear: fear
of not
succeeding (what if I call that casting
director and
they blow me off; or if, even worse, they are
rude to
me?), fear of what we will find (what if I
balance my
accounts and find out that I am living above my
means each month? I would have to actually
address
the issue, instead of sticking my head further
into the
sand), and so on. The problem is that,
fundamentally,
the fear we feel at the thought of
addressing the issue
is less than the pain we currently feel by
avoiding it.
We've all done it. In terms of your finances, it
is
terrifying knowing that you are falling short
$500 per
month on your living expenses. It is far easier
to
ignore the issue, and continue to live in the
fantasy
world of "when I get my big break, then it will all
be
OK," than it is actually go to work solving
the
problem. (For help with this, email us at
info
@abundancebound.com with "Chart of
Expenses"
in the subject line. We will send you a detailed
excel
spreadsheet to get you started on the
process.)
With regards to your acting career, it is easier
to have
the mentality of "I'm so good, they should be
looking for
me" than it is to pound the pavement, make
those phone
calls, take those classes and so on.
Now, does that mean that we shouldn't take
the time
to establish and write down our goals, both
financial
and creative? Of course not. But as long
as we are
living in the space of "I really should do those
things"
we will never get any closer to actually
achieving
them, or getting the benefits that come with
their
accomplishment. Anthony Robbins, a
renowned
speaker and author, says:
"If you don't take action on something you
want, you are
merely stating a preference."
In other words, you can say that you want to
be a lead
on a nighttime drama, or have enough passive
income
to cover all your living expenses, or be
featured
regularly on SNL. If you aren't out there
actually
meeting those casting directors, or learning
about
investments, or honing those comedy skills,
your words
are virtually meaningless.
We have all heard, at one time or another, that
knowledge is power. It isn't. If it were, librarians
and
academics would run the world. What is really
the case
is that applied knowledge is power.
We can know
everything we need to do to change our
situation, but,
until taking action becomes a MUST, we
will
do nothing
and, therefore, achieve nothing.
No-where is this clearer than in our finances.
Consider these examples. Anyone that has
been
reading these newsletters for long knows the
importance of establishing a wealth account
and
developing the habit of paying yourself first
every
single month. Have you actually done it?
Because most haven't. Similarly, every
month Abundance Bound runs a completely FREE teleseminar
offering plenty of extremely useful
financial information for artists. Typically,
about 25-50 people register to
participate in these calls. Yet, every month,
only
about 25% of those registered actually show
up.
Are we suggesting that not taking action to
improve
your relationship with money makes you stupid
or
lazy? No. But you need to be absolutely clear
that
your financial situation will only change when
you
decide that making that change is completely
non
negotiable. Your life will only become what
you want
it to be when you stop talking about what you
SHOULD do and get into action on what you
MUST
do.
So the question to ask yourself is this: what
has to
happen for you to be happy, healthy, wealthy
and
successful? And of those things, what do you
directly
control? Now establish a strategy and plan
of attack
for accomplishing each of those things, along
with a
clear understanding of the resources you
need to
achieve your goals. Accountability has to
be a part of
this, as well as coaching from someone who
has
already walked the path you are setting out
on, or
you will likely stumble at the first obstacle, or
spend
years finding the right way of doing things
(both of
which can be avoided with the right resources).
Do you want to shoot a short to showcase your
talent
as an actor? Then you must write a script, get
someone to shoot it, cast the supporting talent
and
find good locations. Bringing on a producer
who as
gone through it all before will make that
process 100
times easier. Are you sick of struggling with
money?
Then you must take action to change that
situation,
be it attending (i.e., actually being on the
phone for)
one of our free teleseminars or being coached
by a
successful relative about real estate
investments.
The key is to make it a must: when
something is a must,
human beings can do extraordinary things;
and
extraordinary is what we all want from our
lives.
