Simply put:
A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with timing and resources, used to achieve an objective.
What's your objective at the moment?
You don't have one you say...well let's start somewhere. Life is about wants and needs. We all have actions and interactions with one another and in a sense you have an objective. For example, I want to be loved, I want to lose five pounds, I want to be a happier person, I want to travel more. As an actor, you always want to examine the text of a script and figure out what the character wants. Now that's your objective.
Think about the one thing that that you are striving for the most at the moment.
For myself, it's that I want to have a successful acting career that supports me both financially and artistically.
How do you accomplish your objective? Or I also like the word goal because goals can evolve and change.
You need a plan. If you do A, B, and C it will lead you to Z. Plans are good. They keep you on track and help you stay focused on what you truly want to accomplish. However, what happens when something happens that it is not part of your plan? How do you respond? Does it stress you out or do you roll with the punches?
I think when you plan too much it can add so much stress that you analyze too much. It can also create a sense of not being where you want to be. However, the universe sometimes wants you to get to your goal in a different way in order to make you better person and experience something else that you need at that moment in time. I think it is important to remember that the universe does not give you anything you cannot handle. It may not be what you think you want at the moment. But just smile, laugh, and enjoy where you are in your journey and in your pursuit of your objective.
Case in point, I have decided to jump across the country and move to LA. However, I just received a call to do a play in Western NY. This was not part of my plan at all. I did not audition for this company in over six years. But I kept saying for the past five weeks, "I just want to do a good play on stage." After numerous EPA's and appointments in NYC, I got what I wanted in a different way. This opportunity will help fuel me artistically and help me be a better actor. I will be traveling back and forth for a little bit. I will still move to LA and I may have more plane rides across the country, but I will settle into LA when the time is right.
Sometimes, I fear if I do not stick to my plan, I am somehow a failure. It sometimes is really hard to not feel this way. However, this week I am reminded that these moment are not failures, but moments of self discovery that need to happen.
I leave with this quote from Winston Churchhill
"Success is not final..failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."
Laugh and smile at the unexpected moments that become a part of your plan.
Cheers,
McGee
