As a talent, far too many things are out of your control: whether or not you hear about the job; get the audition; book the job; or end up on the (metaphorical) cutting-room floor.
But there ARE things you CAN control, and I'm an advocate of the serenity prayer.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
The way you treat yourself (and others), while not a direct route to health/jobs/happiness, most certainly has an effect on it. And one of the most important things to control is how you start your day. It's much easier to start a day off well than to try to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a messy storm.
1. Start with a good book
There is no better way to educate yourself than to read. Read more, learn more, be more: it's pretty simple. But making the time to read books can be difficult. Actor and motivator, Colleen Wainwright, suggests a simple way to read 52 books in a year: break them up into 40 pages per day! The year she tried this, she read 78 books -- that's a lot of knowledge and brain power for the casting room!
2. Start with quiet
A good friend of mine had a no-radio rule for the morning. She claimed that she was "janglier" when she listened to morning radio, whether it was music, news, or talk. If you're used to jumping up and turning on the TV or other personal electronic device, you may be amazed at how odd it feels to awaken to silence. It can even be a little anxiety-provoking initially. But once you get over the panic of quiet, you'll notice how morning silence and calm will change your perspective on the day. If it's beneficial, keep it up. It may not be for everyone, but like most things in life, you have to try it yourself to find out!
3. Start with noise
On the other hand, there is something lovely—even healing—about certain sounds. Some people chant or sing. There are people who claim that baroque music is very stimulating creatively—if you've been in a rut, maybe that's a thing to try. Avoid electronics that might come with sales pitches, like television, news, or radio. That's never useful for building up your mind!
What helps your day get off to a good start?
I don't read 52 books a year, but I read a lot of books yearly. When I get a book from the library, I determine how many pages I need to read each day to read the book within 3 weeks. That system works extremely well.
But to start off my day, I need a good cup of decaf (yes, decaf) coffee. Well, maybe two cups of decaf coffee.
Posted by: Barbara Mathieson | 10/06/2011 at 08:09 AM