Part One: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – As Applied to Actors

I’m a big lover of personal development books– and Steven Covey’s best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a great read with actionable tips.

In this series of 7 blog posts, we will be taking Steven’s principles, and breaking them down into specific action steps for ACTORS. So let’s head into point number 1.

1. BE PROACTIVE

So many actors are waiting for their acting career to happen to them. For the phone call, email, opportunity, agent or connection to just fall out of the sky and into their lap. While certainly there are some freak success stories of these right place right time scenarios, any actor who is SERIOUS about their success shouldn’t EVER put all their eggs in lady luck’s basket.

It is strongly suggested that actors take an ACTIVE approach to opportunities. So what does that mean? Well here are a few ideas.

Seek/research job opportunities. I suggest that actors do regular “office hours” where they can look online for audition postings and apply directly, do agent research and outreach, build new contacts, and get a good understanding of what is happening right now in the industry to be ahead of any curves and trends. This is important to do as regularly as possible to avoid the task being too much of a behemoth. When you check the casting websites regularly, you have less to sift through and the process is actually quicker.

Produce Your Own Work. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Pull together your own reading, one-woman show, short film, monologue slam– anything! Work tends to create work. Fill in your career blanks with projects that excite and inspire you, help you build connections and practice your craft.

Build ACTIVE relationships. Follow-up with people. Support what they are doing. Spend time building valuable connections and relationships. Pay special attention to the type of people you are spending the most time with!

Keep a “driver” mindset. It’s about YOU and what YOU are doing. No blame game on your agent, the market, the world’s circumstances etc. Focus on what YOU can do and what YOU can control. Any energy spent on blaming or excuses never booked anyone a job. Stop letting those negative things dominate your thoughts and words. Constantly drive your own “car”.

Action over Reaction. Spend more time focusing on what you want rather than reacting to everything the outside world is throwing at you. It’s easy to get distracted and fall off the path to your goals by trying to pay attention to everything at once. Take responsibility for what you want in your career and your results. Prioritize the action steps that move your needle forward over the busy work of life.

Colleen Finnegan Kahl is an accomplished Theatre Arts Educator, author of this article, and President of Actors Connection. Colleen is an expert helping aspiring actors prepare for casting calls, find an agent, and optimize their acting training for theater and television.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven