Success = Asking a Great Question and Coming Up with a Great Answer

In Gary Keller's book, The One Thing, he talks about the importance of asking great questions in order to achieve our goals. When we ask questions of a higher caliber we're forced to face the challenge of finding an equally impactful answer.

Keller says there are 3 categories of answers: doable, stretch, and possibility. 

Doable answers are the ones we know we can do and are often already within reach.

Stretch answers are still within reach but ones that may require research, study, and extending ourselves beyond our current abilities.

And possibility answers are the type that require us to dream big and live on the outer limits of what we believe we can do.

The latter are the types of answers high achiever pursue because they understand extending one's self is the first step to enriching our lives for the better.

Whatever it is, You'll Get Through it

Wherever you're at, whatever you're going through, trust that you will get through it. We have a higher capacity for pain that we realize. And when we come out on the other end we not only have an opportunity to gain perspective but also growth. Becoming better at anything, namely life, is unsettling. That's why so few pursue it.

I've discovered it's less important to dissect the root of the pain but what can come of it. Rather than seeking answers we can sit with the questions, especially if they're good ones. As Sir Francis Bacon once noted, "A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.

Write, walk, sit, do what you need to but never relinquish hope. Cling to it fiercely and trust that though its embers may at times appear to be subdued it never ceases to shimmer.

A Few Simple Thoughts on Deciding Where to Live for Work

Be honest with the type of work you really want to pursue as an actor. If it’s theater that calls, New York maybe your town. If you dream of being on the next JJ Abrams series, Los Angeles is your best bet.

Remember to also consider the pros and cons of living in each city. Where you call home is going to have a huge impact on your quality of life and how you approach your career. 

Live and work where you’ll be most happy.

Stamina

We all lead busy lives. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Even in the rare moments where it seems we have a moment to catch up with a friend, or finish up that book something tugs at us, once again demanding our attention.

After completing another week of intense teacher training and still finding some way to pursue my creative projects, I'm appreciating more and more the importance of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical stamina. 

Coasting on fumes for a while might seem like a nice trick at first, but I assure you it's not sustainable. Your body may be up, but your focus will wane and the quality of your work will plummet. 

Self-care is crucial to the well-being of an artist. It entails eating right, getting enough rest, protecting your mind from a toxic environment, and having a strong "why." The need to take care of ourselves seems painfully obvious, but as someone once said, "What's easy to do is easy not to do."

Prioritize your health otherwise nothing else matters.

Priority & Poise

My schedule just had a wrench thrown in it. I'm excited to be teaching this summer but it's already left far less time for me to pursue my creative endeavors. But there may be a silver lining in all of this.

After a very long day of teacher training, I discovered I still have the time to follow through on projects of value. I just need to do two things:

1. Prioritize
2. Keep my poise

When we say we don't have time for something what we're really saying is it's not a priority. You'll move mountains to get something done if it's important enough to you. We do it every day.

Glaring at an endless to-do list can be daunting but the more we keep our poise and gradually chip away at each task, a funny thing starts to happen - it gets done. 

Conversely, when we look at the list as a whole it's easy to get overwhelmed. As a result, we often throw in the towel without even trying.

But when you break it all up into small pieces with a heightened sense of focus on each task your confidence builds and you start to see the finish line. Just don't look up too soon.