Just a Few Tiny Adjustments is All it May Take

I once heard the difference between hitting a golf ball on the fairway versus in the sand pit is a matter of millimeters. Similarly, in Darren Hardy's bestselling book The Compound Effect he shares the following:

“If the nose of the plane is pointed only 1 percent off course – almost an invisible adjustment when the plane’s sitting on the tarmac in Los Angeles – it will ultimately end up about 150 miles off course, arriving either upstate in Albany or in Dover, Delaware.

The point is, establishing productive habits that will inch you closer to your goals and highest aspirations is not as dramatic as you may think. Hard work and consistency are staples for any endeavor worth pursuing, but far too many people believe that in order to be great their lives need to head in a completely different direction.

Take inventory of your habits. You may be just a few tiny adjustments, which compounded over time, will lead you to where you want to be.

How to Build a Habit

It's already January 6th, which means New Year's resolutions have already been broken and old habits have been renewed. If there's anything I've learned when it comes to incorporating a new and productive habit into my daily routine it's to start slow.

If your goal is to train for a marathon don't start off training for 3-hours day, especially if you've never worked out before. Instead, start small and gradually build up. With consistency your confidence will grow and the discipline will slowly become cemented and integrated into your other habits. By the 40th day you'll feel "off" if you don't do it.

One of the most common questions I'm asked by friends and colleagues is how to develop the discipline of writing each day. My suggestion is to write each day for 5- 10 minutes. If it helps, pick a specified block of time and location where you write with no distractions, no exceptions. 

Once you've gotten the hang of it, slowly build the amount of time you work for. You can go from 5 to 10 to 15 to 30 and eventually an hour or so a day. The facility with which you'll be able to do it may even surprise you. 

Start small and whatever you do be consistent. And of course, be patient with yourself. 

Swallow Your Pride and Learn Something

I spent my morning at a workshop for goal-setting and visualizing your future. I tried to approach the opportunity with an open-mind and without any preconceived notions.

We broke into groups and discussed what each of us came up with during a brief exercise in which we closed our eyes and pictured where we wanted to be professionally, personally, and even spiritually a year from now.

One of the coaches joined my group. He listened to each of us discuss our plans before jumping in and offering his take on how to navigate the road ahead.

He was earnest and very passionate. I tried to give over to what he was suggesting but had trouble getting past his youth, nearly wondering out loud what credibility he had. This isn’t my first rodeo, I thought to myself. 

But as the workshop went on I gave over to the belief that if I could learn just one thing it was worth my participation. I needed to be more flexible in my thinking, make an effort to take in the point of view of another person before deciding to dismiss it, or apply it.

In the end, the lesson was: swallow your pride and focus on what you can gain. Someone, no matter who, will ALWAYS know something that you don't.

Seek Mentors

It's been several years now since I wandered into the Center for Career Education at my old grad school. I'd felt rudderless for quite some time and was looking to find a place where I could be of value in addition to the daily grind of pursuing an acting career.

Little did I know the man I would meet that afternoon would become one of my most influential mentors. He helped touch up my resume, offered pointers on how to make a great cover letter, and made suggestions on how to approach the different organizations I was interested in working with.

But the most important thing he did that afternoon was he listened. He was compassionate in his tone, non-judgmental in his assessment, and genuinely cared about what it was I was trying to do and who I hoped to become.

To this day he is someone I can call upon when I need guidance, but perhaps most rewarding, he has also become a dear friend.

Look for mentors whenever possible. Take advantage of the great and often untapped resources at your school, or community center. It just may end up changing your life.

More Compelling than You Believe

When discussing his approach to performing on stage, I once heard William H. Macy say, "If you don't know what to do, don't do anything." 

During an acting on-camera workshop with one of the most reputable teachers in the city, actors were asked to perform a scene in which a character was doing nothing more than delivering a pizza.

Actor after actor held the box in almost comically unconventional ways. Finally, he stopped and asked, "Guys! How do you normally hold a box of pizza?!" 

As actors we often feel the need to seem "interesting," or to do stuff that makes us more compelling.

The masters like Michael Caine and Peter O'Toole were riveting to watch on film because they trusted the life they brought to a role would enrich their performance. If you watch them closely they often seem to be doing very little at all; revealing so much with just their eyes, or a gesture. They never felt the need to do too much.

You too are far more compelling than you think. Trust what you bring.

Inspirational Toolkit

In my book, To the Prospective Artist: Lessons from an Unknown Actor I write a great deal about the importance of protecting your mind from sensationalistic headlines, tales of car chases, political squabbles, and natural disasters that invariably greet you as you turn on the TV or radio.

Though I believe it is important to be an informed member of society so we can better consider meaningful ways to take action, it's crucial to filter the barrage of information we're constantly inundated with.

Over the years I've discovered some terrific resources that will hopefully put a little bounce in your step as you begin your day. I hope you find them of value and find ways to integrate them into your daily habits:

http://www.ted.com/

http://www.dailygood.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8ncSBU-Eg (Top Ten Rules of Success Series)

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

http://the-talks.com/

http://calnewport.com/blog/ 

The Year Ahead

Long after the ball has dropped and the confetti has been swept up, we take time to ponder the past year's wins and setbacks. Most importantly, we look to the year ahead.

If you're at all like me, you've already taken time to write out your ambitious goals for 2017; disciplines you hope to cement, habits you need to break, and achievements personal and professional you'd very much like to see come to fruition. 

Author, speaker, and former editor of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy once said, "The definition of commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you."

As you embark on the year ahead consider these two simple thoughts:

1. You can have high standards for yourself and hold yourself accountable without beating yourself up.

2. What will separate the people who achieve their goals versus those who don't will be consistency. Continue to put in the work on a regular basis long after the shininess of a new year has worn off.

Happy New Year and Best of Luck in 2017.