In the past I have fallen into the trap of thinking I’ll perform at my best when the ‘amazing’ opportunity comes along.
When I have to sing in front of 500 people, I can warm up a few times in the lead up and be fine.
Or when I unexpectedly have to teach for an hour straight I’ll magically know all the things and a perfect lesson will tumble out of me.
The reality is, we get what we practice for.
If I’m not constantly working on my voice, there’s no guarantee it’ll show up for me when I need it.
If I’m not honing my lessons, I can’t call upon that body of knowledge when the unexpected opportunity arises.
You get what you practice for.
The question then becomes how do you set yourself up for the ‘amazing’ opportunity today.
I have an actor friend who treats each and every audition like the dream job.
It’s not just about taking it seriously- because it should also be fun- but it’s about having your system and matching your system to the very serious goal you have.
I have no doubt that when he get’s a big feature film gig, the sequence he goes through will look identical to his prep for the no budget short film.
He’s practicing.
Not just that but he’s drilling, learning and stretching as an actor when he’s not working on a particular project.
He’s practicing.
It’s utterly inspiring and a strong reminder to just do what we ‘would’ do then, now.
Don’t wait, practice now and thank yourself later.
