How Goal-Setting Can Help You Manifest More for Your Acting Career

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This was originally a guest blog post for Actor-Webs
by Elise Arsenault, The Global Actor

Are you feeling stuck in your acting career?

Maybe you are auditioning, even booking, but it’s not quite the work you want?

2019 is now just a couple weeks away, and this time of year is fabulous for cleaning house and getting clear on what you actually want for the year ahead. I can pinpoint almost all of my clients' career success to the ongoing habit of goal-setting and action planning.  

Working in this industry often lacks certainty. Sometimes waiting on being called in, casting, and approval from producers leaves us feeling like everything is up in the air. Fortunately today—due to social media, having our own websites and being able to create content for ourselves—there is so much we are in control of. So what are you going to do right now to feel in control of your career?

Let’s dive into the importance of goal-setting and explore why it works.

Why goal-setting?
Without a goal, how can you know where you’re going and how to plan for it? How do you know what daily actions to take, who you’ll need to meet, what further training you need, etc.?

Think about when you went to school. There was a road-map already set for you when you entered Kindergarten. You would go to school every school day take part in all assignments asked of you for a year, and if you passed, then you’d move up to first grade, rinse and repeat for second grade, etc. until you essentially graduated from high school in 12th grade.  

This thirteen year plan with a mix of short and long-term goals does not really exist in the professional acting world, which is why it is SO important that you take the time and energy as the CEO of your acting business to create a structure/plan for yourself complete with short and long-term goals.
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A plan gives us an end game result, but it also includes mile-markers to check off along the way as well as daily, weekly, monthly actions that move us forward and keep us practicing our craft. With a plan we are always ready for the opportunity that could be right in front of us today! You really never know when that perfect breakdown will come in, and if you’re not keeping up with what’s happening, you could miss out on your “next big break”, or “leveling up”, however you define a big career jump.

How does one specify a goal?
It takes some time to look at the big picture of where you’d like to be a few years from now, but once you explore and get clear on what that looks like, you can reverse-engineer a goal based on where you are now.

For instance, if I want to be a lead on Broadway, but I’ve still not gotten an Off-Broadway role, that might be what I work on next. However, if I do not have any professional credits yet, my next goal would be my first paid theatre role. At The Global Actor, I encourage all of my clients to create time-bound, specific goals that feel both exciting and achievable.  Creating both short-term and long-term goals are necessary for forward and upward momentum in this career.  

Are you ready to put a plan into place for 2019?
I'd love to help! This winter I have just a couple spots open in the #Global Actor Power Group, and I’d love to invite you to join me on this 5-month long career-changing adventure!

Whether you are looking to dive into voiceover/audiobooks, seriously book this pilot season or learn how to make all your money from acting, I think you'll want to seriously consider this opportunity.

Find all the details here!

Let career coaching via the Power Groups be your big, nurturing gift to yourself this Holiday Season, a major act of self-care!