Goal Setting (or, Grabbing Life by the Balls)

First off, I want to begin by saying that I don't agree with the idea of goals.  Or dreams.  I agree with the concept of plans.  Sure, plans don't always go to... plan... but you have a hell of a lot more control over a plan than you do over a whimsical word like a goal or dream.

That being said, today I had a talk with a guy friend (we'll call him DE) about setting goals.  I find that I always accomplish the plans I make but that I don't always actively change them up.  I tend to set short term goals that I go balls out for and handle individually while keeping the larger ones that take a year or two to accomplish in mind.  DE has a more definable process that he learned from a good friend of his, a current star of a BBC show.  Previous to his friend's stardom, DE had watched his friend track his goals according to this format and had seen it work for him.  So, per my request, DE sent me over the information.  I'm going to give it a whirl, and maybe you all will, also.

Create 3-4 things you need to accomplish in each of the following 5 categories.  I'm going to select 3 because I have the tendency to overwhelm myself.  You have three months to come back to and have completed them all.  Should you complete any of them sooner, cross it off and create another.  Ostensibly, this keeps you consistently moving forward in all areas of your life.  It also prevents you from being a one sided actor.  You know, the kind that works "so hard" in class but has an ironing board for a table in your living room?  Yeah, I've seen that.  (You really want to live like that?  You're going to live the way you allow...  So stop living like a f*cking hobo.  There's no glamour in being a starving artist or struggling actor.  If you're fine with starving and struggling, you're going to be there a while.) 

But I digress.  The 5 categories are:
Financial-    Ouch.  I mean, protect yourself.  This industry can be unreliable.
Career-        DE saw his friend accomplish "Book a commercial" and "Be a household name in the UK."
Health-        Ohhhh, that.
Home-         So often overlooked and NOT the same as a personal.
Personal-     Social and family related.

Have fun with this process.  It's your future.  Keep at it and you'll knock them all out.  Think big.

Well, I'm off to plan my 3 month goals.  If you want to share yours with me, you know how to reach me.  MysteryActressLA@gmail.com.

xoxo, MA