The season of preparing

Wait…Halloween is already come and gone?? But everyone’s still in costume: Moms (Betsy and Jodie) on the left; Daughters (Zoe and Edie) on the right.

November is here(!) and that means that the holidays are almost upon us. I don’t know about you, but I swear that time keeps moving faster and faster. Before we know it, it’ll be 2014 and we’ll look back upon these next two months in a haze of confusion, wondering if they ever really happened or if we simply dreamt them up one cold wintry evening. The point being that, while the holidays are usually the most fun, celebratory, and romantic of months, they can also be hectic, tension-filled, and overwhelming. And that sort of breakneck pace can affect not only your personal life, but your professional one as well. It’s all too easy to lose site of the track and run your career right off the rails during the holidays. But it doesn’t have to be that way. So, what can you do to keep everything copacetic? Let’s take a look at five easy tips to keep you on the up and up…

1) Plan ahead. This sounds somewhat obvious, but it’s particularly important this time of year when your schedule tends to get bombarded with personal and professional obligations before the year ends. Something as simple as getting your gifts early can have a huge impact down the road when you’re stretched for time and looking to eke every second out of your day. A little planning now can pay huge dividends in the coming weeks.

2) Don’t overcommit yourself. This is a tough one, I know, especially when everyone and their grandmother invites you to their holiday soirée. But, trying to do everything will only lead to eventual exhaustion, not to mention that it will also leave you with no time to fit in those spontaneous but important events that may pop up along the way. Leave some “buffers” in your schedule and you’ll be happy you have the extra time when you need it.

3. Accountability. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, and again, and again: accountability is key. Particularly when it comes to your career during the holiday season, it’s easy to let things slide — the moment you put something off, it gets buried in the flurry of activity that comes with this time of year, forgotten for the rest of eternity. The easiest way to avoid this? Find someone to be your accountability partner — tell them what your goals are and how you plan to go about reaching them, and check back in with them on a regular basis to make sure that you’re staying on track. It’s a simple way to make sure that your career doesn’t get lost in all of the holiday hullabaloo.

4) Work smarter, not faster. This is a good way to ensure that you don’t burn out by trying to do too many things without clarity of purpose. In other words, slow down. Take your time. Think about how you’d like to feel about your career on January 1st and take some great advice I got recently: “Stand in the place you want to be and work backwards from there.” In other words, envision the end result and think about what it would take to get there in the most efficient manner. If you then do all of the things listed above — plan ahead, don’t over commit, and get an accountability partner — you’ll be in great shape.

5) Path Class. I don’t normally use this blog for promotional purposes, but this is one of the rare instances that I’ll make an exception. If you need that extra bit of help with all of this, particularly the accountability part, then you might want to consider taking my Path Class if you live in New York City. Not only will it help you get clarity around your goals and give you built in accountilbilty, you’ll also create a career plan for 2014, which means you’ll be ready to go out of the gate when January comes around. The class begins on November 12th, but spots are limited, so give us a call at 212.777.2270 if you’d like to sign up or get more information.

The window between now and Thanksgiving is actually quite precious — it’s the calm before the storm. What you choose to do over the next three weeks will determine the way your year ends; you essentially have the power to control the pace (for the most part — we all know that there are things outside of your control that will always pop up). So the question is, What can you do NOW to make the most of the holiday season? I promise that if you take the time to address this, you’ll see the difference in not only your productivity, but also in your attitude and level of enjoyment.

Oh, and one last note. For those of you who’ve been following the blog for some time, you’ll be pleased to know that we’re going to be doing our annual Giving Challenge once again this year. It’s one of the things that I most look forward to throughout the year, and I’m sure that 2013’s challenge will be one to remember. So, keep your eyes peeled to this blog for full details in my next post. Until then, remember what the holiday season is all about and be sure to enjoy your time with your family, friends, and loved ones!

Yes! I mean…No! I mean…???

BEFORE: Donald said "Yes" one too many times...

It’s no exaggeration to say that as awesome as the holidays are, they come with a certain amount of pitfalls. Diets are in jeopardy, curfews are blown, and budgets are pushed beyond their limits. It just goes with the territory, and we all seem to understand the rules by now. But, one thing that seems to happen every December that can have an averse effect on your life and career is overextending yourself or, as I like to call it, developing “Yes Man Syndrome.”

There are two major reasons that we fall into Yes Man Syndrome: 1) We’re too accommodating and are afraid to say “No”; and 2) We fool ourselves into thinking that we need to say “Yes” to everything in order to get ahead. Unfortunately, regardless of the reason, the result is usually the same — feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and maybe even a little resentful. Worse, by not being judicious about the things you’re saying yes to, you often find yourself unable to reach the goals you set for yourself because you’re taking on things that are impeding your progress. You may remember my blog post on making smart investments from a couple of weeks ago, where I mentioned a client of mine that I dubbed “The Yes Man” because he took on absolutely everything that came his way. Well, I called him that because he had a serious case of Yes Man Syndrome.

I’ve found that this hits home for a lot of artists, particularly because they often have to juggle multiple jobs to pay the bills in order to practice their art. But, it’s not just jobs that they’re juggling, is it? It’s jobs, social lives, family commitments, domestic responsibilities, and all the rest. And at the end of the day, a lot of artists find that they don’t have time for the one thing they feel truly passionate about – their craft.

The solution? Obviously, it’s being more selective. But, that can be easier said than done, right? So, to help you in the fight against Yes Man Syndrome, I want to introduce you to Yes & No Commitments. The idea behind Yes & No Commitments is that in order to say “Yes” to the things that you really want, you need to say “No” to others. Trust me on this one, I’ve learned over the years that saying no without feeling guilt or shame is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. And I’m only talking about saying no to the commitments that are truly getting in the way of what’s most important to you, not everything that comes your way.

AFTER: Donald used Yes & No Commitments

Take the time to really think about how you’re committing yourself these days. Are there things you wish you could be doing but don’t have the time for? Do you keep pushing off certain goals until that elusive “someday” because you’re too overworked to do anything about them? Are you simply longing for something specific? Write it down, whatever it is – just seeing it can have a major impact on your ability to make it a priority.

Next, think about the things that you could say “No” to in order to fit whatever it is you just wrote down into your life. Are you going out too often? Are you taking care of others too much? Do you watch an excessive amount of TV? Write it all down. Whatever you can come up with, just get it down until you’re out of ideas.

Now, take a look at your two lists and – you guessed it – make some commitments. What are you willing to say “No” to from your second list in order to say “Yes” to the things on your first list? This is about sacrifice, which isn’t always easy, I know. But, what you’ll discover is that if you want something bad enough, you’ll be more willing to make those sacrifices. And you should definitely write down how you’re going to do these things, like this: “I will say NO to ABC in order to say YES to XYZ.” Seeing them next to one another should help give you the oomph you need to see it through. I go through a more comprehensive version of Yes & No Commitments along with some other support tools for overcommitting yourself in the Artists In Action Goal Setting & Time Management package, so check it out if you want to really go the distance with this idea.

In the end, it’s simply about being smart when it comes to committing yourself. And the holidays, in particular, can be tricky when we’ve got parties galore on top of extra shifts at the restaurant and all kinds of shopping to do. Try as we might, we can’t do it all. But, with a little thought and careful planning, we can manage to fit in the things that really resonate and still have some fun on top of it!

Are you making sloppy investments?

These are NOT the guys you want to take investment advice from...

Let’s talk about your career investments. Now, hold on just a second — I’m pretty sure that frowns just popped up on a number of faces out there, right? And I get it. “Investment” is not exactly an inspiring word, is it? For most people, the word tends to feel buttoned-up and business-y. It’s the sort of word your parents — or even your grandparents — use. But, if you look at the actual definition of “investment,” this is what you’ll find: 1) The process of investing money for profit; 2) an act of devoting time, effort, and energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result. Profits and results? Come on, that’s something everyone can get excited about!

So, what does making investments mean when it comes to your career? Some people think that it’s the same thing as what we call “being in your business,” which is all about making your commitment; it’s a position that allows you to work on your business from a more powerful place. And as valuable as that is, it ultimately means nothing if you don’t take your commitment to the next level. That’s what making your investment is all about — putting your commitment in motion. And I’m not just talking about a financial investment. I’m talking about how you choose to commit your time, energy, and money toward growing your business.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the reality is that a lot of artists make sloppy investments, and those sloppy investments lead to burnout and frustration time and time again. I’ve seen it more than you can imagine in the coaching room: actors who constantly struggle with investing the majority of their time and energy in a survival job that leaves them with little to no time for their acting career; or writers who are burnt out from working on projects that have nothing to do with their goals. And I’ve also coached other types of artists who have invested their time and money in classes that have left them unsatisfied and, frankly, skeptical about whether those classes are actually worth the investment.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve sat across from burned out and frustrated artists, helping them find a way back to what it was they were striving for in the first place. So this is serious stuff, and it all comes back to how you as an artist choose to invest in your business. The reality is that most artists aren’t happy with where their careers are, and they can be reactionary when it comes to making investments. Unfortunately, these reactionary investments usually end up costing them, not just financially but emotionally as well.

A perfect example of this is a client I used to work with, a director by the name of Michael, who I liked to call the Yes Man, because he would say yes to everything! When Michael first came in for coaching, he was exhausted and ready to walk away from the business, because he was investing all of his time and energy doing anything that came his way. It didn’t matter what it was, and it didn’t even matter if it was a paying gig; as long as it was something connected to the industry, he took it on. In fact, he was so overcommitted that when he finally ended up getting offered a directing project that he really wanted, he had to turn it down because he was too busy and burned out to take advantage of it.

Originally Michael may not have thought of those other projects as sloppy investments, but had he taken the time beforehand to really assess whether or not they were tied into his overall goal of moving his directing career forward, he probably would have turned a few of them down. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Don't be fooled -- being a Yes Man will not make you this happy.

I don’t fault you for making sloppy investments. After all, no one sits you down after your craft training and gives you a guidebook for how to invest in your business. You have to figure it all out on your own, and that can be really challenging, especially when you’re up against all of the other challenges that come with running your own business, such as:

• Working for yourself
• Making the most out of limited resources
• Balancing the needs of your life with the needs of your business
• Carving out your niche in the marketplace
• Stretching money to cover both your life and your business
• Having effective systems for your office
• Having effective time management skills
• Keeping excited and energized
• Staying healthy
• Building your business in a sustainable way

Man, if that’s an overwhelming list to read, I get it, because I face these challenges as I continue to run my business. The good news is that you are already making your investment by reading this right now; you’re already spending your time and energy on your career. The challenge is for you to see and discover the ways you can do this even more consciously as you grow your business, and this comes about through assessing your strengths and weaknesses when investing in your career, and analyzing the returns you’ve gotten on your past investments.

As you can see, there’s no quick fix for this – it takes some work and some patience. But, once you begin to understand how you’re making your investments, you’ll see huge benefits going forward because you’ll be making informed decisions. If you need some extra support with this, I devote an entire Artists In Action lesson to this topic — check it out, or feel free to post any questions you have in the comments section. So, turn those frowns upside down when you think of the word “investment,” and imagine how your newfound awareness will help your career grow like never before!

Are you a Class-o-holic?

If I were to ask you to define YOUR business, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’m sure that many of you would immediately think about your craft and, as artists, it’s probably a natural instinct to go there. So, your craft is your business, right? Well…not exactly.

See, as an artist, you obviously couldn’t have a business without your craft — your business exists because of it. And, making sure that your craft is in top form is definitely imperative to running a successful business. But it can be too easy to get so wrapped up in your craft that you forget about the business side of your career all together!

Most definitely NOT a class-o-holic

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, especially if you find yourself spending all of your time working on your craft in classes and workshops, but deep down you’re feeling frustrated because your career is not where you want it to be. I like to call this “being a Class-o-holic.” Don’t get me wrong — I’m not knocking taking classes at all. Staying in strong craft shape is really important. But you’re in dangerous territory when taking classes is no longer in support of, and is instead at the expense of, getting out there, creating opportunities, and actually growing your business. Know what I mean?

It might be helpful for you to think of it this way: your craft + your business = your career. In fact, our tagline at Capes Coaching is “Talent is only half the equation,” because we believe that you can have all the talent in the world but no career if you don’t have the knowledge and the tools to run your business effectively.

So, how can you be sure that the classes you’re taking are ultimately supporting your career and not just giving you an excuse to stay in the classroom? Try setting an intention. In case you’re not familiar with this practice, it means clarifying what you really want to get out of something as you are about to begin it. This is particularly helpful when it comes to classes, because it’s easy to get to the end of one and somehow feel disappointed or unfulfilled. But, if you don’t articulate what it is that you want out of an experience, then you only have yourself to blame. When I teach my Path Class, I start it off by having everyone set their intentions beforehand, and then we check in with them at the end — it’s a ritual that my students have embraced and incorporated into their lives outside of Path Class.

Next time you start a new class, set your intention like this: think of one word, phrase, or idea that captures how you want to feel at the end of it. What are your standards for the class? How will you know if it was worth your full investment of time, energy, and money? Some examples of a powerful intention are: I want to feel more confident with my monologue auditioning, or I want to feel like I know the ins and outs of television writing, or I want to feel like I could hold my own on an improv team. Get the idea? In the end, you’ll have a a sense of clarity to guide you through the class, and a means of measuring your experience.

Back to school — what’s your game plan?

They did NOT have a game plan.

So, summer came and went and hopefully you have a nice tan to show for it! I, for one, love back to school season! Even though I’ve been out of school for more years than I’d like to admit (☺), I still get flushed with excitement for fall — the season churns up a wave of energy and focus that I can ride all the way through to the winter doldrums. It helps that our industry experiences seasons too. There’s a freshness to this time of year, a feeling of new beginnings. So, whether you had a productive summer or you decided to slow down, it’s time to get back in the game and play full out. But, do you have a plan?

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of starting fresh and begin blitzing every area of your career with busy work — it makes you feel like you’re doing something. But, doing something for the sake of doing it isn’t going to get you much further than feeling stuck, unfocused or overwhelmed. Putting together a plan will focus your attention and help you work more efficiently, which ultimately means that you’ll be working smarter, not harder.

As you get back to work, here are a few tips to help you get into the swing of things and start moving forward…

5 quick tips to get your game plan ON!

1. Make a list of everything you DID accomplish for your career this summer:
It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you didn’t do enough, so give yourself a little pat on the back for the things you did you — you’ll feel that much more motivated to keep working, trust me!

2. Make a date with your schedule:
Set aside a couple of hours to sit with your calendar and really evaluate where your time is going — figure out what’s working and what isn’t. I can’t tell you how many people have never done this simple step and are surprised by what they find. Remember, it’s all about making your time work for you.

3. Do one thing you’ve been thinking/planning/talking about doing but haven’t yet:
C’mon, I know you have something that you’ve been holding out on. I dare you to do it this week, before more time passes. Let it be successful just by taking the initiative instead of focusing on the result. See if that helps you get out of your head and into action.

4. Go to one networking event:
Sitting at your computer and putting your plan together is obviously valuable, but you also need to get out there in the world so that you can be IN the business. After all, if you’re not connecting with the people in your industry, how can you expect to work with them? Commit to one networking opportunity, whether it’s a seminar, a class, or a party. Get out there and share yourself with the world!

5. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter:
Get free tips and advice daily when it comes to planning and working toward your career goals AND staying inspired along the way!

So, shake off the summer rust, pack up your swimsuits, and get ready to make things happen, because school’s back in session, and so is your career. Make a plan, work smart, and — as always — have fun!