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Ok let's be honest.

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We've all seen those new year posts

from actors that sound something like,

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this is my year manifesting series,

regular energy,

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or

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big bookings only in 2025

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and listen.

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I love the optimism.

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But sometimes our acting goals start to

sound

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a little cringe.

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Why?

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Because they're about results, not

progress,

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results,

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not process.

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In today's episode, we're going to fix

that.

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We're going to talk about how to create

acting goals that actually move your

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career forward,

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without the fake hustle, without the

toxic positivity and without the

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pressure to book or bustle.

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Let's make your goals smarter, saner

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and actually achievable.

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This is casting actor's cast.

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Well, hello, and welcome to casting

actor's cast.

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I'm Jeffrey driesback.

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I'm the casing director, author of

booktit, the actor's playbook for

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getting cast, and your host of this

show, casting actors cast on the

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Broadway podcast network.

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This is where we have real conversations

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about what it means to build a

sustainable acting career,

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not the fantasy version, but one that

actually works in the real world.

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And today's topic, acting goals that

aren't cringe comes from seeing way too

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many talented actors lose momentum

because their goals are unrealistic,

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vague, or just

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not rooted in anything actionable.

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We're going to cover the difference

between wish list goals and growth goals.

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We're going to talk about why outcome

based goals make you feel worse, not better.

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We'll also talk about how to create

progress markers you can actually control.

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And I'm going to give you a few

examples of goals that real working

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actors use, ones that actually get

results,

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so that by the end you'll walk away

with a goal setting framework that is simple,

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focused

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and

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actually motivating.

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Because here's the thing,

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your career is not a sprint.

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It's a long game,

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and your goals are your compass.

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But first, this is that moment of the

podcast.

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I get to say thank you for tuning into

casting actors.

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Cast it's been such a pleasure bringing

you these podcasts.

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I would invite you to go to our

website, casting actors, cast, all one

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word dot com.

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There you're going to find a lot more

information about the show.

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You'll see jeff's jots, the blog of

corresponding, show notes to each of

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the episodes.

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There's also a form there that says,

dive into the talent pool.

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It asks for your name and your email,

and that'll open up some freebies.

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That's going to be a book, I'm doing

voice over work.

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There's also a video.

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Casting secrets.

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What they don't tell you

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it's just kind of also a great way that

you could leave me a message.

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You could tell me what you like.

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You could baby tell me what you don't

like.

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You can maybe ask a question, which

i'll feature on a future podcast.

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So it's kind of a cool place.

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I think that if you check it out, I

don't think you're going to be disappointed.

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So that is casting, actress cast all

one word dot com.

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My thanks to the Broadway podcast

network for hosting this podcast.

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And also I'm so grateful to my friends

at actors connection, actors

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connectiondot com, slash, New York.

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So let's jump into this, why manifesting

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the booking

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doesn't work?

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Now, I did an episode on manifesting a

handful of episodes ago,

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and so I kind of touched upon the

subject.

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But I also wanted to make it really

clear that the way in which you

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approach manifesting

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can also be slightly

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misplaced, misguided.

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So let's start with a little myth

busting,

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setting a goal, like I'm going to book

a series regular this year.

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Now that might sound ambitious and

inspiring,

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but it's actually setting you up to

fail.

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Why?

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Because you don't control when you book,

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you don't control the rolls being cast,

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the projects that are currently in

development,

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or the hundreds of other people that

are being seen for that same part.

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What you can control

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is your preparation,

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your consistency

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and your visibility.

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So instead of saying, I want to book a

series regular,

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do you use that voice,

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try this,

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say, I'm going to update my reel,

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I'm going to strengthen my on camera

work, and I'm going to connect with two

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new casting offices this quarter.

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You see the difference?

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One is a wish,

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the other is a plan.

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Manifestation

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is great.

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I'm all for positive mindset.

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But manifestation without strategy,

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is just

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daydreaming and active wear.

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How else can I say it?

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Goals that look good versus goals that

work.

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Now that's a very important distinction

that I think actors need to make when they're

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deciding how they're going to proceed

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with their own career development.

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There is a strange pressure

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in the acting world to have cool

sounding goals.

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You know what I'm talking about,

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things like,

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I'm going to be on Broadway, within two

years,

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I'm going to get signed by caa.

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I'm going to book my first Netflix show,

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you know, those kind of cool

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reach for the stars kind of energy.

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And sure, guess what?

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Those are exciting, but they don't tell

you how to get there.

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See, real non cringe goals sound more

like,

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i'll take a weekly on camera class for

three months to

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sharpen my audition consistency.

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I know it doesn't sound as sexy, does

it?

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But it is so much more healthy.

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Or how about, i'll submit to three new

agents who represent actors at my level.

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Again,

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kind of practical, kind of just meat

and potatoes information,

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but so few actors actually

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do that.

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Or how about this?

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I'll take five Scenes this month to

improve myself tape flow.

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Now that's a good thing.

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Like I said, they may not sound

glamorous, but guess what?

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They work.

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They work because they create

measurable,

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habits.

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And here's the secret.

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Habits

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build confidence,

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confidence,

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builds momentum

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momentum.

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Books work.

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That's the Jane we reaction we want.

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So moving on from there, shifting from

an outcome goals to process goals, is

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important to consider let's redefine

what a goal.

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Even is an outcome goal is something

that you hope happens.

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A process goal is something you make

happened.

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So here's an outcome goal.

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I want to book a commercial.

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Here's the process goal.

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I'll practice three new commercial copy

reads this week

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and review the playback.

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Here's an outcome goal.

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I want to get an agent.

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Here's the process goal.

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I'll research five agencies and draft

one personalized submission

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each week.

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See, process goals keep you in motion.

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Outcome goals, they keep you anxious.

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And here's the twist.

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When you focus on process goals,

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the outcomes

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start to show up naturally

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because you've built the skill, you've

built the exposure

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and the confidence

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that leads to them.

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So here's why the

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test

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is a great tool that I love.

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It's called the why test.

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Before you set a goal, ask yourself,

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why do you want it?

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If your answer starts with, because I

should

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guess what, my friends, that's a red

flag.

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If it starts with because it excites me

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or because it challenges me.

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Well,

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guess what?

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That's alignment.

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You'll be amazed how many goals are

driven by comparison,

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not inspiration.

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We see each other's posts wins, onlines

from other actors and think I need that too.

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But chasing someone else's time line is

a guaranteed way to lose your own joy.

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So before you set a new goal, take

sixty seconds to ask,

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do I want this because it aligns with

my growth, or because I'm afraid of

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being behind?

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That question alone can save you months

of frustration.

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I'm going to be giving you the all or

nothing trap right after this.

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So welcome back.

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This is the what I call the all or

nothing trap.

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And this is something that I see all

the time.

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Actors make big,

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sweeping goals.

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And when life interrupts, they give up.

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You plan to record a self tape every

week.

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Then one bad week kits you, and then

you stop.

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Altogether.

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You set a goal to network twice a month.

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And when one event Falls through,

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you scrap the whole thing.

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We need to fix that with what I call

the flex goal.

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Now listen, a flex goal gives you a

range, not a rule.

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So instead of saying, i'll do this

every week,

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try,

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i'll do this

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three out of four weeks.

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Instead of, i'll post every Friday,

try, i'll post twice a month.

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See progress doesn't have to be perfect.

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Say, this

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it's progress and not perfection.

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I promise you you won't lose momentum

when you miss a week, you lose it when

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you quit.

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And let's be honest.

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Actors are juggling side jobs.

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They're juggling auditions and classes

and life.

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You need goals that bend,

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not break.

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My next suggestion is to keep it

visible and trackable.

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Here's one practical step that can

completely change your mindset.

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Don't hate me for this.

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Write your goals down

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somewhere.

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You can see them daily.

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So it's on your refrigerator.

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Use a whiteboard

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or sticky note, or

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even the background of your phone.

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That's a kind of a cool idea.

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But here's the trick.

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Write them as actions, not out comes.

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So instead of book a guest star,

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why don't you do submit three new self

tapes by the 15th?

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Instead of get more auditions,

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why not email two casting offices with

updated materials?

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Because every small win deserves

acknowledgment.

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So then you can check them off,

celebrate them.

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Because each checkmark

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is a mini confidence boost that reminds

you

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you're in control of your growth.

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The one goal you should always have, if

you take nothing else from this

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episode, please remember this.

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I think it's important.

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Always keep one goal.

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That's just for your creative

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joy.

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I'm not talking about networking or

auditioning and not branding.

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Something that's purely artistic, like

reading a new play every week, writing

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a short scene or filming something

that's just for fun.

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This is the

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soul fuel goal.

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It reminds you why you started acting

in the first place.

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Because, guess what?

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It's creative.

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It's expressive and it's meaningful.

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If your goals only live in the business

category, you'll eventually,

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you'll eventually feel empty.

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You need something that reconnects you

to the art in your artistry.

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So now let's just wrap this up.

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Cringe goals are about illustration.

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Real goals are about impact.

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If you want to grow as an actor, focus

on what you can do, not what you hope happens.

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Trade pressure for progress,

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trade comparison for curiosity.

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And most importantly,

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give yourself permission to evolve at

your own pace, because

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you're not behind.

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You're just getting started.

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Thank you so much for listening.

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I'm Geoffrey driesback.

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This is casting

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actor's