Hey Gang!!
The fitness column was pretty well received. So please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions that I didn't answer.
Spent some quality time last week working on set. Yes, the thing I try to do and would do every damn day if I could. :) The project is titled "Only in LA" and is a collection of vignettes that happen in and around the city of Los Angeles. The particular story that I worked on centered around a broken up couple reuniting, awkwardly, on the set of an adult film. So was I playing the male love interest? The guy that came between the couple? NOPE..i got to play an adult film star!!! YES! So very excited I was. Why? That's the point of today's column..the FUN of what I do.
First, big shout to the director Justin for casting me in the project. Relationships matter in this town. There are lots of "tough" parts to the journey of being an actor..most of which I will share along the journey of this blog. You're always broke, you don't work nearly as much as you want to..etc. The FUN of what I do, among other things, is that I get to live a million different lives on camera and then when its done I go back to my pretty cool life. So Justin lets me know that the role that we want you to play is...adult film star. Awesome! Ive never done an adult film..so its something outside of my usual comfort zone which is what makes it fun to act. What does an adult film star do, outside of the obvious? Whats his point of view on this project? His Costar? His director? From an acting technique standpoint, these are some of the questions that I have to ask myself and answer in order to be PREPARED for the role. Make no mistake y'all, you have to prepare for your role in order to truly do your best work as an artist. You don't just walk on set without doing the research and "wing it". You read the script and you learn your lines. You adjust your physical look for how the character is supposed to look. I had some lead time, so that left me time to run, hit the gym and stretch so that I look like a hot adult film star is supposed to look. That helps you turn up the swagger and confidence, something that all stars (athletics, film, adult film, musicians) have in common. There is preparation involved gang. The bigger the project, the more money and pressure involved and the thing that will save your sanity is looking at yourself in the mirror and KNOWING that you did all you could to be prepared to do you best work!
The actual scene went fine. It was just as laughable as you can imagine. I had to pantomime doing my job as a porn star complete with thrusting and sound effects. I also got to walk around the set with a devil may care attitude..something you cant always do in your real life. I was fully clothed the whole time but the shots making it look like I was pants-less were pretty funny to do as well. The bottom line is what we do is make believe, its fun, its acting..its called a screen-PLAY. The playing I get to do is fun and keeps my heart connected to acting. Even when I am playing on camera for tens of millions of dollars, it will always be fun to me. Whatever you do guys, keep it FUN!!
I'm always here with questions. Our quote of the week...
"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure"
Thanks for reading guys!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Fitness.. for normal folks and actors
Hello everyone and, as always, THANK YOU for reading!
Let me be the first to say Summer is coming!! :) When I say this I am not talking about the weather..more that its time to get your butt in shape. For what its worth, somewhere my high school and college teammates/coaches are rolling over in their nonexistent graves that I am writing a column about being fit. The truth is I have plenty of experience being out of shape and now I have plenty of experience being fit. This article is for two different groups...Actors and everyone else. Ill get to the actors later. Lets talk first to you folks in the "everyone else" category..
Let me be the first to say Summer is coming!! :) When I say this I am not talking about the weather..more that its time to get your butt in shape. For what its worth, somewhere my high school and college teammates/coaches are rolling over in their nonexistent graves that I am writing a column about being fit. The truth is I have plenty of experience being out of shape and now I have plenty of experience being fit. This article is for two different groups...Actors and everyone else. Ill get to the actors later. Lets talk first to you folks in the "everyone else" category..
Dear Everyone else,
Fitness and being fit is a lifestyle CHOICE . Its not a crash diet..it isn't a trendy home dvd workout program..it isn't banning carbs from your fridge and it certainly isn't a surgical procedure. Its you CHOOSING to be as fit as you can be for whatever reason it is important to YOU. If you are reading this and deep down inside you want to be more fit than you are, I am here to help you find your way to long term fitness. I cannot take the journey for you, as those of us who have gone from overweight to in-shape will tell you that you have to walk this path yourself. My own path spanned many years of my life until I finally found the reason I choose fitness.
Growing up I was definitely a chunky kid. Not super fat..that came later in life :). When I got to high school I started playing basketball to help get in shape. By the time I graduated I was in decent shape. Better than I was as a kid but I had no idea of fitness. My first two years in college I "retired" from playing basketball as I wanted to have free time over the holidays. Any baller will tell you that starting from 7th grade on, you give up a lot of free time over thanksgiving, Christmas and new years when you're hooping. Since I didn't know anything about being in shape I spent two years getting bigger. I went back to the only thing I knew to get in shape, play basketball. More specifically, if I had a coach telling me to run or jump or lift this or that I would do it. I played my last two years and just like at the end of high school I ended up in decent but not awesome shape. The last time I weighed myself as a student I weighed 247lbs. When I graduated I got a job and here is when the situation really got tragic. My first year or two I did nothing but work and eat. THATS IT. I didn't have a gym membership..I just ate lots of Chinese food in San Francisco. Eventually I started playing a little pickup basketball and I remember thinking how quickly I got tired. I mean it was much quicker than HS or College but I was still in my 20's. Finally I joined up at my local 24 hr fitness. I knew I was out of shape but it was time to find out how much. I got on the scale after a few days at the gym and weighed in at a robust 338 POUNDS!!! This was after my workout for goodness sakes. I couldn't believe it..I was embarrassed, ashamed, sick to my stomach and felt like I wasn't in control of my body and health. I went home and I cried like a baby. It was truly one of the lowest points of my life. Its not lost on me that i've been very fortunate in my life if I can honestly count this as one of my low points..but I digress. From those ashes came something I needed..determination. I got up the next morning and looked at myself in the mirror and told myself "Whatever it takes, I'm going to get my ass in shape". WHATEVER it takes!
I told you guys my story largely for the ending message. If you want to achieve the level of fitness you desire, it has to become important to YOU AND ONLY YOU. If you want to be fit so that you can woo the opposite sex, it wont work. If you want to fit into a specific outfit or pair of jeans, it wont work. That stuff wanes easily..for you to be permanently fit it must matter to you above all other things. You can view those other things as perks to being fit, sure. Having your fitness matter to you is whats going to keep you going to the gym, eating right and staying in shape. So if you're reading this, this is step 1 to transforming your body..find the reason that works for YOU
I had my reason so I jumped into the research about what it takes to be fit. What sort of exercises work best for me, supplements, stretching, frequency, how to eat..all of those things you have to find out what works best for you. We will all have some similarities towards this common goal of fitness but you will have some things that wont work so well for me. It was a lot of reading and trial and error for me. Learning how to eat properly is where a lot of people fall short in changing their fitness profile. I learned that there were certain food items that I had to break up with (soda, Chinese food and candy bars) but that was fine because I was CHOOSING FITNESS over those foods. I also had to acquire the taste for protein shakes. I poured through magazines and weight loss books as I was finally motivated to do it for ME. That said, I finally knew about fitness more than whatever a coach was telling me to do during practice. This is step 2. Now that you have the motivation coming from your personal place, you have to use that motivation combined with fitness information to PUT IN THE WORK.
Putting in the work is step 3 but its not the most important step. Its just as important but no more important than 1 or 2. To say it another way, if you aren't personally invested in your fitness and you aren't informed about exercises, supplements, and eating right you CANT put in the work you need. If you do take care of steps 1-2 properly, you have everything you need to work HARD towards your goal. I did that! In the beginning, I got up at 5am to run before work. I hit the weights after work and did that 5-6 days a week. If you aren't ready to go at least 5 days a week, you aren't ready to get in shape. It was hell at first..no use lying about that. You have to train FOR REAL if you're gonna make this change. One group of people who always make me laugh in the gym, we all see these people, are those people who never work hard enough to sweat. Don't waist your time like that guys. You should be sweating it out in your workouts. I ate clean for 16 weeks where I watched and accounted for EVERYTHING that I ate. That's 4 months of 6 meals a day, lots of veggies, wheat breads, lean meats, protein shakes, egg whites etc. It was during this time that I found out which junk foods I could live without and those I couldn't. I just kept grinding through the ups and downs of changing your body. After 12 months of working I was down to 259 pounds. Not bad..18 full months after my attitude shift I was down to 228 pounds. Thats 110 pounds off my all time high!! The day I saw that on the scale was tremendous! I ran around, i danced, I flexed..yes as cheesy as that sounds and I had a sense of accomplishment that I still carry with me to this day. I DID IT! I lost 110 pounds without surgery, without fancy prescription pills, without a personal trainer to make me work out. I did it with hard work, some determination and making a choice to control my own fitness. Being in shape, doesn't suck. If i can do it, ANYONE can. For the record, for a fitness project I did, I got down to my all time low of 217 ripped lbs with about 5% body fat. That was extreme and something only fitness models need to maintain. For my fellow MMA fans, I walk around at 225-230 fit lbs on a usual day
Now this is my story. If you have any questions about it that I can answer for you, hit me up as I am happy to share the lessons I have learned the hard way through fitness. Here are some of my fitness staples that might work for you. If you are trying to lose a good chunk of weight, I believe in the following:
*Cardio, first thing in the morning before you eat
*1 hour of weights to help build and burn (Ladies, its OK to lift a little bit)
*4-6 Small meals a day and tons of water. Veggies, protein and lean carbs (yes carbs) *Don't keep junk food in your house. If you have a craving go out and get it.
*Stretch stretch stretch
Guys you can do it!! So for you good ole normal people reading this, I challenge you to lose 10 pounds in the next month. That's it..just 10. That's very doable. If you can lose 10, you can lose all the weight you want.
Dear Actors,
My fitness comments for you will be short and sweet...we are all professionals and the bottom line is that if you are a leading man or woman, its YOUR JOB TO BE IN SHAPE. Period. Studios pay you, or will eventually pay you, to look good. If you are an actor who likes to carry those extra pounds as its a part of your casting, that's fine. Go to it. For those who aspire to be on billboards and posters with top billing, being as fit as you can be is part of you looking as good as you can look. This isn't about technical skills (acting, voice, dialects, stunt/fight skills) its only about the requirement that I see as fitness for the actor. Working out 3 days a week is pretty easy. If you are having trouble getting the desire to go for the 4th and 5th day remember..its part of your JOB to be as fit as you can. Now get to work actors. There are movies being made and they need hot, talented, focused stars to be in them. See you on set
As always leave a comment or contact me directly with questions on anything. Our quote of the week is back with a good one
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has EVERYTHING"
Thanks for reading guys!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The REALITY of your chances at stardom..
Hello and welcome again to the moviestar chronicle. I appreciate all the feedback. If you want to holla at me, leave a comment on this blog or hit me on twitter @MoviestarAhmad :)
Reality and the film business are connect but not. Some films are based on true stories or inspired by true events, sure. Of course there is a new "hot" reality television show being cast every day which I ALWAYS get emails for. I dont know what about me or my look says reality TV. If someone has the answer to this PLEASE let me know. Anyhow, the reality I am talking about is the reality of your chances of "success" in this business. For that matter, your chances of big success in any industry or business.
Here is where I mix art, science and mentality with the mentality being the operative factor. If you got into my business at all, you dont care much about the "odds". You can easily find stats and formulas that will tell you that your chances are slim and none of making it in the business. For those of you who want to make the "slim just left town" joke go ahead and insert it here :) I would argue that if you want to be a professional athlete, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a Singer or Ballet Dancer, A best selling author or any one of various prestigious jobs, your chances (on the surface) are slim and none. Thats FINE. Im here to tell you how you can adjust your mind to understand why you WILL succeed.
The one thing I keep telling myself is that EVERYONE gets one chance. You dont deserve anything beyond that..however if you work hard and are doing it for the right reasons the gods of your endeavour will give you one opportunity. By right reasons I mean you are into it because you love it and you think you can contribute positively to the advancement of your industry. If, as an actor for example, you come to town just because you want to be famous and have people take pics of you at restaurants, you might get some fame but that fame will destroy you as quickly as it came. That being said, if you are doing anything and you feel that it is what you are meant to do with your life, you WILL get a shot. You have to train in whatever you do to get your skill up to par, develop your confidence and poise as you will need it to fight through the rejection. Work on your fitness (another column to come :)) as you have to have the physical power to keep it moving forward. Feed your intelligence to be able to solve problems and relate to the people you interact with in your business. Getting that shot comes as a gift from the fates..after that its TOTALLY on you.
When I was much younger, we visited my sister in LA and her boyfriend at the time. He was an actor (that shall remain nameless) and a pretty successful one at the time. Not a houseld name or a full movie star but a successful tv actor. How successful? He started as a standup comic and has played at all the major comedy clubs in LA and around the country when he was on the grind as an artist. He had a solo comedy monologe on the tonight show, which was a huge deal at the time for a comic. To top it all off, he had a full season on ABC of a sit-com that he was the star of. Not bad right? Today he isnt nearly the star that he was at that time. That is completely immaterial. Why? Because no matter where he is today, and he is still acting, he CANNOT say that he didnt have a shot in town. I remember him being nice and down to earth. He showed us some of his indie film projects and some video of his standup routines without a hint of arrogance. It was really cool to me as a kid and this is when I had no idea I wanted to be an actor. When we talked about why he was an actor he said that it was the most fun thing he ever did. Sounds to me like the definition of the right reason, right? All he did was keep refining his craft, keep going forward and eventually he got a shot! He got a full season as the lead of a sitcom to show the whole country and world his talent. After that its on YOU! You have to be ready to unleash your charisma, talent, charm, desire and TALENT on the world. So long as you are ready to commit to that, YOU CAN SUCCEED AT ANYTHING.
Everyone deserves a shot guys. I do, you do..the person next to you does. You have to be prepared when your moment comes because if you are not ready, its YOUR fault. Not anyone elses. So as for me, i keep working on my acting, working on my voice lessons, keeping myself and shape and staying focused on my art as opposed to fame. Ups and downs happend and im not worried...because I will GET my shot and I promise you all I will take that opportunity and run with it. If you are reading this, PREPARE for your opportunity and when it comes you wont be overwhelmed, you will be READY. Good luck and go be a STAR in whatever you want to do. Mediocrity sucks...so stay away from it.
No quote of the week this time...just read this post and internalize that you will get a chance
@MoviestarAhmad
Reality and the film business are connect but not. Some films are based on true stories or inspired by true events, sure. Of course there is a new "hot" reality television show being cast every day which I ALWAYS get emails for. I dont know what about me or my look says reality TV. If someone has the answer to this PLEASE let me know. Anyhow, the reality I am talking about is the reality of your chances of "success" in this business. For that matter, your chances of big success in any industry or business.
Here is where I mix art, science and mentality with the mentality being the operative factor. If you got into my business at all, you dont care much about the "odds". You can easily find stats and formulas that will tell you that your chances are slim and none of making it in the business. For those of you who want to make the "slim just left town" joke go ahead and insert it here :) I would argue that if you want to be a professional athlete, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a Singer or Ballet Dancer, A best selling author or any one of various prestigious jobs, your chances (on the surface) are slim and none. Thats FINE. Im here to tell you how you can adjust your mind to understand why you WILL succeed.
The one thing I keep telling myself is that EVERYONE gets one chance. You dont deserve anything beyond that..however if you work hard and are doing it for the right reasons the gods of your endeavour will give you one opportunity. By right reasons I mean you are into it because you love it and you think you can contribute positively to the advancement of your industry. If, as an actor for example, you come to town just because you want to be famous and have people take pics of you at restaurants, you might get some fame but that fame will destroy you as quickly as it came. That being said, if you are doing anything and you feel that it is what you are meant to do with your life, you WILL get a shot. You have to train in whatever you do to get your skill up to par, develop your confidence and poise as you will need it to fight through the rejection. Work on your fitness (another column to come :)) as you have to have the physical power to keep it moving forward. Feed your intelligence to be able to solve problems and relate to the people you interact with in your business. Getting that shot comes as a gift from the fates..after that its TOTALLY on you.
When I was much younger, we visited my sister in LA and her boyfriend at the time. He was an actor (that shall remain nameless) and a pretty successful one at the time. Not a houseld name or a full movie star but a successful tv actor. How successful? He started as a standup comic and has played at all the major comedy clubs in LA and around the country when he was on the grind as an artist. He had a solo comedy monologe on the tonight show, which was a huge deal at the time for a comic. To top it all off, he had a full season on ABC of a sit-com that he was the star of. Not bad right? Today he isnt nearly the star that he was at that time. That is completely immaterial. Why? Because no matter where he is today, and he is still acting, he CANNOT say that he didnt have a shot in town. I remember him being nice and down to earth. He showed us some of his indie film projects and some video of his standup routines without a hint of arrogance. It was really cool to me as a kid and this is when I had no idea I wanted to be an actor. When we talked about why he was an actor he said that it was the most fun thing he ever did. Sounds to me like the definition of the right reason, right? All he did was keep refining his craft, keep going forward and eventually he got a shot! He got a full season as the lead of a sitcom to show the whole country and world his talent. After that its on YOU! You have to be ready to unleash your charisma, talent, charm, desire and TALENT on the world. So long as you are ready to commit to that, YOU CAN SUCCEED AT ANYTHING.
Everyone deserves a shot guys. I do, you do..the person next to you does. You have to be prepared when your moment comes because if you are not ready, its YOUR fault. Not anyone elses. So as for me, i keep working on my acting, working on my voice lessons, keeping myself and shape and staying focused on my art as opposed to fame. Ups and downs happend and im not worried...because I will GET my shot and I promise you all I will take that opportunity and run with it. If you are reading this, PREPARE for your opportunity and when it comes you wont be overwhelmed, you will be READY. Good luck and go be a STAR in whatever you want to do. Mediocrity sucks...so stay away from it.
No quote of the week this time...just read this post and internalize that you will get a chance
@MoviestarAhmad
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Your legacy...or R.I.P. Whitney
Thanks for reading guys and girls! It always surprises who checks out this blog. So thank you all, again :)
By now we have all heard the news that Whitney Houston has passed away in Beverly Hills, CA. For those who are unaware she was unquestionably one of the greatest artists of her generation and is an American singing icon. Her vocal power will sing on in eternity in the minds of her millions of fans world wide. You would think that this is her legacy, but by watching media reports you would "discover" that her legacy is her admitted drug use and public issues related to her ex husband.
Ahh, the joy of the sexier Hollywood story. Its true, the drug use is just a much a part of her story as the 6 Grammy awards. Her marriage to Bobby Brown, and all the issues associated with it, stands side by side with the 4 number 1 albums she created in her career. If you really break down her ENTIRE career and life, you will find that Whitney Houston spent a greater percentage of her time creating legendary music and being a star than she did being a train-wreck. Why is it that we hear so much about her negative years? Because that's what sells papers and tabloids. That's more of what people want to hear. Is it fair. HELL NO...and that's exactly why we should discuss it.
To all my fellow artists who read this blog let's be clear, eventually bad news about you will be far more marketable than the good news. Actors, musicians, painters, writers etc..it will be far more "exciting" of a story for you to be caught for a DUI than it will be for you to be volunteering over the holidays. Its not fair, its not right, it doesn't make us feel good..Its just the way it goes. Unlike most professions, as an artist you have to consider your legacy from the early portion of your career. Doing great work in your craft is paramount! Growing as an artist and pushing the creative envelope will one of the things you want to be part of your legacy. Along with that, you want to be known for how much you give back to both your family, fans, and those in the world far less fortunate than ye. I know some of my readers are reminding me of my belief that "you shouldn't care what people say or think about you". That is true! You cant care if you are going to be a remarkable artist. At the same time, you don't want to leave people with negative things they can talk about instead of talking about your art. Again, YOUR ART is most important. You have to control your demons. One thing I plan on telling news outlets as I get more famous is that I am fortunate that I wasn't famous when I was stumbling out of nightclubs drunk and throwing up on the sidewalk.
So you don't believe me..and want to test my legacy theory? Ok..here you go. I'm going to list some of Whitney Houston's accomplishments..
2 Emmy Awards
4 US Number 1 Albums
6 Grammy Awards
11 Number 1 Songs
22 American Music Awards
30 Billboard Music Awards
170 Million albums,singles, and videos sold worldwide
Now, next time you are in Starbucks or someplace random, ask a random person "what do you think of when I mention Whitney Houston?". See what they say..
Live your life for your art, gang. When you hit that vein artistic genius, like Whitney did, leap more into your art instead of going into your demons (which we all have). I pray that when I find my acting genius, that I stay on set and film film film to put that genius on the big screen
Quote of the week...
"A few people of integrity can go a long way"
Thanks for reading!!
By now we have all heard the news that Whitney Houston has passed away in Beverly Hills, CA. For those who are unaware she was unquestionably one of the greatest artists of her generation and is an American singing icon. Her vocal power will sing on in eternity in the minds of her millions of fans world wide. You would think that this is her legacy, but by watching media reports you would "discover" that her legacy is her admitted drug use and public issues related to her ex husband.
Ahh, the joy of the sexier Hollywood story. Its true, the drug use is just a much a part of her story as the 6 Grammy awards. Her marriage to Bobby Brown, and all the issues associated with it, stands side by side with the 4 number 1 albums she created in her career. If you really break down her ENTIRE career and life, you will find that Whitney Houston spent a greater percentage of her time creating legendary music and being a star than she did being a train-wreck. Why is it that we hear so much about her negative years? Because that's what sells papers and tabloids. That's more of what people want to hear. Is it fair. HELL NO...and that's exactly why we should discuss it.
To all my fellow artists who read this blog let's be clear, eventually bad news about you will be far more marketable than the good news. Actors, musicians, painters, writers etc..it will be far more "exciting" of a story for you to be caught for a DUI than it will be for you to be volunteering over the holidays. Its not fair, its not right, it doesn't make us feel good..Its just the way it goes. Unlike most professions, as an artist you have to consider your legacy from the early portion of your career. Doing great work in your craft is paramount! Growing as an artist and pushing the creative envelope will one of the things you want to be part of your legacy. Along with that, you want to be known for how much you give back to both your family, fans, and those in the world far less fortunate than ye. I know some of my readers are reminding me of my belief that "you shouldn't care what people say or think about you". That is true! You cant care if you are going to be a remarkable artist. At the same time, you don't want to leave people with negative things they can talk about instead of talking about your art. Again, YOUR ART is most important. You have to control your demons. One thing I plan on telling news outlets as I get more famous is that I am fortunate that I wasn't famous when I was stumbling out of nightclubs drunk and throwing up on the sidewalk.
So you don't believe me..and want to test my legacy theory? Ok..here you go. I'm going to list some of Whitney Houston's accomplishments..
2 Emmy Awards
4 US Number 1 Albums
6 Grammy Awards
11 Number 1 Songs
22 American Music Awards
30 Billboard Music Awards
170 Million albums,singles, and videos sold worldwide
Now, next time you are in Starbucks or someplace random, ask a random person "what do you think of when I mention Whitney Houston?". See what they say..
Live your life for your art, gang. When you hit that vein artistic genius, like Whitney did, leap more into your art instead of going into your demons (which we all have). I pray that when I find my acting genius, that I stay on set and film film film to put that genius on the big screen
Quote of the week...
"A few people of integrity can go a long way"
Thanks for reading!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Getting the most out of 2012..and beyond
I continue to be surprised by folks reading my blog. THANK YOU ALL! :) So I keep on writing...
I use this blog to do a number of things. One of them is share helpful things taught to me over the years. Its not all original knowledge but my goal is to share with you so that the information is fresh in my mind as well. In other words, teach once learn it twice. Today we are going to talk about how to get the most out of YOU and in turn the most out of your year. Its all about goal setting.
Like I said, not new information. What might be different for those of you who do set goals is the way that I have been taught to go about it. I first started setting formal goals at the end of my Sophomore year heading into my Junior year in high school. When I look back on that first year I did it, I accomplished more things in that year that I did in my previous years. Not that I didn't do anything positive, but I certainly lacked the focus that comes along with having a set of goals that you are shooting for. As for the format, I set S.M.A.R.T. goals for myself every year. For my goals to qualify as such, they have to fulfill the criteria taught to me and refined by other mentors over the years. The goals must be:
Specific: Your goals must be as specific as possible. This is the beginning of focusing your efforts towards what you really want. IE don't say "I want to get in better shape", say "I want to lose 20lbs"
Measurable: You must be able to measure your progress towards the goal and know when you have arrived there. It could be number of lbs lost of amount you want to put in savings.
Attainable: The goals must be something you can do. If you want to win a gold medal in the Olympics next year and its not an Olympic year, that's a pointless goal.
Related to your career: If you are an actor, and you have 10 goals and only 1 of them is related to acting either your career is going so well that you can focus on other things or you aren't serious about acting. Whatever your chosen life focus is, the majority (but not all) of your goals should take you in that direction
Time sensitive: Goals need deadlines. I usually work in month, 6 month and 1 year increments. Making it time sensitive gives you a sense of urgency while you are attacking your goals. That's right, I said attack your goals. I put them up with a date of 1 year for the master list
Think about what you want to accomplish this year and run your goals through these concepts. Do they fit? They might not fit at first but after some review and introspection, you may get more specific about some of your goals. You might re-examine and discover that your goals, collectively, are not taking you in the direction that you really want to go. That's ultimately the key to this format, you have to get really honest with yourself about what you REALLY WANT in life and put yourself on that path. Oh, and put it in writing!!
You heard me right folks. You MUST write your goals down and post them in a place that you will see them EVERY DAY. This will help keep the goals fresh in your mind. Your bathroom mirror, your closet door...anyplace that puts it right in your face!! Some of you are saying "I keep my goals in my mind" and to you I say BULLS**T. :) When you write it down you invest yourself in the process to accomplish these goals. Those goals will stare back at you daring you to be at your best and finish them. When you are truly working hard towards those goals and you look at them a month in as you are making good progress, you smile and keep working. When your aren't working hard and you look at those goals in bold ink, it holds you accountable and can give you the kick in the butt you need to get back on track. Always write your goals as "I WILL". If in your mind you believe you will, YOU WILL!
Set your goals BIG! You can do more than you think. Go after these goals and make sure to congratulate yourself when you accomplish them. What are my goals? I'll spare you the full list but for those who want to keep me accountable here are some of my big ones:
*I will get 4 new IMDB credits this year
*I will make 1 appearance on a network TV show
*I will complete writing 3 feature length scripts this year (including re-writes and notes from others)
*I will earn my blue belt in Brasilian Jiu Jitsu
*I will speak and read Brasilian Portuguese fluently
*I will maintain my weight at 225-230lbs
Yes, I look at these and my other goals every morning when I wake up. If you have some goals you want to share with me, please do. We can help keep each other accountable.
Thanks for reading. Here is our quote of the day...
"Some pursue happiness, others create it. Which are you?"
I use this blog to do a number of things. One of them is share helpful things taught to me over the years. Its not all original knowledge but my goal is to share with you so that the information is fresh in my mind as well. In other words, teach once learn it twice. Today we are going to talk about how to get the most out of YOU and in turn the most out of your year. Its all about goal setting.
Like I said, not new information. What might be different for those of you who do set goals is the way that I have been taught to go about it. I first started setting formal goals at the end of my Sophomore year heading into my Junior year in high school. When I look back on that first year I did it, I accomplished more things in that year that I did in my previous years. Not that I didn't do anything positive, but I certainly lacked the focus that comes along with having a set of goals that you are shooting for. As for the format, I set S.M.A.R.T. goals for myself every year. For my goals to qualify as such, they have to fulfill the criteria taught to me and refined by other mentors over the years. The goals must be:
Specific: Your goals must be as specific as possible. This is the beginning of focusing your efforts towards what you really want. IE don't say "I want to get in better shape", say "I want to lose 20lbs"
Measurable: You must be able to measure your progress towards the goal and know when you have arrived there. It could be number of lbs lost of amount you want to put in savings.
Attainable: The goals must be something you can do. If you want to win a gold medal in the Olympics next year and its not an Olympic year, that's a pointless goal.
Related to your career: If you are an actor, and you have 10 goals and only 1 of them is related to acting either your career is going so well that you can focus on other things or you aren't serious about acting. Whatever your chosen life focus is, the majority (but not all) of your goals should take you in that direction
Time sensitive: Goals need deadlines. I usually work in month, 6 month and 1 year increments. Making it time sensitive gives you a sense of urgency while you are attacking your goals. That's right, I said attack your goals. I put them up with a date of 1 year for the master list
Think about what you want to accomplish this year and run your goals through these concepts. Do they fit? They might not fit at first but after some review and introspection, you may get more specific about some of your goals. You might re-examine and discover that your goals, collectively, are not taking you in the direction that you really want to go. That's ultimately the key to this format, you have to get really honest with yourself about what you REALLY WANT in life and put yourself on that path. Oh, and put it in writing!!
You heard me right folks. You MUST write your goals down and post them in a place that you will see them EVERY DAY. This will help keep the goals fresh in your mind. Your bathroom mirror, your closet door...anyplace that puts it right in your face!! Some of you are saying "I keep my goals in my mind" and to you I say BULLS**T. :) When you write it down you invest yourself in the process to accomplish these goals. Those goals will stare back at you daring you to be at your best and finish them. When you are truly working hard towards those goals and you look at them a month in as you are making good progress, you smile and keep working. When your aren't working hard and you look at those goals in bold ink, it holds you accountable and can give you the kick in the butt you need to get back on track. Always write your goals as "I WILL". If in your mind you believe you will, YOU WILL!
Set your goals BIG! You can do more than you think. Go after these goals and make sure to congratulate yourself when you accomplish them. What are my goals? I'll spare you the full list but for those who want to keep me accountable here are some of my big ones:
*I will get 4 new IMDB credits this year
*I will make 1 appearance on a network TV show
*I will complete writing 3 feature length scripts this year (including re-writes and notes from others)
*I will earn my blue belt in Brasilian Jiu Jitsu
*I will speak and read Brasilian Portuguese fluently
*I will maintain my weight at 225-230lbs
Yes, I look at these and my other goals every morning when I wake up. If you have some goals you want to share with me, please do. We can help keep each other accountable.
Thanks for reading. Here is our quote of the day...
"Some pursue happiness, others create it. Which are you?"
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
What would you do..for FREE?
Ill always thank Aunt Gloria Jean for the clarity she gave me in her final moments. I still had not arrived at a final direction at this point. I was a complete free agent and "funemployed" with enough saved to last me for a little bit. What was I gonna do? Where was I gonna go? Scary but exciting questions. Fortunately a dear friend (Hi Kat) was getting married...in the hills of Tuscany. I had been to Europe but not Italy before so off I went to support her and get away from what life was to find what life could be. Everything aside, the wedding was BEAUTIFUL! I'm honored that I was able to be there to witness it. Plus the grooms family had wine made just for the event. Bellissimo Italy!
When I was considering what to do I thought about what got me into my previous job situation..Money. I was a broke college student. When I was interviewing for jobs the only thing I thought about was "I didn't want to be broke anymore". My how small one thinks when one is younger. Anyway, I went with the best offer and as I worked in the world of finance the money got better and better, frankly. So I reversed my logic...what would I do for free? What would I put all my energy into for zero dollars? Not deferred money, not even thinking what will make me money in the future. Whats FUN? In the back of my mind the answer..ACTING.
Acting was always fun. No matter what it was always such a good fun time in high school and college. Playing characters who live a totally different life than your own. Its all encompassing and requires every bit of you to do it. You are engaged when you are acting. That same voice in the back of my head told me that acting was NOT a profession or career for me. It was just a fun thing I did to balance out school and athletics. Could I really do this? I thought back to my former life and clients and the confidence that I took from those conversations. At this point in my life I TRULY believed that I can do anything. Anything at all! (More on this in later posts) So why the heck not acting?? I started taking a few classes and even got some headshots while I was still in San Francisco. The final step to doing this was a conversation I had with my parents about it. Naturally they were concerned about what I was going to do with my life. When I told them "I'm moving to Los Angeles and I'm going to be the biggest movie star in town" they didn't freak out and call me crazy like I thought they would. My dad looked at me and smiled and said "Son, when you eat your whole family is fed. If you really want to do this better to do it right now instead of wonder when your are 50. I know you can do anything son so shoot your best shot"
With that, I packed up and moved to Studio City with my good buddy Dudley. Here's where the story starts to get interesting :) More importantly, you guys now know about me and how I arrived in this crazy awesome city pursuing my moviestardom. All my chips are in the center of the table..I'M ALL IN. So lets see how it all plays out although I already know where I will eventually end up :)
See you soon and here's our inspiration of the day...
"The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking"
When I was considering what to do I thought about what got me into my previous job situation..Money. I was a broke college student. When I was interviewing for jobs the only thing I thought about was "I didn't want to be broke anymore". My how small one thinks when one is younger. Anyway, I went with the best offer and as I worked in the world of finance the money got better and better, frankly. So I reversed my logic...what would I do for free? What would I put all my energy into for zero dollars? Not deferred money, not even thinking what will make me money in the future. Whats FUN? In the back of my mind the answer..ACTING.
Acting was always fun. No matter what it was always such a good fun time in high school and college. Playing characters who live a totally different life than your own. Its all encompassing and requires every bit of you to do it. You are engaged when you are acting. That same voice in the back of my head told me that acting was NOT a profession or career for me. It was just a fun thing I did to balance out school and athletics. Could I really do this? I thought back to my former life and clients and the confidence that I took from those conversations. At this point in my life I TRULY believed that I can do anything. Anything at all! (More on this in later posts) So why the heck not acting?? I started taking a few classes and even got some headshots while I was still in San Francisco. The final step to doing this was a conversation I had with my parents about it. Naturally they were concerned about what I was going to do with my life. When I told them "I'm moving to Los Angeles and I'm going to be the biggest movie star in town" they didn't freak out and call me crazy like I thought they would. My dad looked at me and smiled and said "Son, when you eat your whole family is fed. If you really want to do this better to do it right now instead of wonder when your are 50. I know you can do anything son so shoot your best shot"
With that, I packed up and moved to Studio City with my good buddy Dudley. Here's where the story starts to get interesting :) More importantly, you guys now know about me and how I arrived in this crazy awesome city pursuing my moviestardom. All my chips are in the center of the table..I'M ALL IN. So lets see how it all plays out although I already know where I will eventually end up :)
See you soon and here's our inspiration of the day...
"The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking"
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Clarity from my Aunt Gloria
First of all, thanks for reading my first blog post. Its awesome to share my story with you.
So here I am pondering what I really want to do with my life. Of all cities to do this in, San Francisco was as good a place as any to do it. Oddly enough my job was a great place to do it as well. In my previous life, I spent my days working with clients from all over the world. Some were young, old, famous or anonymous. The one thing they all had in common is that they were very wealthy. Its all relative of course but my clients on average had an eight figure net worth (tens of millions in other words). The ways they made their fortunes were just as different as they were. There were insiders and founders of major technology companies right along side folks who had been born into tremendous wealth passed down from generations past. When I started to re-examine my purpose in life, its INCREDIBLY VALUABLE to be able to have personal and candid conversations with people who have reached a point in their lives where they are completely financially independent and could realistically do whatever they wanted to do as opposed to what they had to do. I do not love money but I do love the freedom it provides in our society. There were some common themes that these millionaires shared with me and most of them had zero to do with dollars:
*Work for yourself, because no boss will care about you like you
*Do something that you love to do if you can because then it isn't work
*Don't ever be greedy because that's when things go horribly wrong
*Set goals every year (more about this later)
*Concentrate your efforts in one direction in the beginning or you wont get anywhere
Although they didn't give me the answer to my final question they definitely set me on the right track without even knowing it.
At the same time that I am going through this in my little world, my extended family was going through a much bigger issue. My dear Aunt Gloria was diagnosed with cancer. She was given six months to live by doctors. Through the grace of god, she was given more time than that. I have a ton of fond childhood memories as she was the official family hostess and chef of Thanksgiving! She held out as long as she could living at home but eventually as she neared the end she moved into a hospital full time. There was a weekend that my best guys and had planned to go to San Diego to visit our Alma mater, UC San Diego. I had planned to go and surprise my Aunt Gloria in the hospital. It was a true surprise as I didn't tell anybody, I just showed up in her hospital room with a smile and a big bouquet of flowers. My uncle, who was essentially living at the hospital as well, was in the bathroom when I first arrived so he couldn't believe his eyes when he came back. We got to laugh and cry together. She and I talked about everything we could think of. It was during a pause where she told me the something that changed my life, forever. She looked at me and told me that there is one thing she really wants me to understand.."You only live once, and when its over its over no matter what you think about it. So you better do something with your life that you are really happy about and worth spending your precious time on". She went on to tell me how proud she has always been of me and that she thinks I can do ANYTHING I want in this world. I was floored..in a good way. I always believed you only live once but she helped me understand the reality and the gravity of something that is often dismissed as a nice cliche. I will always thank Aunt Gloria for using some of her final moments to share some wisdom with me.
That was on Sunday. On Monday morning my cousin called me and told me that Aunt Gloria passed away. On Tuesday morning, I walked into the office and told my bosses that this has been fun and a great experience, but its time for me to do something else with my life. I was close to what that something else was, but not quite yet. I had to take some time off...
Check back next week for how I finally end up in LA pursuing my movie stardom. As for my inspiration...
"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing your dream"
So here I am pondering what I really want to do with my life. Of all cities to do this in, San Francisco was as good a place as any to do it. Oddly enough my job was a great place to do it as well. In my previous life, I spent my days working with clients from all over the world. Some were young, old, famous or anonymous. The one thing they all had in common is that they were very wealthy. Its all relative of course but my clients on average had an eight figure net worth (tens of millions in other words). The ways they made their fortunes were just as different as they were. There were insiders and founders of major technology companies right along side folks who had been born into tremendous wealth passed down from generations past. When I started to re-examine my purpose in life, its INCREDIBLY VALUABLE to be able to have personal and candid conversations with people who have reached a point in their lives where they are completely financially independent and could realistically do whatever they wanted to do as opposed to what they had to do. I do not love money but I do love the freedom it provides in our society. There were some common themes that these millionaires shared with me and most of them had zero to do with dollars:
*Work for yourself, because no boss will care about you like you
*Do something that you love to do if you can because then it isn't work
*Don't ever be greedy because that's when things go horribly wrong
*Set goals every year (more about this later)
*Concentrate your efforts in one direction in the beginning or you wont get anywhere
Although they didn't give me the answer to my final question they definitely set me on the right track without even knowing it.
At the same time that I am going through this in my little world, my extended family was going through a much bigger issue. My dear Aunt Gloria was diagnosed with cancer. She was given six months to live by doctors. Through the grace of god, she was given more time than that. I have a ton of fond childhood memories as she was the official family hostess and chef of Thanksgiving! She held out as long as she could living at home but eventually as she neared the end she moved into a hospital full time. There was a weekend that my best guys and had planned to go to San Diego to visit our Alma mater, UC San Diego. I had planned to go and surprise my Aunt Gloria in the hospital. It was a true surprise as I didn't tell anybody, I just showed up in her hospital room with a smile and a big bouquet of flowers. My uncle, who was essentially living at the hospital as well, was in the bathroom when I first arrived so he couldn't believe his eyes when he came back. We got to laugh and cry together. She and I talked about everything we could think of. It was during a pause where she told me the something that changed my life, forever. She looked at me and told me that there is one thing she really wants me to understand.."You only live once, and when its over its over no matter what you think about it. So you better do something with your life that you are really happy about and worth spending your precious time on". She went on to tell me how proud she has always been of me and that she thinks I can do ANYTHING I want in this world. I was floored..in a good way. I always believed you only live once but she helped me understand the reality and the gravity of something that is often dismissed as a nice cliche. I will always thank Aunt Gloria for using some of her final moments to share some wisdom with me.
That was on Sunday. On Monday morning my cousin called me and told me that Aunt Gloria passed away. On Tuesday morning, I walked into the office and told my bosses that this has been fun and a great experience, but its time for me to do something else with my life. I was close to what that something else was, but not quite yet. I had to take some time off...
Check back next week for how I finally end up in LA pursuing my movie stardom. As for my inspiration...
"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing your dream"
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