It’s Resolution Time, I suppose. What are your greatest intentions for the New Year? I know how easy it is to make resolutions that seem aspirational, almost obligatory, and yet hollow. Uphf! How disappointing it can be to make a resolution or set a generic goal that’s difficult to achieve.
As a voice actor, coming from a decades-long business background, I'm used to setting all kinds of quantitative and qualitative goals and strategies, and then feeling either triumphant or deflated, depending on the results at year-end. So, for 2024, I'm approaching this issue a bit differently. Of course, I'm still employing my business-developed, time-tested techniques for managing my voiceover business and performance progress this year, and I'll talk about that in a future blog entry. But today, I’m thinking less about what’s aspirational and more about what’s practical. Instead of just focusing on lofty goals and mapping out all my plans for 2024, I’m only thinking about what I’m doing today and, in fact, what I’m doing right now. Am I, at this very moment, making the best use of my time? From a business and personal standpoint – am I making the most of this hour and this day? For me at least, this isn't always easy.
It doesn't matter if you're a voice actor, as I am, or if you're involved in a field such as business, science, education, sports, or the arts. It also doesn't matter if you're working, in school, or retired. Are you making the best use of this day and this moment? Again, for me, I sometimes find this difficult. My mind wanders and my attention wanes. I take the A-Train, out of my brain, and instead focus on when I’m going to fix the bathroom faucet, get one of my cats to the vet, write my congressperson, or on what I should have said to Harvey-the-Jerk last week. Or more commonly, browse YouTube for an hour, watching behind-the-scenes episodes of Making of Game of Thrones. It's hard for me to remain “in the moment.”
I know none of us can always be laser-focused on the current moment. But here's what I believe. When I can be truly present and stay focused, I’m far more likely to do my best work. If I really pay attention to what’s going around me, to my current environment, and if I actively listen to what the people in front of me are saying, my life gets better and I’m happier. I'm more likely to bring my "best self" to the situation.
As it relates to my work as a voiceover artist focused on commercials, corporate narration, and e-learning, staying "in the moment" means I’m better at script interpretation and employing feedback/notes from directors and producers. It means I'm better at connecting with the copy and thus giving a performance that’s more likely to connect with the intended listener. In other words, I do my job more effectively. If my mind is elsewhere, I can’t possibly be as successful at my craft.
All that to say, for 2024, my intention, first and foremost, is to be “in the moment” more, both personally and professionally. If I just do that, and change nothing else, everything in my life will improve. Of course, I will indeed do more than just this in the New Year. But my primary intention for 2024 is to "be present" more often.
My next blog will be more focused on voiceover specifically. But for this first entry in 2024, I wanted to talk about a New Year's Intention that I know will improve my already-blessed life. Maybe some of you will find this helpful as well.
May 2024 be a year of peace and joy for us all in a challenging world.