Be Intentional.
It’s 20.20 on Friday night, March 31st. I’ve spent today:
- Redrafting a play that’s doing my head in.
- Writing a first draft of a monologue.
- Thinking about everything (else) I need to do.
- A mixture of doing the things I need to do, and procrastinating.
Whilst most of the above is irrelevant to my post, the reason why I share the time is because I vowed I would write one blog post a month in 2017. I won’t be posting this until Monday, which would be April, but this still counts as writing a post a month. In times like this, one must apply wisdom and realise that — for self-set deadlines and targets — it would be foolish to insist on being so sacrosanct by posting this blog on a Friday night, solely to honour my commitment of writing/posting once a month; who would even read it if I posted it now?
I also want to keep this post brief. Firstly, because I’m starving as I type this, but also because of #3, and the actions that need to follow.
So, be intentional, boys and girls.
As often as possible, I try to evaluate where I am in line with what I’m trying to achieve, and what actions I am taking to try and obtain what I want. In my field independence is largely a myth, in that one cannot get things off the ground single-handedly. You need (other) people to make things happen. Pretty simple concept.
Generally speaking, those who can make things happen for you are above you hierarchically and so many of us spend our time hoping, dreaming and wishing for the things we want. We hope that those people who can give us what we want can read our minds, and if think about it enough, they will finally give it to us.
… How about asking for what you want? The worst they can say is no.
And if the answer is no. The question that should follow is asking how you get what you want, being very clear what it is you want. Be intentional.
Lose the wishy-washy language. Lose the niceties. Well, still be a nice person because people like likeable people, but don’t be a pushover.
With the right dose of intent, displayed to the right person* — who may not be able to give you what you want or does not believe you can get it — will guide you accordingly. Best possible outcome, of course, is that they can give it to you, but any of the above outcomes would be positive if they take you a step closer to your intention.
(I say the right person because it’s also important to identify those that can actually give you what you want, and save yourself giving both your time and energy to those who cannot.)
To end on a light (but deadly serious) note; stop having shitty meetings that aren’t resulting in anything for the sake of giving yourself a false sense of achievement or progress.
Shitty meetings that don’t ever result in anything are not intentional.
Abe.
If you enjoy reading my blogs, I’d recommend you come and see one of my films or plays. They’re even better than the blogs, or so I’ve been told/if I may say so myself.
The next one is a play that will be staged at the Hammersmith Lyric that I was commissioned to write for the Young Harts Writing Festival on Saturday 8th April. I can’t share any details about it because the plays are staged anonymously so that the audience can vote on the night for the best play without bias, but I think it must be alright if I got commissioned to write it. You should grab a ticket.
To keep up with when my writing will be on show in general, join the Creative Blue Balls mailing list, and follow us on Twitter/like us on Facebook.
You can follow me on Twitter, too: @abeislegend
