I am writing you from Los Angeles this week.
I’m here for the premiere of Ray Donovan.
We did some red carpet action, and then the first episode of the Showtime series was screened at the Director’s Guild Theatre on Sunset.
The show is so damn good. I’m so honored to be a part of it. And, wait till you see Jon Voight – that guy is off the hookah.
At the Soho House after party I was talking with one of the writers of the show about his routine.
I’m always so curious about successful writers’ habits. When do they write, for how long, etc.
(I’m finishing a third draft of a movie I plan to direct next summer, and I welcome any advice from people more successful than me.)
His response was so simple and so genius that I wanted to share it with you.
The conversation went something like this…
“Well, I get up pretty early…” he started.
“Is that natural for you? Do you just wake up early – or do you set an alarm?” I wanted all the details.
“No, I just wake up early. But it’s not about waking up early.”
“Yeah. OK.” That was like some Zen shit, I thought.
“And then I write for about two hours. I take a break, work out, and then I write for another two hours, and then I’m done for the day. So I’m usually done around 11 am.”
“ Wow. Then you have the rest of your day.” That sounds damn good.
“The key, Josh,” he went on, “ Is to write something every day. If you write every day you will have a finished script. If you don’t – you won’t. There’s really no secret to it. It’s all about taking little steps every day.”
So obvious and so valuable.
Success in all areas is about taking small steps every day. Those steps by themselves may seem like nothing. But it’s the accumulation of small steps that always produces greatness.
So, I pose to you…
What small steps can you be taking, or are taking?
If you’re an actor…
-Are you reaching out to people in your industry every day?
-Are you working on your craft every day?
-If you have the Committed Impulse Online Program, are you listening to some portion of it every day?
If you’re an entrepreneur…
-Are you letting your people know what you have to offer?
-Are you creating your next product, and sharing your immense knowledge?
-Are you reading something every day that inspires you?
If you’re an artist…
-Are you putting oil on the canvas every day?
-Are you letting yourself be inspired by your colleagues every day?
-Are you training, like the masters trained before you? Look at all the failed attempts Leonardo Da Vinci had – but he kept going.
What small steps do you take every day? Or, maybe starting today – what steps are you going to include in your routine?
Let us know your one small step below – so we can all be inspired to keep creating.
Keep on keepin on!
Josh Pais
So, seriously, leave a comment. I want to learn from you, as do the thousands of others who are reading this.
Baby steps can feel tedious at times – especially when you’re in the middle of something that’s still got many days left to complete. I’m working on recording 300 songs this year, and I’m not quite a quarter of the way there.
The way I stay encouraged (because feedback really matters to me) is to share my milestones. I teach this to my clients, too. Don’t share too much of the drama, just hit this highlights with people you trust to be encouraging. That, for me, keeps me going during the moments when baby steps are required.
Well, today is an out of the ordinary day. Today I am taking a large step: moving to LA. However on other days when it’s more everyday routine, my small steps include practing my craft, whether it be ear prompting or reading a new script or memorizing a monologue. I also try to do one thing a day (or more) that will promote myself (you know the entrepreneurial side). Yesterday I contacted my friends in LA to see how they went about seeking an agent, and today I now have a gameplan for how to go about getting representation in LA. Next small steps (after I finish this big one) include gathering the materials needed to send out to the agents I am interested in and then sending them out. The little stuff can seem tedious or even like it’s doing nothing for you career, but you never know where that next connection or new monologue/script may lead you. It’s worth doing everyday:-)
Such great insight Josh, thanks for sharing! I have had an idea for a feature (that I want to write/direct) for some time, but have yet to put pen to paper. I’ve been in research mode far too long. You’ve given me the nudge needed to create some structure and dive into the project. Thank you! And congrats on the show – can’t wait to see it. 🙂