I’m sure you’ve heard, “it’s always good to have a plan.” And I would agree, as long as it’s a good plan. A lot of times, I come into contact with actors who have plans (Eg. 2-year plan to make it) that don’t allow for the intangible nature of Hollywood.
For instance, you don’t get to say when your great, breakthrough success happens. You don’t know when a top talent agency like United Talent Agency (UTA) or Creative Artists Agency (CAA) or William Morris Endeavor (WME) might come knocking at your door. You can’t determine it – and this is true for all of life.
What you can do is to plan and do everything you know to make it happen the way you see it in your vision. You can market yourself to agencies and talent managers. You can meet casting directors and keep in touch. Take as many positive actions as you can think of. But keep this in mind:
Ultimately, you must be willing to and committed to persist until it happens.
Imagine that Donald Trump decides to build a skyscraper. They set a due date for it to be done. But then imagine that, for some reason, they can’t get all of the marble that they need to finish the interior. That causes a month or two delay on their ribbon-cutting ceremony, and now they’re behind schedule.
Just because they got off their schedule does not mean that they should tear the whole thing back down and forget about it.
They’ll just re-work the schedule and have their ribbon-cutting ceremony a bit later.
It’s the same with your acting career, whether it’s finding an agent, booking a role, or even planning when you will appear on The Ellen Show. You can set your goal with a time you plan to reach it, but don’t be attached to the timing.
It’s great to set a schedule and have a plan, just as with constructing a building, but you must be so committed to it happening that even if you get off–schedule, you’re going to keep at it till it’s done.
Develop the mindset of persistence.
Take action consistently.
Do it for as long as it takes to achieve the success you desire.
Anything less than this, and you are doomed to suffer and worry.
Settle in to your career. Keep taking action consistently. Modify your actions as needed. And repeat this until you have achieved the success that you desire.