One of my goals this summer is to declutter my entire life. That’s a tall order, isn’t it? I’ve always been a fan of decluttering. I actually did it professionally as a side job while I was pursuing my acting career in LA. Now I just do it for myself.
I’ve already made huge strides, I did my costume shop which has had stuff piled in there from several years of shows and film shoots. (You can watch fabulous time-lapse videos of my decluttering work on my IG/TT/FB: ActorsInActionConservatory.) I’ve done most of my house. I’ve been working on the 50+TBs on my computer/DropBox – which has been the most daunting. After the computer I’ll be working on a huge shelf system at my studio.
And what am I getting out of it? A lot more focus and peace of mind. It’s helping me from streamlining my acting school so I can help more actors to knocking my own auditions out of the park and more. It’s really invigorating. In fact, if you feel like your life or your acting career is stuck, take a look around and see if there are things you could declutter.
I suggest starting small. Like one bookshelf in the living room. Set aside some time and get to it. You can start by pulling everything out of it (it’s so therapeutic!) Then wipe off the shelves which will probably have a bunch of dust. Next go through the pile of stuff you pulled out. Have “keep”, “toss”, “not sure” and “trash” piles. And sort. Then put back the things that you want to keep. Organize them in a tidy fashion – by size, or color, or alphabetical order. My clothes closet is in Rainbow color order. It makes me smile every time I open it. For the “not sure” items put those aside for a day or so and see if you still are indecisive about them. It’s great to have a thrift shop in mind where you can take those things you no longer want. And one thing I really suggest is making a time-lapse video of your work! Set up your phone and record it. It’s so much fun watching it afterward. Super rewarding. You can even post it on social media like me. People love that stuff—it’s inspiring.
Again, here’s a great decluttering process:
1. Start with something small
2. Set aside time
3. Pull everything out!
4. Make a “keep” pile
5. Make a “toss” pile
6. Make a “not sure” pile
7. Make a “trash” pile (can use a garbage bag)
8. Wipe down the shelf/storage space
9. Sort everything
10. Put the “keep” pile back – by color, size, etc.
11. Throw away the “trash” pile
12. Take the “toss” pile to a thrift shop
13. Revisit the “not sure” pile in a day or so
14. Don’t forget to do a time-lapse video!
Some people may not see what decluttering has to do with having a successful acting career. But that’s because they haven’t tried it. Did you know the human brain functions much better in a tidy environment than a cluttery one? It’s a scientifically proven fact. If you can cut down on the clutter, your brain with function better. You’ll have more ability to focus on what you want and create the life you yearn for.
I feel so much more motivated and able to work on my business and career just by having things more organized and clutter free. It gives me the energy to zero in on what I need to do to get where I want to go. I know it can do the same for you. So try it!
And let us know how it goes for you! If you see a difference in your life/career just from getting rid of unnecessary things. It could be the spark you need to get things going.
For more information about our classes/training visit: www.actorsinactionconservatory.com
IG/TT/FB: ActorsInActionConservatory
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