Sometimes when we are feeling unsatisfied in our lives, it can be unclear which area needs fixing. Dreary moments turn into dreary days or worse, dreary weeks, and we forget why we even stared acting in the first place. Well we’re here to help you “Raise Your Happiness Grade.”

Yes, most of us would love an Oscar nomination and a bucket load of bucks in the bank. But happiness often has less to do with our specific circumstances and more to do with finding growth and balance in our lives. We’ve all heard of the starlet with lots of success who wound up having a nervous breakdown! A booming career does not a fulfilled person make.

Sometimes growth and change make us feel even more revitalized than actually achieving our goal does! Why? Because we all need to feel progress to feel content. You know your friend who just booked his fifth national commercial, but who is down in the dumps because he still can’t land a theatrical agent? It’s a legitimate feeling. We are made to move forward, not stay stagnant. Even harder is when we feel like we are taking a step backwards. A leading role in a SAG UltraLow Budget may seem like a dream come true to one actor, and send another actor who has been booking blockbusters into a downward spiral.

So how do we figure out which areas we need work on to become happier? How do we ensure that we are continually growing in ALL areas of our art and life? Well, like anything, happiness takes work. And the very first step is recognizing where we are currently at in as far as contentment goes in our lives.

Reading books like “The Artists Way” by Julia Cameron and “The Tao of Show Business” by Dallas Travers changed the way I go after happiness! Both writers suggest measuring the happiness in different areas of your life so you can make a plan of attack for each and then chart your progress.

So get your journal out, put on your favorite music, and get ready to be very honest. Each category will be rated from 1-10. 10 meaning you are absolutely thrilled with what’s happening in that specific area of your life, not necessarily that it is perfect and you’ve already achieved all your goals within that category – But you are feeling exceptionally solid with your current progress. 1 meaning you are utterly miserable, lost, or plain disheartened by this area of your life.

The areas you rate may include:
Acting Craft / Skills
Publicity Materials
Acting Business Knowledge
Finances
Confidence
Health
Romance/Adventure
Personal Relationships
Professional Relationships
Spirituality

Now think about how you could improve your score in one area by just a few points. Think small at first, one step at a time. For example, if you feel your acting craft is currently at a luke warm 5, how can you brig it up to a firm 6? Maybe you can ask a friend to run some audition sides off of Showfax with you tomorrow night. How to take your grade to a strong 7? Maybe you can enroll in a scene study class again. You get the idea.

Thinking one step at a time will help you truly make progress instead of being overwhelmed with all of it. And just taking steps towards your personal growth will put you in better spirits. The other key thing to remember is specificity! So running those sides need a specific friend and date time to actually come to fruition. Same goes for the scene study class. Put it in your planner, set it in iCal stone.

When we work on ourselves, amazing things happen, and happiness is usually the bi-product of our work! Your efforts will be rewarded, a grade at a time!

Break legs,
Megan