It’s the season when we get to rejoice in all our year’s accomplishments and resolve how to make the coming year even better than the last. So get your journal ready, put on a pot of tea, and get to writing. We are about to share “The Actors 2013 Inventory List” with you so can make this new year your most successful one to date!

Take inventory of your biggest accomplishments. The beauty of social media is that because we often post our highlights (at times to a fault) it can help us better recall them. And remember here that no victory is too small to list. Bookings are great, but so are callbacks, and even scoring the auditions themselves. Did you make a god impression on anyone new? Take a class with an industry professional? Nail a British accent? All of these are awesome accomplishments that need to recognized. They will help you see the areas of your profession you are growing in, as well as the areas that still need more work. they can also be very personal. Maybe wearing a pair of swimming trunks to a commercial callback is a victory for you if you wouldn’t have been brave enough to do that 10 pounds ago.

List what you learned. Did you fail so badly at a dance call that you then went on to learn how to swing dance on your weekends off? Did you learn that your old headshots got you called in for ditzy roles you weren’t even right for, but your new ones get your quirky hipster marketability? Did you learn that you are great at initial auditions but have to fight tooth and nail to not let nerves get the best of you at a callback? One of my friends learned last year that she consistently got called back when she wore eyeliner. Who knows if it was her confidence level or her eyes on camera that upped her game, but the eye liner lesson was insanely valuable! Recognize how much you’ve grown!

Catalogue what you are grateful for. From your gas friendly Prius to your lucky old auditions socks. Big to small. In a city where we can constantly feel in a state of want, endlessly wishing for more, it’s invaluable to stop and reflect on what we already have. Doing this for things beyond possessions is especially helpful. Are you thankful for your savvy improv skills and comic timing? Make sure to focus on sitcoms this coming year to put your strengths to best use. Thankful that you could cry on cue for that callback? You lucky duck, add crying on cue to your special skills and make sure your agent knows about it. My friend booked a huge role on one of the Law & Orders that way. We have to know our strengths just as well as our weaknesses.

Take stock in what you gave back. Did you take a younger out for a coffee date? Did you switch shifts so the new Dad at your job could have off Christmas morning? See where you were able to help. Where you feel short, you can remedy next year. Nothing will put you in the spirit of the season like giving, and embracing the times this year you were able to make a difference in someone else’s life. Make memories and you will get even more out of these moments than the person you are helping.

Account your non-acting highlights too. Did you go to Sedona? Did you become an uncle for the first time? All of these fulfilling, life adventures have no doubt made you a more dynamic performer and a more interesting artist to talk with. Maybe you got out of credit card debt or found an amazing new church or got your black belt in karate. Celebrate these victories too. You’ll have resources and wisdom to share this coming year.

List your goals for the new year. It’s finally time to make the epic resolution list! But this year instead of focusing on what you want to stop doing, list what you want to start doing. Start small. Break a goal down. You could even break it down month by month! If your goal is to lose your Columbian accent this year, you have to take speech classes. Could your January resolution just be to put 2 hours of research into speech coaches and doing your vocal warm up 4x a week? Breaking your goals down into achievable shorter term chunks will help you have your most successful new year yet!

Break legs!
Megan