Are you feeling a little bit lost? There's so much you want to do, so much you want to experience, but you don't even know where to start... It doesn't help when your bed is so comfortable and Netflix keeps auto playing the next episode of your favourite shows. But buckle up, get your notepad out, you are about to take a crash course in getting your shit together.
1) Organise yourself!
Now some people, like myself, LOVE organisation. You'll buy a bunch of cute stationary and planners, half of which you never get round to using, oops! Whilst others shiver at the thought of planning their day out and prefer to go with the flow. There's a balance between planning every second of your day and having no idea what needs to be done this month. So my first question for you is, what does getting your shit together look like for you? Choose two small things or habits you want to change and one longer term goal.
2) Set a deadline
So you want to drink more water? Or maybe you want to get your break as an actor? That's awesome! Just set a deadline for your dreams and goals. For short term goals, like drinking more water, set a habit tracker so that you can make sure you're staying on top of this goal and making it a habit. There are plenty of apps to help you track habits or you can just create your own habit tracker using a sharpie and a piece of paper.
For longer term goals, like that break as an actor, setting a deadline can be really difficult. So break your long term goals into small bite size chunks that lead to that bigger goal. For instance, you could set yourself a deadline of a month for starting a portfolio and then, the following month, set yourself a deadline of meeting 3 actors via networking that month. These small steps will help achieve your dream, so be patient!
3) Know your limits
You've organised yourself and set deadlines, congrats! Let's take a little breather now and reflect. Are your deadlines realistic? You know your limits and how much you can achieve.
Communicating your limits is key, also. If you're in the process of getting your shit together and someone is asking too much of you- just say. People won't be offended if you say no because you have to take a moment to look after yourself.
4) Reach out for help
There's a lot of stigma in asking others for help. Most of the time, you're expected to do absolutely everything for yourself. But in the creative world that's really not the case. Isolating yourself, creatively and socially is one of the worst things you can do if you want to get your shit together. Not only can you become inspired by hanging around with cool people, but others can help you out.
It's very easy to dismiss asking help from a professional in a field you want to break into because you don't think you're 'good enough' or 'worthy enough'. But do you want to know what I say to that? You're in the process of getting your shit together, of course you're good enough!
5) Do what you love
This may sound obvious, but I think a lot of people forget the importance of having something you love outside of your goals and aspiration. So you want to be a songwriter? Awesome! Don't stop writing, but also don't stop other things that help destress you because that can motivate you to continue your main passion and provide some variety in your life.
6) Sleep
I don't need much explanation for this point. Sleep. You'll have more energy to get your shit together.
7) Eat healthy and drink water
Make sure you drink loads of water, as dehydration can make you feel tired and overall grumpy. Similarly, being hangry isn't good for anyone. Who wants to be hangry and thirsty when they're trying to get their shit together?
8) Treat yourself
After you achieve each goal- treat yourself! If you want to reward yourself for a smaller goal, such as eating less chocolate, treat yourself after a couple of months. Be generous with your treats, you deserve them for your hard work!
9) Exercise
Like drinking water and eating healthily, exercising contributes to general wellbeing and releases endorphins which can make you feel happier when getting your shit together. So definitely use exercise as a mechanism to help you when you start to feel sluggish.
10) Track your progress
Use a tracking app, a piece of paper, anything! Track your progress every step of the way, so that you don't forget how far you've come and so that you can organise your goals easily.