In the aftermath of losing one of my very best friends, female voice over talent, Vanessa Hart, during the past month,  I’ve lost focus  at times.  It’s been a challenge to stay on task like I usually do. But grieving is unique to each individual, so I’m cutting myself some slack, and at the same time working a little harder at my processes in order to move on.

I’m finding that the more focused I am, the better I feel, about everything in general.  And as I try to make some meaning out of  personal loss, the more the emotional pain becomes more bearable when I stay busy and productive, which in turn fuels creativity and art as a voice over talent, which brings joy.

Essentially, in being  a very optimistic person,  I’m choosing to be moving on with life, albeit at times, slowly, and feeling quite grateful for the gifts of friendship, and family, and opportunities present in my art and  craft as a female voice over talent.

Time Time Time
Bottom line:  my go-to mantra is one adopted from Tom Hopkins, an inspirational thought leader and mentor.  It’s,  ” I must do the most productive thing possible at any given time. ”

This mantra has helped me to be extremely protective of my time, and not waste it. We’re all given the same 1440 minutes each day. In all honesty, I’ve been working at studying, as of late with Elaine Clark,   Marice Tobias, and Pat Fraley,  and immersing, practicing  and learning. When I know I’ve done a good job, I feel better about everything, and as myself as a person. I feel like I can be a better Mom and wife, and member of my community as well. I also find that when I work harder, I book more! Nice bonus to focus.

Lately, I’ve become more discerning about recognizing distraction nibbling away at the time.  Also, I’m finding myself listening  and observing more than “talking” as of late.  I feel like taking it all in more and more, than adding to all the noise. I think, man, certain individuals appear to absolutely live in those spaces and it’s taking away from time I crave spending on my art. They’re there all the time. A lot of times without much to say. And it’s so easy to get sucked up into it all and then pow, you realize an hour goes by.
I know I must get back to what’s really important, and allow the majority to talk amongst themselves, about themselves while I do what I must do. I do wonder, however, how can those people really be working and making money in this field when they’re there all the time?

Do you believe everything you read online?

OK- No bitterness, just being real here! Not all stuff you read online is mindless, and some is truly helpful. But I know where I have to draw the line.  If  the discussion isn’t  deep, innovative, helpful or truly funny and clever,and applicable to my life, business or family,  I’m pretty much gone.  How can I serve my clients better when I waste my time reading sales pitches , lies, or sucked into shallow banter, and hang in places where there’s nothing happening but preaching to the choir.

Activate! Move it or Lose it
In the past week, two of my agents put out the call for updated political demos. I’m on it.  I’ve been studying trends in that genre and getting new reads together, so I will be ready when the time arrives.
I’m now part of a Mastermind Group with amazing  respected peers, and have accountability meetings weekly that help move a career forward, constantly.

While busy researching another new genre a bit out of my immediate wheelhouse, I am learning so much, and feel it’s  where I see myself  and adding to my voiceover business moving into in the future.  It’s exciting and stimulating to learn new tricks. Once again,  setting myself apart, planting seeds now and fertilizing the soil to harvest in to long term.

Focus is so easy to read write about, but hard to quantify and do.  But what it comes down to is not resting until you practice ,  continuously and relentlessly until focus becomes second nature.  And like any good discipline, you work on it to proficiency, and then focus comes through in the the art.