Here’s a “Get it Done” Manifesto story.

Last week I went to the YMCA pool  and struck up a conversation with  a friendly, talkative lifeguard , “Joe”, who asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I do voiceover, he lit up, and swiftly introduced me to one of his co-workers. He told me he thought her voice sounded nice and that she should be a voice over talent.

I explained to both of them that a career in voiceover isn’t all about having a good voice and rendering professional voiceover services, but I continued to chat with the nice lady lifeguard anyway. She was a bit embarrassed by her co-worker’s enthusiasm for her vocal capabilities, and explained to me that she did local stage productions, but really had no particular interest in becoming a voice over  talent. In fact she wasn’t certain what her calling in life was. I explained that there is a lot to learn yet the cost of entry to become a voice over talent  is low. The competitive pool is bigger than ever and has grown into an ocean of voiceover folks with greater and lesser talent and other attributes that go into a successful career strictly as a voice over talent.

I listened to the classic audiobook today, “As  Man Thinketh“, by James Allen. The listening experience resonated with me in manifesto, distilled into the following:

• You become your thoughts.
• Becoming strong requires hard work, and sacrifice.
• Those who are strong and get things done- attract.
• Strengthen your resolution and you’ll create achievement.
• You are never done. There is always more to do.
• Don’t be afraid to fail, but learn from failure, and fail forward.
• Don’t allow fear and doubt to define you.
• The most precious thing you have is momentum-the energy that will see your vision through.
• Wielding your own mental powers are your responsibility alone.
• Protect your dreams as they’re seedlings of reality and all about realizing your creative vision.
• Become one with your ideal vision
• Lift your thoughts, and your life will be lifted

About a week later I ran into Joe, who asked me if his friend has what it takes to have a successful career in voiceover. I told him, that she has a pleasant enough voice, much like 90% of the population, but that she didn’t really think about having a voiceover career, and wasn’t that interested in pursuing life as a full or even part-time voice over talent. You have to balance dreams with reality!  As I got into my car, I left him with this thought:

“If you don’t really want it, you’re not going to get it.”

So what’s it going to take for you to “get it done” ?