The Balanced Life Quest

Somehow, Friday was a really balanced day.  I got some exercise, took care of a few things for my two biggest day job projects, worked out some actor business, got to be artistic as I prepped sides for a callback, ran a few errands, and even spent some quality time w/my partner.

This kind of day almost never happens.  Usually I can touch on two or three life areas, but rarely this many in a single day.  I can't remember the last time I've had a day this balanced.

I've learned to think of balance in the aggregate - over a week, or even over a month, and surely over six months or a year, it will all balance out.  This keeps me from stressing too badly when I've had three days in a row of major day job crunch time and I'm feeling 'under-yoga'd' or during tech week, when I only see my partner late at night and early in the morning and one of us is very very sleepy - in the long run, I have to just trust that my life will have balance.

But I can help to ensure that balance.  I write scheduled downtime, dates, even major cleaning projects into my calendar.  Sure, I'll break those appointments if I get an audition, but I'll reschedule them.  Writing them down helps hold their place. 

Also, I've learned to have a weekly 'appointment' with myself to check in on how I'm doing.  I've timed this appointment to coincide with my weekly acting class, which I really look forward to and almost never miss.  Basically, I write in a journal during class for about 15-20 minutes on how I'm doing w/balancing my artistic growth, healthy relationships (to myself and others), financial comfort, and community connections.  Some weeks are better than others.  I drop balls regularly, but I know I can pick them back up.

And then every once in a while something like last Friday happens. 

Acting Prep Rituals

So, because I'd just read the third book in this post, I finally saw the amazing Peter Weir film Gallipoli.  And it wrecked me up. Still is.  See it sometime.  However, here was my takeaway relating to acting.

One of the main characters in Gallipoli is a runner.  And, before he runs, he and his uncle always go through this short bit of dialogue:

- What are your legs?
- Steel springs.
- What are they going to do?
- Hurl me down the track.
- How fast can you run?
- As fast as a leopard.
- How fast will you run?
- As fast as a leopard.
- Then let's see you do it.

This is repeated several times in the movie, and becomes a mantra for the main character, something he can turn to when he needs to perform under pressure.

And that got me thinking about how I prep to perform, to audition, etc.  Sometimes, I've got the luxury of 30 to 60 minutes to warm-up voice and body, and I can ease into things.  Sometimes, when an audition is booked last minute, or there's been traffic so bad I call it biblical, I'm running into the performance with minutes to spare.  Is there a quick ritual, like the one above, that could propel me into action?

I'd love to know what you do at those times.  And, if I find something that works for me, I'll let you know.