Using the Calm Before the Storm

by | May 21, 2012 | Ruminations

When life is: “How much can I pack in 24 hours each day”…it’s not good.

Blessedly, I’m in a bit of a lull…a breather…and a welcome one, ’cause when June hits, it hits hard.

APAC/BEA/Audies is in a couple of weeks in NYC, then VOICE2012 in Disneyland right after that.

I just finished a webinar for Edge Studio over the weekend on the topic of Social Media…I’m preparing to redo my commercial demo with the inimitable Dave DeAndrea.  John Florian just published an article I wrote (you first saw here) on hitting your wall.  I’m also working closely with Trish Basanyi and Terry Daniel, these days, to finish-up our Social Media seminar in June at VOICE.

During all of this, I’ve put a number of my own personal but critical VO business moves on suspension.  It’s been a particularly busy Spring season in my OTHER job as a TV news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas.  I continue to audition, but I’m almost relieved at not having any major voicing projects on deadline right now.  This is one of the few upsides of having a second sustaining job…I can take a VO pause, and it’s been a good one for me.

Plowing ahead and being active as a freelancer keeps us in business…but this quiet and short suspension of full-bore immersion in voicing is giving me a wonderful pause to see some things more clearly.

I touched on this technique in that “Wall” article.  Have you paused lately?  I know, I know…it’s tough… so many things are weighing heavily on you…responsibilities, urgencies pulling you this way and that.

But really…if you DIDN’T do all that TODAY…what would happen?…seriously.  Would the pause be better?…or make it worse.  Have you tried it lately?

First, most people honor, respect, and are even envious when you tell them you are taking “some time” for a critical re-evaluation.
Second, your  spouse (and kids, if that applies) will LOVE you for it.
Third, (what is that saying?)  “…an unexamined life is not worth living…”

Like it or not, we Americans are Driven (notice the capital “D”)…but driving without a clear destination is just spinning your wheels…and here comes that storm up ahead.

CourVO

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