Where does the time go?

That’s an oft-heard lament…and no, I don’t have an answer, but I do have some insights that may help.

First, I’m celebrating that January is over.  I’ve often said that January is to my year as Monday is to my week, and I REALLY hate Mondays (subject for another blog).  In our current cultural configuration that raises seasonal holidays to a crescendo in December, how can you do anything else but crash in January?!

So, now it’s out the way, right?  Pundits say about 90% of us have abandoned our erstwhile New Year’s resolutions by now, and reality is setting in again.

There’s nothing wrong with the exuberance of December, nor the doldrums of January…it’s our perception of them… that gives them power over our lives. 

One of the allures of freelance work is the freedom it gives us as voice-actors.  Kid sick?…and needs to suddenly go to the doctor?  There’s no boss to go to to beg for the afternoon off.  We’re the boss.  Sure, we might miss a gig in the booth, but what’s more important, a sick kid or an ISDN session (don’t answer that!).  The bottom line:  we celebrate our own successes, and learn from our own failures as freelancers.

But don’t kid yourself that freedom is the panacea you imagine it is.  Freedom does not come from the absence of restraint, but from the presence of discipline.

The freedom to do what needs to be done –  when it needs to be done –  is the true freedom in life.

Only the disciplined network promo announcer is free to cut a perfect 4-second tag on the first take under pressure.

Only the disciplined character voice can handle a successful afternoon of utterances that would ruin a lesser actor’s vocal cords.

So where does the time go?  If we don’t find some way of accounting for it– make no mistake — it can slip away with ease.

But where SHOULD the time go?  Well, towards the disciplines that make us the voice actor of our dreams… to practicing, smart marketing, networking, practicing some more, forming and transforming ourselves into the career professional we know is inside.

Happy February!

CourVO

*portions of this blog were inspired by the general introduction to the Renovaré Spriritual Formation Bible

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