The Magic of Quadrant Two
Once upon a time
I was house sitting
Not just any house
This was an off-grid cabin
Positioned on the side of a steep green mountain
Which overlooked the ocean in the far distance
I had a Great Dane puppy to care for
As well as four peacocks
Two alpacas
And a bunch of chickens & guinea fowl
It was my version of heaven
But at the time
I was pretty miserable
It had been a rough year
I felt like I was wasting my time on this earth
My intentions to work hard were met with the reality of me feeling exhausted and unmotivated
And anytime I wanted to just rest & relax
I spent it feeling like I didn’t deserve to
Then I turned a page in a book (literally) and found something
The Eisenhower Matrix
It’s a very simple way of categorising the things you do
Four Quadrants
#1 - Important & Urgent
#2 - Important & Not Urgent
#3 - Not Important & Urgent
#4 - Not Important & Not Urgent
If you need a visual example: https://www.bishophouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Effective-Personal-Management-with-Covey-The-4-Quads.pdf
Okay
Why would this be important?
Well
If I can measure things
I can build awareness
And if I have better awareness
Then I can make better choices
Bingo
Think about the things you do
Social media, watching the news, practicing, being in nature, managing finances, playing playstation, exercising, meditating, complaining, journaling, charity, gossiping, Yoga, class, studying, washing the car, eating good nutrition, holidays, eating junk food, family time, date nights, travelling, fishing, sleeping, checking Bitcoin, reading, working, rehearsing, building side hustles, emailing, cleaning, swiping, laundry, groceries, going out with great friends, going out with de-energising people, idol time, scrolling, thinking about things which are out of your control, sitting on the loo, etc etc etc
Put them in the box you think is most appropriate
Be as uncomfortably honest with yourself as you can
Now
Here’s an interesting question
Which quadrant do you think top performers prioritise?
When I first did this exercise, my instinctual response was Quadrant #1
Things which are most important and need to be done immediately, right?
Nope
This quadrant equals stress, burnout, fatigue and feeling unmotivated
So where do top performers aim to spend most of their time?
Quadrant #2
Important & Not Urgent
Things which you value most
And can be seen as an investment of your time rather than something you need to scramble to get done
Some possible examples of Quadrant #2 activities…
Meditating
Journaling
Meal prep
Quality training/practice
Getting quality guidance
Spending time with people who you feel energised around
Calling people you love
Having difficult conversations
Helping others
Date night
Sitting in nature
Dancing like you did when you were 5
Exercise
Afternoon nap/rest
Etc etc
What do you value most & doesn’t actually need to get done by the end of the day or week?
What do you know will steer you toward the future you would like to build for yourself?
What will help you put your head on the pillow at night feeling proud/grateful?
You get the picture
This is for you to decide
Have fun experimenting with this
Maybe that 30 minutes of Simpsons is very important to you?
You do you boo boo!
Now, what to do about the activities in each of these categories?
#1 - Important & Urgent = Learn to manage them well
#2 - Important & Not Urgent =Learn to prioritise them well
#3 - Not Important & Urgent = Learn to delegate them well
#4 - Not Important & Not Urgent = Learn to delete them.
I got a shock when I put pen to paper on this one
I realised there was a pretty big difference between who I thought I was and where most of my actions were actually spent
I’ll leave you with a question I love exploring…
What is actually worth rushing for?
Hope this helps
x
Advice on Auditioning Confidently
“Hey Michael. So I have a pressing question you might be able to help me with. I’m being flown out to xxxxx for a final casting of a feature film. This will be the first for me A) coming this far for a film, B) being in the room with a casting director (because of covid, all other auditions have been self tapes/zoom). Any advice on navigating the room and just making a fun, open impression on the casting directors and the film director? Irrelevant if I get the part.” - S
Hey mate!
Thank you for clicking send
Lets do this
Celebrate
Firstly
Fucking pat yourself on the back
I don’t mean the idea
I mean physically celebrate
We work too damn hard and make too many damn sacrifices to not let ourselves enjoy these little wins
Give yourself permission to celebrate
Do a gangsta boogie in your room
Go ride a bicycle with a boom box
Call someone ya love
Buy that damn ice cream!
Done?
Great
Moving on
Build Confidence
I want to just flag something you have mentioned
“Irrelevant if I get the part”
Beautiful work mate
I hear you loud and clear
Let go of any results here and get focussed on process
Why?
There’s a very important point to be made here…
Obviously, focussing on the results will decrease our ability to play and feel free to follow impulses in the moment
Thus decreasing our presence
Thus decreasing our performance
Bla bla bla
Sure sure sure
But there is something else…
I can train someone and teach them technique until the cows come home
But at some point
The artist has to go out there onto the stage
And pull the trigger when the time is right
What’s going to give them the ability to go from the skills they’ve learned
To execution under pressure
Is confidence
Building that confidence is key to elite performance
And the single best way to build confidence
Is to take away the innate fear that we all have of bad outcomes that makes us naturally risk averse
So how do we take away the innate fear of bad outcomes?
Lean into it
Quick story
I was working with the great Carl Ford (Susan Batson’s son)
He had just finished a session with the actor who plays Joey in the sitcom Friends (I forget his name)
I said, “damn, I would’ve thought that guy knows how to break down a scene”
Carl replied
“Mike, no one pays me to break down a scene
They pay me because they are afraid of failing
They simply want me to give them permission to go give everything when it counts most”
(PS, as he was saying this, Naomi Campbell was sticking her head through the door, annoyed that Carl was going overtime with me, as she wanted her session of “permission”)
My point?
Acknowledge & accept your fears, and let them go
How?
Options…
Book a great coach
Get curious - write down what you’re most afraid of and why
Go step out of your comfort zone
Do wholesome shit that scares you
Dance freely in public
Walk up to a stranger and start a conversation
Have that difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding
Write your eulogy
Accept death
Remember…
No matter how shit or amazing the audition goes… eventually you will die and no one will ever remember you even existed on this earth :)
Seriously
I don’t even know my great grandparents’ names
That was only 100 years ago
This too shall pass
So fuck it
Do it your way
Do it with love
Desired Experience
When most people come to me for help with an audition
And I ask them how they want it to go
They usually tell me exactly how they don’t want it to go
This is normal and great
Brain and body trying to keep us safe and avoid discomfort :)
What I want you to do is get a pen and paper
And write out how you would like the entire experience to go
Write in first person & present tense (I am, I feel, etc etc)
Remember to keep focussed on things you CAN control
Write out how you feel when you wake up
Before you walk in to the room
How you want to feel when playing and rehearsing the scenes with your colleagues (director and CD)
What things are important to you in that room (listening, being honest, focussing on the other person, etc etc)
Keep it simple, honest and clear
Focus on whats actually important to you
Write out how you will handle any fear that pops up during the process
Just use your imagination and walk yourself through the entire experience you dream of having
How do you want the day to go????
Process
Do what you gotta do, to get where you gotta get, so you can give what you gotta give
Now…
You’ve celebrated
You’re building your confidence
You’ve walked through your dream audition experience
Now?
Do the fucking work
Build a very simple process to practice over the next week
Do LESS than you think you can handle, and do it well
Better actors do less, which allows them to do those few things better
How do you build a process?
Start at the end
Write out how you would like to feel when you put your head on the pillow at night after your audition that day
Then work backwards
What do you need to do in order for that to happen?
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID
(To help you create a dynamite process, please read https://www.michaelsheasby.com/sam-aug-9)
Example
3 most important technical questions to answer to make the scene work (Objective, Why, Environment, bla bla bla, whatever works for you)
Book 1 hour with a great coach
Do a 30 min warmup on the morning of the audition
Run lines with someone you trust for 20 minutes an hour before
Play music in headphones
Etc etc
Whatever man
Just build a short and sweet process that you can go experiment with
Then afterwards, you can review it, see what worked well, and think about what you’re ready for on the next one.
Rather than leaving it as a wishy washy “i’ll just go feel it duuuude”
Trust me
Even Shia is anal about organisation, prep, coaches
The image of artists just going with the flow is cute
But reality is different
Great artists have great processes
One last thing
It’s up to YOU to take care of yourself this week
That’s your responsibility
Great actors are fucking kind to themselves
(There is nothing weak about kindness)
Being more generous toward yourself allows you to give more generous work to society
So rest, eat, hydrate, exercise, connect, laugh, play, get groceries, do laundry, call someone you love
Take care of you
& let me know how ya go ;)
Sheasby
x
(If you have a question you’d like me to answer, just email me at info@actorsblueprint.com)
What would your mentor say?
I was on the couch last night dreaming about asking someone I greatly admire for guidance
I would love to spend a full week with them
For them to hear my background
Observe my habits and routines
Be a fly on the wall for my process
Call out my blind spots
Answer my questions
And quell my concerns
But this person I’m thinking about
Is, right at this very moment, most likely in a basement in Austin, Texas, USA
With a bunch of sweaty people
Coaching them to be the best in the world in the art of unarmed combat
So, realistically, it might be a pretty big ask to have them follow me a round for a week :)
But is it necassry?
This morning
I woke up and opened my A5 notebook
And asked myself one question…
What guidance would x give me?
If they were to look me in the eye, over a cup of tea
And give me clear, honest, and actionable advice?
I was quite surprised by what they said…
Hope this helps
x
Acting, Cows & Fear
I spent New Years Eve in a barn
A two-day-old orphaned calf wasn’t taking to the bottle
I was 90% sure we would lose him by sunrise
So my mate and I spent the night taking turns sitting in the straw trying to coax the little guy to feed
It was a quiet time to reflect on the past year
What were the best things about it, what I was ready for in 2022, etc etc.
Surprisingly
During the night
Rufus began to suckle
And by the time morning arrived
He was guzzling down a litre at a time
It was pretty special to see the life come back into the small creature
To watch him rise up on his gangly little legs and begin to bellow
However
(And I won’t go into too much bovine husbandry detail here)
Due to Rufus’ lack of mommas milk within his first 6 hours of life
His body doesn’t have the greatest defence
Which means it could be a tough 6 months ahead
There is a high probability he will get sick
So he’s going to need a little extra care in kicking this year off
A little TLC when it comes to maintaining his health and building a stronger immune system
It’s just the way it is
Sure…
It feels a little frustrating
It feels a little unfair
And there is a part of me which even feels a little afraid
(plenty of “what if” thoughts popping up)
But facts are facts
So…
Time to grow
Fact: I don’t know how to raise an orphaned calf well
Here is a skillset which I would like to get better at
So I think it’s an important time for me to ask myself two questions
Firstly
Do I believe I can get better at this skill?
Secondly
How do I overcome the fear required for me to get better at this skill?
I love this second question…
Because it brings up a non-negotiable
In trying to improve myself at something
I will be stepping out of my comfort zone
And that means fear is guaranteed to raise its head
(thank you brain & body for trying to keep me alive)
There will be moments
Where despite my intentions, focus, tenacity, willingness
I will feel afraid
And I will most likely have some thoughts, feelings and physiological reactions which make it uncomfortable for me to keep going
Making it easier for me to seek comfort and distract myself with pleasure rather than doing what will make me fall asleep with pride & gratitude
So the question then becomes…
If I want to be good at something which I believe is important,
How will I manage myself and my fears moving forward?
Curious
Here’s to 2022
& thank you for the reminder, Rufus
Past Year Review
An exercise I love doing around his time of year…
An adaptation of Tim Ferris’ Past Year Review
Five minutes - write down the most energising moments of 2021. (What experiences, moments, work, things, people, etc etc, gave you the most joy, excitement, fulfilment, love, etc etc)
One minute - circle the top 20%. (Example; if you had 20 things, what were the 4 that gave you the most energy?)
Five minutes - write down the most de-energising moments of 2021. (What experiences, moments, work, things, people , etc etc, were the most draining?)
One minute - circle the top 20%. (Example; if you had 20 options, what were the 4 that you found drained you the most?)
Now, taking these noticings into 2022, attempt to replace the de-energising with the energising (book it now, schedule it now, pay for it now)
Voila!
Hope this helps
x
Keep Process-ing
I’m currently working on a show
And in this show
There is an actor
One of the most generous actors I know
Every time this actor gets up on stage
The level of commitment they have in conveying the text in a truthful manor is simply astonishing
Regardless of the writing, audience, cast, director, weather, private life dramas, exhaustion, or time of day
This actor gives everything
Over, and over, and over again.
Last week
I was feeling tired
I decided to go sit out in the theatre and watch the dress run
This actor walks out onto the stage
Honest
Listens
On cues
Drives the scene
Commits to stakes
Simply steals the show
Then
Walks off
And 30 seconds later
To my surprise
I get a text
“How was that first scene? What do I need to work on?”
For one of the most generous actors in the world
It never stops
Process process process
Keep process-ing
Hope this helps
x
Take Care Of Your Older Actor
Think of yourself
I mean your older self
Think of the actor you have become 50 years from now
Sitting on a bench
Watching the horizon
Smelling eucalyptus trees in the breeze
Hearing bees dance between flowers in the warm air
When they are looking back at their career…
What are they feeling proud of?
What are they feeling grateful for?
What are they regretting not having done?
Are they surrounded by loved ones?
Do they wish they had worked more?
Do they wish they had worked less?
Do they wish they had worked differently?
Have they built meaningful relationships?
Do they have great colleagues they laugh with?
Do they wish they had sung and danced more?
Do they wish they had put on more sunscreen?
Are they grateful for all the adventures they have gone on?
Are they financially stable?
Are they financially free?
Do their joints ache?
Do they feel fulfilled?
What has the industry taught them about their craft?
What has the industry taught them about training?
What has the industry taught them about working?
What has the industry taught them about making mistakes?
What has the industry taught them about things like wealth and health?
Do they live where they want to?
Do they spend their time worrying about things out of their control?
Do they breathe deeply whilst focussing only on things they can control?
What has the industry taught them about achieving meaningful goals?
What has the industry taught them about giving up?
What has the industry taught them about making hard choices?
What are their thoughts on the career they’ve had?
What would you say to them?
What guidance would you ask from them?
What kind of listener are they?
I bet they listen with care
And love
If they had their old wrinkly hand on your shoulder right now
What would they say?
I bet they look at you with a cheeky smile, knowing they are about to give some very no-bullshit advice
So that you can go make them proud
Go take care of your older actor
Hope this helps
x
Build An Actor
We are all going to die one day
So in the meantime
Build towards something worthwhile
Build an actor
An actor who is honest
An actor who is clear
An actor who takes action
An actor who follows their curiosity
An actor who contributes meaningful work to the world
An actor who focuses on what they can control, and lets go of what they can’t
An actor who takes care of their inner child
An actor who is brave enough to be vulnerable
An actor who knows it might hurt, but who still tries anyway
An actor who practices self care
An actor who is able to find comfort in the chaos
An actor who manages their energy sustainably
An actor who listens to their body
An actor who greets their colleagues and asks them how they are
An actor who knows when to switch on, and when to switch off
An actor who is generous enough to know when it’s time to be selfish
An actor who takes care of their health and wealth
An actor who takes care of both the younger and older versions of themselves
An actor who gives themselves permission to feel what they’re feeling
An actor who trusts themselves, even when they have no idea what’s going on
An actor who says “yes, please” & “no, thank you”
An actor who knows how to wait well
An actor who knows how to rest well
An actor who takes responsibility for their professional relationships
An actor who has the difficult conversations
An actor who knows when to ask for help, and then does so
An actor who knows when to offer help, and then does so
An actor who is kind when they fall over
An actor who gives themselves permission to give up once in a while
An actor who knows when it’s time to get back on the horse, and then does so
An actor who makes intelligent, adaptive progress
An actor who makes sacrifices
An actor who falls asleep feeling proud and grateful
An actor who helps others breathe easier
This is worth building
Three Skills To Foster
3 Skills to Foster
What are the 3 most important skills for an actor to foster?
One.
Self awareness
“You have to know yourself, so you can use yourself” - Heath Ledger
Two.
Deep work
“Who you are, what you love, what you think, feel, and do - is the sum total of what you focus on” - Cal Newport
Three.
Inner child
(A healthy integration of your inner child into your adult life)
It is the most valuable currency you have & it is what separates you from the rest
Why Bother?
For most of human existence
The meaning of life was very simple
Survive
Why?
Because it was so bloody difficult
A human being
On its own
Is a feeble creature
A soft and vulnerable thing
But together
We have survived
How?
Connection
Connection allowed us to go from near the bottom of the food chain
To the top
Now, what helps build connections?
Stories
Meaningful stories
“Doug went to waterhole. Lion at waterhole. Lion ate Doug. Don’t go to waterhole” - Karen, the cavewoman
“Thank you, Karen. The rest of us will now survive today” - Joel, the caveman
Why is this important?
Because nothing has changed
The best in the business
Still do the exact same thing
They share meaningful stories
They help humans connect
They help the group survive
So…
Why bother?
Bring it back to something of importance
Help others survive
Help others connect
Share meaningful stories
Let’s break this down even more
What are ways in which we could share meaningful stories?
We could be a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, grip, assistant, comedian, etc, etc
Countless different ways
But lets focus on acting
Lets break down the craft of playing dress ups
An actor provides a character within a context
Acting = Character + Context
Character = Human
Context = Moment
Therefore…
An actor helps share meaningful sotries by providing human moments
Now…
Lets help ourselves put our heads on the pillow feeling proud
Lets make small, progressive steps toward meaningful goals
Lets get good at sharing a human moment
Build competence at being a human in front of the lens (or on stage)
Build competence at being that human within a given context
Hope this helps
m
Quote I’m Considering
“As actors, it is our responsibility to read newspapers, and then say what we read on television like it’s our own opinion”
- Team America, World Police
Be Here Now
Principle #8: Be Here Now
Game Day
Time to fly
All the prep
All the work
Done
Now
Time to give
Time to release
Time to play with peers
On cue
Repeatedly
Take after take
(or show after show)
All the work we do as artists
The training
The auditioning
The research
The preparation
Is funnelled down to one simple moment
The curtain rises
Or the camera has a little light which glows red
And someone says the last words
“Go”
“Action”
“When you’re ready”
Or, if you’re as demanding as Brando during the filming of The Score
The director will say these phrases using Miss Piggy’s voice (true story)
The last theatre show I did at the Opera House
I was fortunate to work with an incredible director
This person fostered the careers of actors like Sir Ian McKellon, Sir Patrick Stewart, Alan Rickman, etc etc
Many of the UK giants
I asked him
“Richard, you have worked with some of the greatest actors of the last century, is there one trait they have in common?”
He took a moment
And in his exquisite accent, replied
“They all have the ability to be here now… which makes them bloody dangerous”
Be here now
To trust the work has been done
And simply be present
Easier said than done
We can do all the homework, prep and planning in the world
But it doesn’t mean much unless we open up to what’s actually going on around us
Exercise: Game Day
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had on set/stage & explore what you did which made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles or actions you took?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow after coming home from a day of giving your work on set or stage.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream Game Day process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about. Build it your way.
Curious to hear how you go with this one :)
Do What Ya Gotta Do
Principle #7: Do what you need to do, to get where you need to get, so you can give what you need to give
Phone rings…
“Hey, you got the job”
AWESOME
Goes to corner store
Buys an ice cream
20 minutes later
Oh crap…
Now what?
How do I translate the short audition experience into weeks or months of being on set or stage?
Okay
We got two points
Point A: Receiving the news you got the job
Point B: The night before the first day of shooting
Everything we do between these two points…
This is our Game Plan
Sometimes, we have months to prepare
(For Shakespeare’s Henry V, I had 9 months)
Sometimes, we only have a few days to prepare
(I was driving through the Utah Desert and got a call saying…“Hey, that BBC job you auditioned for 6 months ago? Yeah, you got that, so you need to be in New Zealand with a Scottish accent in 6 days time… Okay? … Mike? … Michael?”)
On many occasions, I have experienced huge overwhelm when it’s come to preparing for a gig
And overwhelm = inaction
When I left drama school
I had a list of around 200 things I told myself I needed to do in order to prepare like a good boy
I would do about 10 before falling over from exhaustion and not know how to move forward
I would then rock up to set and only think about all the stuff I didn’t get done in time
Every moment would be filled with the anxiety that I hadn’t done enough
And thus, the whole thing was a fairly miserable experience
It took me a little while to see things in a different way
What did I figured out from watching Oscar winners prepare?
Firstly
Do a few things only… but do them fucking well
Secondly
Real pros practice self care
They know how to get stuff done whilst being kind to themselves
(Nobody wins from you beating the shit out of yourself)
So lets make a simple Game Plan
Do it well
And go play
:)
Exercise: Game Plan
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had preparing for a job & explore what you did that made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles or actions you took?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow the night before you start the job.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream Game Plan process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
One last thing
Please
Take that goddamn moment to celebrate getting a job in this industry
Share it with people you love
Give yourself permission to enjoy the journey
A dear friend called me on Saturday to tell me she just got a US series
It made my bloody weekend
Nothin better than seeing someone you love work well toward a goal
And getting to share the joy along the way
x
Game Of Opportunities
Principle #6: Surrender to the game of opportunities
Opportunities
Auditions, self tapes, call backs, meetings, chemistry reads, test deals, etc etc
Opportunities to give our work professionally
From getting the news we have the opportunity
All the way through to putting our heads on the pillow after we’ve done it
Sometimes, It can be a long and arduous process
Other times, it can be a short and intense rollercoaster
But there is a massive elephant in the room here worth acknowledging…
As an actor, I cannot control the decision of casting
Yes, I can influence it
But I cannot control it
There is a huge amount of angst in this industry coming from the simple fact that we do what us humans are so good at doing…
Trying to control things we can’t
And how bloody understandable!
We give decades of time, energy and effort to this craft
And we get an opportunity which could mean the chance to play generously + pay rent
And then someone decides no, because…
Well… who wants to start counting the infinite reasons why someone gets cast over another?
Sidenote
I have sat in on casting processes before
I once watched a guy get cast over another because on the tape his hair seemed curlier & he had “somewhat of a sadder smile”
The job was for a major US network, negotiated at US$55k per episode… for 25 episodes per year… for 5 years
And the decision was made as we sat having a beer on the couch
Oh the games
However…
We have a choice
We can continue to try control something we can’t
Or, we can choose to surrender
The choice to stop fighting
To take that beautiful energy being spent on trying to control the un-controllables
And give it towards something we can
Our process
And what’s glorious and terrifying about that…
Is it requires a leap of faith
To say to oneself…
I give up
I give up trying to control the things I can’t
I will focus, instead, on playing
On creating a meaningful, sustainable and joyful process
I will stop chasing results
And instead
Allow the results to come to me
How bloody vulnerable
So lets surrender
And lean into the process of opportunities
A question worth pondering…
How can I make it easy for these people to hire me?
Think about it from the their point of view
If I was a director, producer or casting director
And I was trying to find my dream actor to cast in a role
I would want a few things done well
Competence - Can they contribute well to this story & do it on cue?
Professionalism - If we are going to spend months working together… can they rock up on time, hit their mark, whilst being kind and respectful?
Trust - Do they trust themselves enough to take care of themselves (sometimes that means knowing when to ask for help!)
So let me turn my attention onto those things which I can control…
Being damn good
Being professional
And trusting myself
Exercise: My Opportunity Process
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Next: Choose an opportunity category you would like to work on.
(For the following example, I will use the category of self tapes - as they have recently surpassed auditions as the most common form of opportunity)
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had self-taping & explore what you did that made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow after giving a self tape for a job you really want.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream self-tape process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
One last thing
In case I haven’t made it clear enough already
There ain’t nothing weak about surrendering
x
Practice Better
Principle #5: Practice better
Practice makes progress
One of the few things we can control in our industry
Is the ability to get better
And the better we get
The more of ourselves we can give to the stage or camera
Some important factors…
First: Intention
Why am I going to this practice session?
Is it to work on a particular skill set?
Is it to practice under pressure?
Is it to get a support from a colleague or coach?
Is it to practice giving yourself approval?
Is it to make new colleagues?
Is it to simply feel like you are a part of the industry?
Etc, etc
All wonderful intentions
My point is
Simply be clear about why you are spending your time, energy and dollar on the session
The more you are aware of why you are going to the session
The more choice you have in what you get out of it
Second: Time & Place
Allocate a clear time and environment
Spend 6 hours fluffing around in a de-energising distracted environment?
Or spend 45 minutes in a focused, engaged room?
Third: EA
External accountability
Who am I training with?
Who am I asking for help, education and guidance?
Do I feel energised or de-energised after the session?
I have found some commonalities between the people I love asking for EA…
They have growth mindsets - they replace good, bad, right, wrong thinking with curiosity
They focus on the process - rather than the result
They play the long game - building a sustainable process > short term results
They encourage me to do me - “you do you boo boo”
They don’t steal my lesson - they let me figure out the lesson on my own (maybe with the occasional nudge here and there)
They trust themselves enough to be silent and allow for space
Fourth: Distractions
Phone calls, emails, technology, interruptions, people, singing parrots, etc, etc
Remove them for the allocated time slot
And get shit done
Exercise: My Practice Process
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Identify your most important problem (MIP) - What are the most important skills to work on which would give you the biggest step forward in your craft/career?
Step 2: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Identify the most energising practice experiences you have had.
Step 3: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Notice the commonalities between those sessions. What did you do which made them energising?
Step 4: Set the timer for 2 minutes - Identify how you would like your dream practice session to feel at the end.
Step 5: Set the timer for 3 minutes - My Practice Process: Write down a practice process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute process again. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
Throughout the steps, notice the shoulds and bring them back to the wants (are you doing it that way because you want to, or because you feel like you should do it that way?)
And finally, remember to ask yourself
What would it look like if it was easy?
x
Find Comfort in the Chaos
Principle #4: Find comfort in the chaos
Here’s a question…
Do you want a life with no storms?
Or
Do you want to be able to ride out the storms?
There is a bottleneck in this industry
Actor’s who can handle the storms of pressure move through the bottle neck
Stop
I really don’t like the sentence I just wrote
Do I think it’s actually true?
Nope
I have gotten main roles on TV shows when I literally was shaking in the audition in front of the director
So overwhelmed with nerves
And sometimes I haven’t even made it past the first round of casting when I have felt I was the coolest cucumber to grace the planet
So what are we actually talking about here?
Back to the biggest bad ass of the 80’s
Mike Tyson
Here’s some footage of him feeling terrified and crying before a fight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjK95aRrhc)
Now, what was that famous thing his coach said?
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
How can I still go play and give my best work even when I’m feeling under pressure?
Let’s boil this down to one fundamental concept: Notice & Bring it back
Notice what?
Notice the dissonance
Dissonance = A lack of harmony in the mind/body
You know that moment when you’re feeling nervous and your body and mind start doing different things?
(Tight throat, sweaty palms, stiff neck, raised heart beat, cloudy mind, negative thoughts popping up, woozie tummy, etc etc)
Basically, when we start to protect ourselves from a perceived threat to our survival…
Let’s put them under the umbrella of “dissonance”
Side note
There is a requirement here
In order to notice the dissonance
You have to listen to your body
Obey nature
She will always win in the long run
So listen to her
What signals is she giving you?
Listen to them
Notice the dissonance
Then what?
Bring it back to process
What process?
Well
What process do you want to have?
Make it up!
You get to choose
Whatever you want
Try different things
See what works for you
I’ll point you in a direction to get you started
One: Shift your physiology
Work outside in
Do something physical to affect your brain chemistry
Move
Shake
Jiggle
Stretch
Dance
Sing
Pray
Bath
Jump in the ocean
Walk in nature
Exercise
Sweat
Sit in an ice tub
Have a cold shower
Do a breathing exercise
Yoga Nidra
Breath of fire
Wim Hof
Doesn’t matter what it is
Pick what works for you
What’s important is you shift your physiology
Two: Acknowledge & Accept where you are (give up on where you think/feel you should be)
I find Roy London’s Personal Inventory exercise really helpful
90 seconds of saying…
“I feel x, I feel y, I feel z”
Say what is so for you
Remember, it’s not what you’re feeling that causes issues
It’s judging those feelings which allows problems to arise
Ie, “I’m feeling nervous, and thats a bad thing”
There’s another important fundamental here of replacing a fixed mindset with a growth mindset
Fixed mindset: “Good, bad, right, wrong”
Growth mindset: “Curious, what is this telling me? What can I learn from this?”
Three: Clear your RAS (Reticular Activating System)
Help your brain help you
Be clear about what you want
2 simple questions to help you get clear
One: How do you want to feel at the end?
(Example: I feel proud of myself)
Two: What’s one action step to help you sustainably get there?
(Example: I am honest)
Okay
If I don’t stop now I will go down 23 more rabbit holes
I’ll leave the rest for the EBook
But to summarise
Create your own process for handling pressure
Turn it into a ritual
Freaking out in the trailer and only have 10 minutes before you’re needed on set?
Know your call to stage is happening in 5 minutes and feeling like you’re about to vomit?
About to step into the producer’s room for the final casting meeting and feeling yourself doing the fakest smile ever witnessed in the history of all mankind?
No problemo
Notice it
Then bring it back to process
Shift your physiology (mooooooove)
Acknowledge & Accept where you are (give up on where you “should” be)
Clear your RAS (help your brain help you)
Then go do you booboo
Hope this helps
Feel free to send me any questions as this is a massive topic that I love discussing :)
x
Behave Like a Pro
Principle #3: Try behave in a way which helps you sleep proudly
A helpful goal is one which reveals clear and immediate actions
It takes the imaginative future and brings it into the present
Using last weeks exercise: My Beautiful Day (https://www.michaelsheasby.com/sam-jul-12)
We are going to ask ourselves one question…
“How does that version of me behave?”
Simple
The industry will reflect your behaviour
It can act like a mirror
And sometimes we won’t like what we see in the mirror
Most actors will let their behaviour be dictated by the industry
Make the choice to go first
Real pros don’t wait for permission or a pay check to behave the way they want
So lets remove the “when I / then I”
(“When I get the big Netflix gig, then I will behave like a pro”)
Exercise: Behaviour
Step #1: Allocate some private, uninterrupted time to scribble
Step #2: Paper, Pencil, Music maybe?
Step #3: With reference to My Beautiful Day - Ask yourself: “How does that version of me behave?”
What action do they take?
What choices do they make?
What sacrifices do they make
What decisions do they make?
What difficult conversations do they have?
What habits do they have?
What rituals do they have?
Try keep this exercise as free flowing as possible
No editing or judging
Just write until you let it all out
Let it surprise you
Let it flow wherever it goes
Step #4: Action
Choose 1-3 of the behaviours you have scribbled
Apply them now
If that means putting it in the calendar
Sending that email
Paying for it upfront
Whatever it is… do it now
I’ll give some examples
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with some artists at the top of our field
Here are some of the behaviours I witnessed which inspired me to make some changes
They rock up on time
They know their lines
They greet people will kindness
They are ruthless about their 30 seconds before a take
They give everything in-between “action” & “cut”
They continue to study and learn with great mentors and coaches
They take their time
They are honest, even when its uncomfortable to do so
They have the difficult conversations
They stay hydrated
They ask for help
They know their worth
They speak their truth
They protect their character
They play
They understand their characters function within the story
They are able to switch their focus on and off
They work hard, and they rest hard
They treat themselves with self care
They take care of their health
They take care of their wealth
They know everyones name on set
They give themselves permission to feel what they are feeling
They keep going
Etc etc etc
Im curious what behaviour you have witnessed which has inspired you?
so…
Set yourself up to win
Have a brainstorm of how your best self behaves
Then try behave that way
And slowly begin to feel your spine grow taller
(Side note: There is a reason I have included the word try)
Hope this helps
x
Secret Sauce
Principle #1: Your inner child is your secret sauce, use it wisely
The more prestigious the acting coach
The less time they have for bullshit
$60 per hour?
“What’s your objective?”
$600 per hour?
“Tell me about your inner child”
Want to be the lead on set?
Lead roles are reserved for more generous actors
So be more generous
And what’s the most generous thing you can give that no one else can?
That makes you completely unique in a sea full of bland pleasers?
You
The real you
Your inner child is the most generous thing you can give
It is your secret sauce
It will carry you sustainably throughout your career
Look at your heroes
Look at the top performers in any field
This is what they do well
So begin the process of integrating your inner child into your adult life
So you can give a real piece of yourself when contributing your work to society
However
There is a sacrifice to be made
There is a price to pay
It costs something to give the real you to the world
Fear will raise its wonderful head
All the fascinating ways you learned to survive and protect yourself from the hurt and pain of this life
Be kind and careful with what shows up
The following work is for you, and no-one else
Step #1: Find a favourite picture of yourself as a child, preferably before age 6.
Step #2: Give them a name which resonates with you. Maybe a nickname people called you at that age.
Step #3: Put the picture somewhere you will see it every day
Your inner child is the cornerstone of your work moving forward
This will become clear as we go
Trust me
Better yet
Trust your inner child
Start at the End
Principle #2: To begin, start at the end
I spent some time a few years ago doing a holistic management course with farmers
The room was filled with old cockies who wanted to change the way they were working with nature
There was one exercise which I have never forgotten
When they were asked to write down what they wanted
(In order to build a plan to help them get there)
They wouldn’t do it
Pages sat blank
Grown ups turned into infants
Emotions ran high beneath stoic postures
Eventually, one farmer said:
“What if I write it down and it doesn’t happen?”
Bingo
In the years I have spent passing work onto artists
I have seen it over and over again
The avoidance to honestly and clearly state what someone really wants
To say it out loud
To see what it looks like on a piece of paper
As if letting it out into the world means something other than what it does
This is simply one step in the process
A step which will help the rest of the process flow
Start again
What’s your harbour?
Where is the place you would like to end up?
Be clear
And be honest
There are many exercises to help us
Lets just use one
Simple & effective
To begin
We start at the end
Exercise: My Beautiful Day
Step #1: Put aside a day. Clear it in the calendar. Communicate with any potential interruptions that you will be offline that day.
Step #2: On the day, turn all technology and distractions off. If you want to change your environment in order to feel more energised and focussed, do so.
Step #3: Pencil & Paper. Water. Music maybe?
Step #4: Begin writing.
Ten years from now
It’s July 2031
Write your day
Your beautiful day
From waking up to falling asleep
From pillow to pillow
Anything you want
Write the day your inner child would be proud of
What does your life look like?
How does it feel as you wake up?
How does it feel to place your feet on the floor beside your beside?
Where are you living?
Who are you living with?
What kind of home are you in?
What does your furniture look like?
What is your bed like?
What are your sheets like?
What kind of clothes do you wear?
What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Children? Friends? Family?
What do you want?
What are you reading?
What are you making?
What excites you?
What adventures are you going on?
What is your health like?
What is your wealth like?
What is your education like?
What skills are you working on?
Who are you sharing life with?
What are your relationships like?
What is your career like?
What is your day filled with?
What fills you with energy?
Where do you give your energy?
How does it feel to put your head on the pillow at the end of it all?
The more care and detail, the better
Write this one day
This one beautiful day
Ten years from now
Dream big
Dream without fear
Put your whole heart into it
Write like your life depends on it
Because it does
You don’t have to share this with anyone, its’s just for you
Then we can use this to make a plan
But thats for next week
Some notes…
They are called hidden gems for a reason
They are hidden
Your job is let it all out
Let your subconscious take you where ever it goes
No editing or judging
Let rip
Permission to dream on steroids
Find writing specific things too overwhelming?
Just stick to principles and values
You get to create anything you want - It’s just a piece of paper
And remember, at any point, if you don’t like it
Start again
Hope this helps
x
How to Be More Talented
I was asked last week
“How does one become more talented?”
My immediate reply
“I don’t think anyone is more talented than anyone else
But I do think some are simply better at releasing it
Or at least, getting out of the way of it”
Let me explain
I started acting when I was 14 years old
I happened to be in a class room with one of the greatest Shakespearean directors in the world
He had just had a child and needed some stable income
So he happened to start teaching at my school for the few years I was there
I had 4 years of training every week under his tutelage
I got into NIDA at age 18 and had 3 years of training (50-70 hours per week) at one of the most prestigious acting institutions in the world
Since graduating, I have worked privately with many of the worlds best acting and performance coaches
I have been in some terrible classes
I have been in some incredible classes
I have watched thousands of artists train in dark and dingy rooms around the globe
And in all that time
I don’t think I have never seen an artist be more talented than any other
I certainly have seen some true freaks of nature out there
A 52 year old mother in New York at 2am giving her soul to the camera
A 60 year old Portuguese actor in London playing Romeo (on stilts, whilst playing an accordion, whilst holding an umbrella)
Andrew Garfield on the set of Hacksaw Ridge (a performance which gained him an Oscar nomination)
But again
I don’t believe they were any more talented than anyone else
I believe they simply had the systems set up to help them release it
Lets get specific
I’ll break down a time when I felt I was at the peak of my talent
Once upon a time
I was cast in a film
From the second I read it
I shot up in bed (meaning I sat up quickly, not did heroin)
I thought it was the most important Australian film I had ever read
And I deeply wanted to give everything to it
So this was my schedule
I’ll describe 36 hours for you
Some of it was set up by me, and some of it was set up by the production team
…
00:00 - wake up & warm up
02:00 - 2 hour session with acting coach (Elizabeth Kemp - it was the only slot she could give me as she was busy working with Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga at the time)
04:00 - sleep
06:00 - start again (run, breathing exercise, journal)
07:00 - email Angie (mindset coach)
08:00 - Irish language practice with coach
09:00 - cast read through
12:00 - horse riding practice with trainer
13:00 - rehearse scene 33 with cast & director
14:30 - Irish accent practice with coach
16:30 - stunt work for scene 33 with trainer
17:00 - rest, went fly fishing (it was Tasmania, so of course I took my fly rod)
19:30 - cast dinner
21:30 - sleep
01:00 - wake up & warm up
02:00 - 2 hour session with Elizabeth Kemp
04:00 - sleep
09:00 - start again (run, cold shower, breathe, vocal warm up)
10:00 - blacksmith training (if anyone needs some 1825 replica prison chains, yes I can forge some for you, just email me)
11:00 - driven to set / costume, hair, make up
12:00 - lunch on set (I don’t eat much, bit nervous)
12:45 - film scene 23 (30 second shot with no dialogue, it takes 6 hours)
Etc etc
…
And the results?
I was super proud of the work I gave to that film
But was it because of talent?
I absolutely don’t think so
I truly think it was a case of schedules, routines, habits, rituals, and external accountability
I simply didn’t have the time or energy to let any doubts or indecisions get in the way
I had to be at certain locations, at certain times, with certain external accountability
I only had time to just rock up and jump in
They did all the work (ps thanks to everyone who bossed me around on The Nightingale)
Now, do I feel like I’m currently giving the level of work that I was giving during that time?
Nope
Is it because I’m suddenly less talented than I was back then?
Nope
I simply don’t have the systems set up right now to help me release to that degree
But why not Michael!?
How could this be!?
I could easily go into push mode right now
Beat the shit out of myself for not being more disciplined
But the truth is
I simply don’t care as much at the moment
If I really cared, I mean, if I really really wanted to give so much to acting right now
I wouldn’t be here typing about it
I’de be too busy doing it
But I’m not
It ain’t good, bad, right or wrong
It’s just where I’m at
Right now, I have the systems set up to help me work on other processes I’m loving and curious about
I really wanted to get a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu this year
I wanted to get to that level of play on the mats
I gave myself twelve months to do it
I signed up to a new gym 5 minutes away from my nest
Got all my supplements to help me recover from all the suffering ahead
I listened to the wizard John Danaher’s audiobook over and over again
I did 4-6 classes per week, every week
And I got my Blue Belt after 5 months
Cool huh?!
Not really
It’s just kind of obvious
It’s not me
I’m not some freak at Jiu Jitsu
I’m not more talented than anyone else at the gym
I just set up the systems to help me play & release my work
Clarified my process, then did it, over and over
The hardest thing about it
Was occasionally, at 11:35, I had thoughts like;
“I could just not go today”
But that was always the moment I put my headphones on and played music from when I was 14 and began stretching my wrists
The switch would flick
And then suddenly
Hey presto!
My body would wake up
“Time to roll”
There were 3 times in those 5 months where I felt like genuinely crying on the mats
Times where I felt like an utter failure
Like I couldn’t do anything well enough and I would never improve and I would be stuck forever
But I’ve worked at my other crafts long enough to know those are the most important times to be kind and patient
So I would take a breath
Give myself permission to suck
Keep going
And start again the next day
Okay
To clarify
From what I’ve experienced
I truly believe we all have the ability to play and give as freely as we did as children
I do not believe in talent
But I do believe in the skillset of setting one’s self up to win
So
“How does one become more talented?”
Create systems to remove doubt and indecision
Hope this helps
x
Screw Maximising Efficiency
I spent the weekend helping my dad in the garden
My god
Beyond frustrating
Tasks that I believe could take 20 minutes were taking hours
Tasks being prioritised that I believed were far down the list of what was actually important
Objects being placed in the middle of pathways, creating transit friction points, thus increasing time required, thus decreasing efficiency
I clocked off around 14:30
I had gotten all my tasks done for the day
I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch
Warm and cosy inside
Netflix, crackers and hummus
But as the sun went down and darkness washed over the garden
I realised Pop was still going
Slowly and carefully working away
I stood at the window watching him
I thought to myself
Why the hell is he still be out there?
Why the hell would he let things take so much longer than necessary?
What about maximising efficiency?
Then it hit me
Maybe he’s out there because that’s where he wants to be
Maybe he actually enjoys it
Maybe the process of being outside working away carefully on a project
Is what brings him joy…
This got me thinking
About the tasks I do in my life because I just want them to be done
Versus the tasks I do in my life because I simply love doing them
I’m an actor who hates learning lines
I think its such a waste of time
I want it to take the least amount of time and energy possible
I once wrote my lines out on a big piece of cardboard and asked the casting director to hold them off camera so I didn’t have to learn them
If only you could’ve seen their unimpressed face (side note: I got that job)
But then I think about last weekend when I was on a friend’s farm
We spent the day doing some amateur fencing
Wide open paddocks with cattle
A pair of wire cutters
Country music
A cold dam to jump in
I could do that all day
Curious
What am I doing in my life just to get done?
What am I doing in my life with the least amount of time & effort possible?
Versus
What am I doing in my life because I simply love the process?
What makes me forget to eat?
What makes time disappear?
Mmm
Thanks for the reminder Pop
Joy of Process
Several years ago, I went to a concert
Im not someone who goes to concerts
In fact, the only concerts I had been to before this one, I went because I wanted to try be cool
They didn’t go down well
(Seriously, I wore footy shorts to Nas, yeah homie)
Anyway, this one was a bit different
I was accompanying my mate who had been in an accident
Plus it was in the nosebleeds
So I knew I’de be able to sit down if I wasn’t interested
Which was likely
The crowd was a staggering eighty thousand people
I walked in with my baseball cap covering as much of the chaos as possible
It was going to be a long night
And then, some redhead walked onto the stage
And proceeded to blow my mind
Just him, his little ukulele, and some foot pedals
After the second song
And after coming out of my mesmerised state
I asked my mate
“Who the hell is this guy!?”
My friend had lost his ability to speak in the accident so he looked at me with as much confusion
Luckily, the person sitting on the opposite side overheard and informed me
“It’s Ed Sheeran you idiot”
I don’t have a TV or listen to the radio, so I forgave myself for happily living under a rock
But I spent the next ninety minutes as enthralled as the rest of the stadium
I was still standing by the encore
Not because I was singing along (I didn’t know a single word)
But because I had never seen such a pure transition of process
I mean, the guy could have been doing the exact same thing by himself in his bedroom
Just singing with a ukulele
But it happened to be in front of thousands
I caught the train home and listened to the whole album I had just heard again
I got home
Couldn’t sleep
Ed Sheeran
There is a documentary!?
Turns out his cousin and him had made a documentary about…
The process
Screw sleep
Click
The documentary opens with Ed walking off stage after performing to thousands
He gets a towel for his sweat
A water bottle to begin rehydrating
And he follows an assistant to a room about a 45 second walk away from the stage
He walks through a door
Inside is his producer at a computer
He is mixing some stuff Ed gave him before he left to do his concert
Ed literally just finished a concert and his first priority is to go make more music
An hour later
They are on the bus together
Off to the next city to do it all again
And instead of sleeping
Ed is writing a new song (this time its one which Bieber ends up buying and making a hit)
The entire doco is like this
It’s simply watching Ed’s process
But when I look at the process
There isn’t a single moment where I could honestly say
His process is reliant on fame or millions of dollars
He is literally doing exactly what he did for years
What I’m trying to get across here is…
I have never had a result which was more enjoyable than the process
And that if I’m not enjoying the process
Then that becomes my focus
To jiggle, update, reinvigorate things so the process becomes addictive again
A simple question which always seems to inspire me…
What if I did this the way I really wanted to?
Curious
The documentary is called Songwriter
I highly recommend it
Especially the first 9 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cc2RlLK0YY&t=1285s
Something For Pressure
For those of you who want to be better under pressure
Here’s a free seminar I did
Performing Under Pressure: How to Find Comfort in the Chaos