I don’t know about you, but I actually get a little bored in the last week of each year and the first week of each new year, with all the tips about how to make the most out of the new year. Sure, I’ve been guilty of writing such year-end or year-starting columns here, but because I’m not the type to make resolutions (I think it’s a bad idea to reflect on what flaws you have and set up ways to fail at fixing those flaws just because it’s time to buy a new calendar), I’m not a huge fan of the tradition.

For me, ANY day is the right day to make a better choice and get going in the right direction toward living your dreams. Heck, not just any day. Any moment. We’re constantly making choices about how we react to the various experiences we have in life, and it’s up to us to break a habit, start a new one, or head in a better direction. Every moment.

I say this today — even though it’s pretty dang close to the start of this already amazing year — because I see folks already bummed they’ve “broken a resolution” or feeling behind, when they see others hustling, pushing harder, getting into great classes, booking already, heading off to Sundance, celebrating tier jumps.

Look. Just because someone else out there is making headway doesn’t mean, by THIS year’s end, they’re going to have made several laps around you on the track. Just think about how hard it is to get a parking spot or a locker or a machine at the gym in those first few weeks of the year, but how that all becomes a non-issue in a couple of months.

Hustle that’s based on a calendar isn’t that impressive. Hustle that’s based in your gut? That’s ninja.

Choose better today. And every day. Build a muscle that makes you a better, more consistent, more focused, more on-brand actor every day. Shake it off when you backslide into the habit of the flaky actor (the “Flacktor,” as I call him), pledge to do better tomorrow, and then DO. Don’t wait ’til the next benchmark date in your life (a big birthday, a class reunion, a new year), and definitely don’t base your progress on what someone else is doing. Just pledge to do better because it FEELS better to do better. And then do it.

Do it now.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001446.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.