Follow through, and deliver what you say you will do. Only
start things that you know you can and will finish, and then
finish them on time, and without complaining. If you don’t,
you will end up with a reputation as a flake, and there is one
thing that Hollywood is full of, and that no one can stand, and
that is a flake. Don't make lame excuses. Never lie. A good agent
or manager can usually smell a lie from a client, because we're
trained in acting techniques just as you are, so don't lie. The
only thing worse than a flake, is a flake who is also a
liar.
Be organized, and write out daily, weekly, annual, and life time
goals. The most productive and successful people make daily to do
lists of goals that must be done that day. These goals should
lead up to things that must be done for the week, month, year,
and ultimately, that complete the big picture of what you intend
to achieve in your life. If you do not write things down and act
on them, you will most likely not achieve what you intend to do.
The very act of writing things down is a magical act that helps
force you to manifest what you set out to accomplish. Think it,
write it, and do it. Create the reality you desire. Creation
begins with transporting non physical thoughts and ideas in to a
physical form. That first form is to write it out.
Know your craft. If you are a successful architect, you are going to know how to build a building or a home. You are going to know the latest technologies that can make your job easier. You will know the price of wood or steel, and you will know who just built the grandest home or building in the world. Similarly,
If you want to be a model, actor, or musician, you are going to
know the latest designers, or who won best picture for the
Academy, or a Grammy. You are going to know Stanislavski, or
voice diction, or how to walk a runway or pose for long periods
of time without showing fatigue. You will know the buzz words in
your industry, the tools of your trade, marketing materials, and
you will have them.
I once met an actress, and the day after The Academy Awards, she
could not name for me what film won best picture. A week later,
she still could not tell me. If you show no concern or care about
your peers in your industry, who have achieved what you intend to
achieve, you should quit now. If you walk in to interview with an
agent or manager, it will be in your best interest to impress
them with your training, education, and personally acquired
knowledge. No one will tell you that you know too much. Instead,
they will want you around. But it is possible that people may say
of some one behind their back, this person does not know what in
the world they are doing, they are a waste of my time. Do not be
that person. Be a master of your craft.