Actors - Make Tomorrow a Better Today
By Miata Edoga

How do we define success? And, more importantly, what does it take to achieve it? For actors, those answers might be "Being a series regular on a night-time drama" and "Consistently honing my craft and auditioning regularly". For a photographer, they might be "Shooting a cover for National Geographic" (or Cosmopolitan, depending on preference), and "Constantly shooting in different conditions to increase my skill". It will differ from person to person, and from art form to art form, but I want to give you one key to what it takes that applies across the board, be it art, business, finance or sport:

"The secret to you success is determined by your daily agenda... by the daily decisions I make, and the daily disciplines I practice" - Dr John C. Maxwell

I heard that statement in a lesson a few years ago, and it is something that has always stuck with me, because I fundamentally believe that it is true. Another way of saying it is that, if what and where I am today is a direct result of my previous actions, what I am tomorrow depends on what I do today. The problem is, most people underestimate what they can do today, and over estimate what they can do tomorrow.

Now, if you think about this for a minute, you will see how true it is. You constantly hear "I'll do it tomorrow". I know I say that, and then, when it doesn't happen tomorrow, it becomes "the next day"... then the next... then the next, until either we hit a crisis and do it at the expense of something else, or we just never quite get around to it.

Taking your acting career as an example: how can you book any jobs if you don't audition? And how can you audition if casting directors aren't seeing your headshot? And how are they seeing your headshot unless it is being put in front of them? So how many submissions are you or your agent making today? How many workshops are you attending today? What networking are you doing today? What are you doing today to hone your skill so that, when the opportunity arises, you perform to the best of your abilities? But maybe making that phone call to an agent is uncomfortable, so you put it of to tomorrow, and traffic is really bad tonight, so that networking event can wait... you get the picture.

The same is true in your artist development, and especially your finances. If I am struggling with debt, what can I do to get out from under it? Can I call the credit card companies and beg for a break? Can I tear up my bills, move, and hope they won't find me? You certainly could, but it wouldn't be recommended. Instead, wouldn't it be better to make more money, shave some money off your expenses, pay a little less in taxes, put a solid debt plan in place, and move forward freely than constantly worrying about how you were going to handle those student loans? (None of which is taught by acting schools!) Again, what expenses can I track today that can be used as tax deductions? How can a work a bit more today to make that bit of extra money I need to cover those expenses? How can I alter my spending habits today so that I have to worry less tomorrow?

By now you get the picture. Oscar Wylde said "every action of the common day makes or unmakes character", and, beyond that, everything you do today effects where you will be tomorrow. There are two kinds of pain in this arena: the pain of discipline, and the pain of regret. Now, especially when it comes to our finances, we can play now and pay later, or we can pay now and play later. The problem is, payment compounds, and increases with time and missed opportunities. So if you suffer the pain of paying now - of discipline, of doing the things you need to do long after the mood in which you said them in has gone, of paying attention to your actions today - you will get to play a lot longer in the end.

All of this is a process. No-one expects people to flick a switch and suddenly have amazing organizational skills, perfect credit and financial savvy. Just like getting fit takes time, so does this. The important thing is that, as you take your journey into financial education, you are not alone. Find resources that can help you own this road, stick to it, and have fun!