No Excuses

It’s unfashionable to be a disciplinarian.

In his first book An Actor Prepares, Constantin Stanislavski wrote “The actor, no less than the soldier, must be subject to iron discipline.”

I always wondered why he wrote that. Surely anyone that wants to be an actor would already be self-disciplined? Surely, if you wanted something bad enough you would have the self-discipline to show up on time, and do what’s required of you?

Then I met actors and people that wanted to be actors. Actually, they’re no different from other people. They want something, but they’re full of excuses when it comes to getting it. Then I thought about the successful people that I knew. No excuses. They just did it. That was the difference.

But what if their bus was late? They got a taxi

But what if the script they were meant to learn didn’t arrive? They asked to borrow someone else’s.

But what if they were sick? They kept themselves healthy and they came to class unless they were hospitalised.

But what if they didn’t do what they were meant to do? They stayed up late, used their lunch breaks, used their tea breaks, used their toilet breaks, used any spare moment.

Why are they successful? Because they have no excuses.

None of us are perfect. But if you want to be successful, the small things matter. How you treat the small things is reflected in how you treat the larger things.

Here’s two things you can always get right: 

• Turn Up on Time

• Do What’s Been Asked of You

They don’t require any skill. Just a bit of time management.

There are no good excuses. Your very best reason is an excuse.

And if someone like me has to be the disciplinarian and make you do stuff until you grow your own self-discipline, then so be it, and if you don’t like me for it, but you’re the first one on set, prepared and ready, but you hate me for it, well, I’ll take your professionalism over your personal affection any time.