Commitment

One skill we talk about in theater is to commit. An actor fully gives themselves over to an idea, or an action. They also ask audiences to commit with them; to have a 'suspension of disbelief' that the action of the play is reality. They believe we are in the reality of the play, and they commit to it, as well as the audience. It's what makes theater amazing to watch.

When it comes to committing, it is dependent on the confidence of the actor to be able to commit. If the actor is not confident, and can't fully commit, the audience sees that, and feels it, and the play falls flat.

One thing I teach more than anything else is to commit. Make a choice. Many times people will falter under the weight of too many choices and be unable to act.
Example: Before you had the internet, if a faucet in your house broke, you would go to the store where they would have three choices, you would buy one and replace the faucet. Now that we have the internet, it can take WEEKS to pour over thousands of choices to see which one is cheaper on which website, or which is MORE perfect, and meanwhile you live with a broken faucet.... More choices can paralyze the decision making process.

Making a choice doesn't mean it's over. It just means you move forward. Based on what happens, you can always make a different choice. And you will never know what you know until you make that choice.

If it helps to have a suspension of disbelief  - then let that help! Play a role, like an actor does.
Example: Draw a house. Now, pretend you are a hippie, and draw a house. Why are they different? What made the changes happen? If it's as easy as pretending you are someone else, then try it!

What holds you back? What do you think you can't do? Why do you think you can't do it? Who can do it? Can you pretend to be them, and then try it?

If it helps to be the best manager (or CEO or father) by pretending to be the person you think is the best, then do it. You are still the person doing the action, not them, so it is still you. Whatever helps you have a suspension of disbelief and gets you to commit to action.

And if you don't commit, your audience can tell. So can your employees. And your customers.


For more information on Workshops, click here.

---