breaking in

"Nobody knows anything"

- William Goldman

I had the pleasure of attending a Q&A with William Goldman and John Cleese last week, an entertaining couple of hours all around. The audience was full of working and aspiring screenwriters, and the common theme throughout most of the questions being asked was, "What should I be doing to best advance my career?"

Unfortunately, the common theme through most of the answers to these questions was, "I don't know."

"If I can make it there I'll make it anywhere"

- Frank Sinatra

"Breaking in" to the entertainment industry is even harder than you think - and even fewer people than you realize have begun a career by "breaking in". Hollywood is perceived by outsiders as a closed system, but really it's not much of a system at all. It's so hard to break in because there's nothing to break into.

"You can't always get what you want"

- Mick Jagger

Focus your efforts. When you have chosen your goals you have to stick to them. Working hard is always important, but if your efforts don't add up to anything it could be a waste of time.

"O you’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak’ the low road"

- Traditional Scottish Song

There are five simple but very important steps to having a successful career. Anyone can apply these elements to any path they hope to travel and achieve their goals. There still aren't guarantees in life, but you know you'll achieve satisfaction if you stick to these simple rules.

"You must do what you feel is right, of course."

- "Ben" Obi-Wan Kenobi

Developing the habit of setting and achieving realistic goals is important to any career for a number of reasons, not the least of which is boosting confidence. Breaking down large goals into manageable steps offers a roadmap to your dreams. Making your goals realistic and attainable make yours dreams more accessible and increases your chances of realizing them. There are no guarantees, which makes every advantage you can get all the more valuable.

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere"

- Frank Sinatra

You can record your album in your bathroom, cut your movie in your bedroom and sell your novel online all by yourself. Or, you can go where there are other people like you, with the same interests, who compliment your skills and make your project better.