Episode 324: Work Harder, Nobody Cares

Today we're talking about a phrase that might hit you right in the gut.  “Work harder. Nobody cares.” And I say it with love because it's a funny phrase and it's also a tough pill to swallow because it's one of the most freeing truths that you can embrace as a person and as an artist. This episode is inspired again by one of my posts on Substack which you can find at the Actors Index and it's a mantra for anyone chasing a creative career or pursuing a big dream.  It's a mindset shift that could be the key to unlocking your full potential.  So buckle up. We're driving into the gritty, no nonsense reality of what it really takes to succeed and why the nobody cares part might be the most empowering thing you'll hear today. Let's start with the truth. Nobody cares about your dream as much as you do.  And honestly, that's the way it should be, right?  The creative industry, whether it's voiceover, acting, writing, directing, anything else, it isn't designed to hold your hand. It's competitive. It's challenging. It requires you to show up every day with your A game. Even when nobody's watching, and this isn't to say that people are indifferent to you as a person, but when it comes to your goals, the responsibility to succeed falls squarely on your shoulders.  And here's the thing, there's no shortcut to success. Talent isn't enough. I'm going to say that again. Talent isn't enough to succeed. Connections aren't enough. The only thing that will ever matter is the work that you put in.  So, let's flip this narrative. Instead of saying nobody cares, or seeing nobody cares is harsh, let's see it as liberating.  Because once you accept that no one's coming to save you, you get to take full ownership of your entire journey. You get to be in the driver's seat, which again, is as it should be.  One of the biggest myths I encounter in the creative world is the idea that you need to feel motivated to work hard.  I'm not feeling motivated today. I just don't want to do anything today. I'm not inspired. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  And let me tell you something. Motivation is fucking fleeting.  There's going to be days when you wake up feeling like the most inspired, unstoppable version of yourself.  And then there will be days, probably more often than not, that you can barely drag yourself to the desk or to the studio or in front of the camera.  But the successful people, guess what, buttercup, they show up and do it anyway, and they do it well. That is discipline.  We are so driven as human beings to follow our wants that are like easy wants. I want a cupcake. I want to nap. I want to do X, Y, Z. But we should be replacing that with, I want to be successful, so in order to do that, I have to do X, Y, Z, because that's discipline. It's about building habits that keep you moving forward, even when you don't feel like it.  Do you think I feel like sitting behind my computer every day and spending hours researching and creating content for cold leads and direct marketing? No.  But I want the job. So, the good news is discipline is something that you can cultivate. It's not really about willpower, it's more about creating systems that set you up for success based on your goals.  So for example, if you're a voiceover actor like me, you might have a morning routine that gets your voice warmed up before you even check your email or open your phone. It might mean setting a timer for 25 minutes to focus on your marketing outreach, no matter how unmotivated you feel. So here's the takeaway for you: Ask yourself, what's one habit I can build this week, today, that will make it easier to work hard, even on the hard days.  But you gotta start small. If you start small, you can build on top of that. I don't expect you to figure it out right away. It's something that takes time. But you have to start somewhere.  Success isn't linear. There's going to be days, weeks, maybe even months where it feels like you're running in place, that you're putting in the effort, but the results just aren't showing up.  You'll look at your month and say, well, I didn't book anything. What did I even do?  And that's why you have to track.  All of those wins, you, whatever it is that you're accomplishing for yourself and your business and your goals, you have to mark that down, put a sticker on the day, put a little dot, do something, write a note in your notes app, do something that celebrates those small wins so that at the end of the month when you're like, well, I didn't book anything, I failed, you can say, no, no, no, wait, look at all this shit I did. Those are accomplishments, that's success, because when you don't see the results that you have mismanaged your expectations to see, that's when most people quit.  They tell themselves it's not working, that they're not cut out for it, that they're not talented enough, that they're not good enough, and that they'll never make it. The plateaus. That's part of the process. That's part of growth.  Growth happens in those moments when it feels like nothing is happening.  It's like planting the seed. You don't see the roots growing underground, but that doesn't mean that they're not there doing what they're supposed to do. So how do you keep going?  By measuring your progress in ways that aren't tied to immediate results.  So instead of focusing on how many bookings you've had this month, focus on how many auditions you've submitted, because that's the work.  Instead of obsessing over how many people are following you, track how many meaningful connections you've made. Small wins, right? Small wins add up.  Celebrate the shit out of them.  And if you're gonna work harder I hate to break it to you, sorry I had to find out this way, but you have to develop thicker skin.  The creative industry is filled with rejection and other people who are going to have opinions about your work, whether it's positive or negative. And that's not going to change.  But the difference between those who make it and those who don't is how they handle that.  So here's a little reframe for you: Rejection isn't personal.  It's data. It's feedback.  It's an opportunity to ask yourself, okay, what can I learn from this? What can I change next time? Because maybe you need to tweak your approach or refine your skills or target a different audience.  And sometimes rejection just means you weren't the right fit for that particular opportunity right now.  But that doesn't mean you're not talented.  It means that there's something. else suited for you out there, but you're not going to find it if you take that rejection and just give up. So let the rejection be fuel and not a roadblock.  I know we've talked about some harsh realities, but now it's time to talk about why this mindset works harder.  Nobody cares is actually super empowering because when you realize that nobody cares as much as you do, you stop waiting for external validation. You stop relying on other people to give you permission to go after what you want.  You become the driver of your own journey.  And that's a powerful place to be because again, the people who succeed in this industry aren't necessarily the most talented. You know that you've seen it there, but they're the ones who have kept going when it got hard. They're the ones who learned to work harder, smarter, and with more resilience.  And the best part is that's something that you can choose to do right now today while you're listening to me on and on and on and on and on.  So before we wrap up, I want to leave you with some practical tips to work smarter and not just harder. Prioritize. Focus on the tasks that move the needle the most.  If you're not sure what those are, just ask yourself, what's the one thing I can do today that will have the biggest impact?  Okay, make a list. I'm a big lister. Love lists. Make a list and prioritize. Batch tasks together.  Group similar things together to save time and mental energy because you don't want to burn out doing all of these things.  So, for example, dedicate one day to recording samples and another to marketing.  You can break it up and do it every single day, but if you give yourself some reliable sort of boundaries, okay, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I'm going to do marketing stuff.  There you go. That's batching.  And tracking. Oh my gosh, track your progress.  How else are you going to know what works and what doesn't if you don't collect the data? Keep a journal or spreadsheet.  I have a free accountability spreadsheet that you can email me [email protected] and I’ll send it to you. It’s an accountability tracker, where you can track your progress, track how you feel, track your wins, no matter how small, because seeing how far you've come is really motivating, right?  Invest in yourself, take classes, read books, surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you, join discords, join my voiceover discord, join the Acting Business Boot Camp discord, find places where you can ask questions. Be involved in the conversation because growth requires that time, money, and energy requires that investment in yourself. Okay?  There's no other way around that rest and recharge.  This might be the most important one that we neglect most of the time because working harder doesn't mean burning yourself out and burning the candle at both ends. You need to schedule downtime to rest, reset, and come back stronger.  I literally have it. in my calendar to rest, because if I don't put it there, I won't do it.  Okay, here is your challenge for the week.  I'm going to challenge you to do three things because we know I love the power of three, right? Number one, identify one habit you can build to stay disciplined on the hard days.  Because there will be hard days. I promise you, they're coming for you, okay?  And you need to identify one thing that you can build to stay disciplined even on those days where you are not motivated, where you're having a tough time, because they'll happen. And it's, yes, I understand sometimes you need down days, but when you are struggling or when you're having a tough day, give yourself permission to do things on that day.  Can be really empowering.  Number two, reframe a recent rejection as a learning opportunity because again, getting that data about what happened is so valuable to you as a person and as a business person. Those are little gold nuggets that are telling us, they're signals from the universe telling us here's what needs to change, here's what needs to be built upon, here's the opportunity for you to grow.  And number three, write down three small wins at the end of every day, not the week, every single day.  The whole week next week, I want to see three small wins by the end of the day. I don't care if it's that you drank your daily water amount, because I'm guilty of that too. That's a win, because that goes towards your health. Three small wins every single day, okay?  And if you take on this challenge, I want to know how it goes. Reach out to me. Email me, [email protected] Find me on TikTok at AstoriaRedhead. All the things, right? Leave a comment.  Whatever, whatever floats your boat. I'm, I'm here for you. I just want to say one final thing. Remember that success is in your hands.  Work harder, nobody cares, and that's your superpower.