Photoplayer Hater

Acting success can come in many forms. One actor may consider success becoming a professional actor paid a full-time salary. Another actor may also feel like a success being cast in a few productions a year getting no remuneration whatsoever. It's personal as to what an actor is satisfied with when it comes to acting goals but the reasons for not reaching them are often the same.

Scared Of Criticism

Are most of your thoughts related to how to deal with or how to avoid harsh words about your performances? Do you find yourself weighing likelihood of getting certain parts and only taking what you see as sure things? Criticism is not going to go away, rather the more you act in public the more you will garner. We all have to deal with this sad fact in our own way but your way may turn out to be a major hindrance to doing any acting in the first place. Where does the criticism come from and can you ignore it? Find ways to accentuate positive feedback with a healthy dose of realism and avoid hearing of scathing criticism that bears no constructive elements. Many artists don't read any reviews of their work, you might do the same if the effect is dampening your enthusiasm.

Lazy

You join acting classes and you participate fully while class is in session. When the teacher calls your name you always get up and do your scene. The problem comes outside the classroom when you should be preparing for the scene. This also applies to any activity you should be doing to help you reach your acting goal. Do you find great reasons to avoid auditions of productions you say you really want to be a part of? Do you say you want to do a one-man show but can never pick up the pen to do the hard part of writing it? You need to find a reason to do what it takes. Also a way to motivate yourself if that reason isn't strong enough. Most actors have managers and agents who do this stuff for them but until that day you need to construct a makeshift version on your own.

Not Consistent

You may be capable of feats of extraordinary will-power. You can get up early to make it on-time to an early audition. You get yourself to work on that monologue you want to turn into an online video series. You have a strong desire to get somewhere with acting and you take action. Although you can do this for a certain period of time you have significant periods of inactivity. You might have some accomplishments in one area but you don't use it as a platform to launch your next initiative. Less important is the intensity of forward motion at any particular time, what often makes more of an impact is a similar level of intensity sustained over a very long period of time. You may need to tone down your activities now in an attempt to be able to also do them later. Going hard now does little good if you are maxed out later on.

Acting success is elusive at best but you can do yourself a service by ridding yourself of negative habits that hinder your efforts. See part two for more things to help your reach acting success.