3 Smashing Goal Achievement Tips From, Er, Smash!

"Gordon Bryan", "goal achievement"I was listening to a song from the TV series ‘Smash’ the other day on a video site, and as it played I read some of the comments below it, and it prompted me to think of 3 goal achievement tips…

They are ideas which work just as well in the personal development and self improvement fields, although long time readers of mine will know I lump those all in together!

Something else long time readers will know is that I do enjoy the sparkle of a good sequin, so it’s no surprise that I loved the show Smash. It tells the story of putting on a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe, from simple original idea all the way through the process.

Some people call it ‘Glee for grown ups’, and while that’s probably a fair comment, Glee focuses more on potential in the future, in a school setting, whereas Smash features the struggles of achievement at an adult level, in the world of musical theatre.

So, what’s the first tip..?

Well, the song I was listening to was ‘Second Hand White Baby Grand’. It’s about a baby grand piano, that’s white, and, yep you guessed it, second hand. The lyric goes that the second hand broken piano still has something to give.

The first tip then, is that in amongst all the brand new shiny methods, don’t forget the old ones that may have worked for decades. There’s nothing wrong with progress and development, but if an old method is solid, and based on sound logic with years of proof to back it up, don’t be too quick to ditch it just because it’s old!

The second tip is probably the most obvious of the three, and a familiar topic for me.
One main storyline throughout the series is the competition to play Marilyn, between a seasoned professional and a new unknown.

The world of performance gives such clear examples of the potential for failure when it comes to goal achievement. It’s brutal. I know because I’ve experienced it myself. Audition rejection is part of the job. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s par for the course – ok, you get the idea with that one!

Everyone at the audition has probably put in the same work, maybe over years, but if there’s only one part, then how many out of all the auditioned will succeed? Yep, one.

Have the others failed? Not in my view, no, they just didn’t get *that* particular part.
As Barry Manilow says “3 cheers for the one in a hundred, but god bless the other ninety nine”

Ok, Barry Manilow is veering off into a whole different article – (must stay on Smash, must stay on Smash!)

What’s the 3rd tip then..?

Well, this one is from a different angle, and remember I said I was reading the comments below the video as I listened? There were some huge fights going on amongst the commenters, about which of the characters vying for the Marilyn part should have got it!

They were arguing about how one was too bitchy, how one’s voice was too pop and not theatre enough, and then the arguments moved on to doubting the good standing of other commenters’ mothers and so on.

Dear oh dear!

One of the comments reminded the others that they were talking about fictitious characters, that they didn’t really exist! The negativity was astounding.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not so green that I don’t expect to see negative comments underneath videos, in fact it’s more unusual not to see them, and that’s my point – it seems so cool and common place to be negative, that the damaging spillover of that kind of attitude is lost.

There is no need for it, and it can pervade everything you do. It will dominate your thoughts about your own potential, your own possibilities, and what’s more, you have to choose to do it!

So, the answer is simply to choose a different way. Choose to leave that pointless negativity behind, choose to go with positivity instead. The characters in Smash did, and let me tell you, the actors playing those characters most certainly did too!

They also demonstrated the other 2 tips from this article – they used good old fashioned proven routes to their goal, in this case years of training, which may have been in cold old rehearsal rooms, and then they pushed forwards with a full acceptance of the potential for failure.

Think to your own goal, and think of your attitude towards it – do any of these tips strike a chord? Let me know how!

‘Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Don’t forget you can grab my motivational book ‘Transform Your Life in 21 Days!’ at rock bottom kindle pricing!
P.P.S. You can also sign up for email updates of new posts via the box at the top right of the page

Do leave a comment!

Leave a Reply to Dave E Wilkes X

8 Comments

    • Ah yes Roy, you’ve come up with another good one! Maybe I could go through the whole catalogue and get a book’s worth!!
      Cheers, Gordon

  • Hi Gordon
    As usual you have presented me with a lot to think about.

    I’ve got my weaknesses and I do realise that I am often tempted to try the shiny and new theories and methods of overcoming obstacles in life but, in spite of that I do usually find myself coming back to the tried and tested practices.

    The thing is, though, that once in a while the new method outshines the old and becomes of itself, part of my problem beating arsenal!

    I think we need a balance.

    Rely on the tested systems but don’t be afraid of trying something new (especially if it seems appealing).
    If nothing else, variety adds to the spice of life and helps me to keep fresh!

    But I do also get great benefit by reading your posts and questioning my ideas.
    And for that, I thank you.

    • Yes Dave, you’ve hit the nail on the head – refusing to try anything new and being a stick in the mud about old methods can be just as bad as ignoring the old.
      The new methods certainly can come along and replace the old, the inquisitive nature of humans makes this so – but it’s when people dismiss old methods *just* because they are old, that they can be putting unnecessary barriers in their way.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • Hey Gordon,

    another corker of a post that raises some very valid points.

    In fact, my upcoming membership site mostly revolves around good old fashioned principles that have worked well online since the dawn of the (internet) time, – relating of course to point number 1.

    Cheers Gordon, best wishes pal –
    Paul

    • Thanks Paul,
      Yep, those good old fashioned principles can steer us to some amazing places if we follow them. In the online world, that means that although the technology might change, the relationship building is the same.
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • Hey Gordon great post bro. The relationships we build are a testament to how well our buiness is going. Bad relationship ….bad business. My list building membership is all based off the solid basics… as the more things changes … the more they are the same. Good stuff and I will see you around.

    Kent
    IMKBrown.Com

    • Hi Kent,
      Yep, relationship building is a key part of business building, probably even more so online than offline.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheers,
      Gordon