Audible and Walks and Ideas

I don't know about you...but I've been in big self-improvement kick during this pandemic-palooza. When the workday is done, and I can't really go hang out with anyone, I'll go on a walk. Late night walks are the best! I bring headphones and an audiobook. Here's the only problem with self-improvement books: I keep thinking, "ooohhh! Interesting. I better write that down!" Not really all that possible when you're on a walk. I was listening to Atomic Habits, and there were SO MANY ideas, but I was walking...and stopping, whipping out my phone, writing a note, putting the phone away....and then beginning the walk again isn't practical. At that pace, I would have been the first and only person to set a 94-minute mile.

So, here's the lifehack I use: keep Audible open on the phone, and use screen capture when the author shares something interest. After the walk I can open up Google Photos and review my new collection of interesting/noteworthy ways-to-make-myself better all conveniently timestamped and organized for me. Now, sitting at the computer I can jump to those specific moments in the Audible app, and write down the note.

Huge time saver! I hope it help you too! Any tricks you've begun using during the partial-ish lockdown?

Oh! And here are some books that I really recommend. While I don't agree with everything in them, they stretched my brain and made me think. Anything you're reading/listening to?

Atomic Habits by Jame Clear
4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin
The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey
Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland
Guts by Kristen Johnston

Push the Door for Characters

Last week I was talking with a friend who is a fellow improviser. He admitted having trouble getting into characters, and staying out of his head. I'm trying this thing where I empathize more...you know... be a better human being an' all...so I responded with a very deep, and insightful, "Yeah. That can be hard. I've been there too." Oh man! What wisdom! I was making it rain empathy! Though, it wasn't super helpful. So we kept talking.

We continued talking about improv, and letting go of fear. The conversation curved all over the place, from improv characters, to scene commitment, to yes, and, etc. Then, we talked about scene starts, and where to begin.

We realized scene starts, and particularly, beginning in the middle, can solve a lot of issues. Since our first improv class we've all been encouraged to, 'begin in the middle.' I teach my improv classes and players to begin the scene' "five minutes later." Begin the scene five minutes in, make the audience work, let them figure out what's happening. They're smart. It's good to challenge the audience. They'll appreciate the challenge.

And....

In our discussion, we realized a whole new reason 'five minutes later' helps. An improviser appreciates the distraction. The start in the middle improv suggestion isn't just for the benefit of the audience, but for the benefit of the improviser. It helps everyone. If we begin 5 minutes in, those are five minutes we don't sit around doubting pour choice, or fearing our scene initiation. The "getting out of your head" issue really dissolves when you're in the middle of an improvised robbery, instead of carefully planning the heist. It's easier to be a cop when you start the scene busting a drug ring, and not beginning a scene doodling on your space work desk at the precinct (aside: I misspelled precinct, and Google Keep autocorrected my spelling to 'precenjnt.' What is a precenjnt? It looks Scandinavian).

We start a scene 'late' and we can just be. We start a scene 'early,' and we have a higher likelyhood of getting chased around by doubt.

Idle hands are the devil's playground, and an idle mind is an improviser's hell. Ultimately, it'll be a great day on the improv stage when we can let go of the doubt devil, and just tell ourselves, "OK. This is the scene I'm in. It's a great scene. I just have to listen and respond, and it'll become even better!"

Until then, jumping into a scene, pushing that door open, instead of planning on pushing the door, will help us get out of our self inflicted critiques, and into living in the moment.