How To Reverse Engineer Your Best Work

All actors

Have their process.

It can a lifetime to figure out what works for you.

I’m on a constant mission

To simplify what I do

In order to make things more sustainable.

Make a system that works for you

As simple and easy as possible,

And you’re more likely to repeat it.

That’s what today is about.

Finding an easier way to tap into your best work.

For many years,

My audition process went something along the lines of:

“Have a crack, she’ll be right”.

Which is about as simple as it gets, really.

Which for a time was really great.

No pressure, just have a go.

No expectations,

No disappointments, right?

I think there’s real value in that mentality.

Not just in acting, but in life.

No expectations,

No disappointments.

Actually is a phrase I got from the TV show “Becker”

About a misanthropic doctor played by the guy from Cheers.

Ted Danson.

Little did I know what a great philosopher

Ted Danson was.

I think the idea is great:

Detach yourself from an outcome

And you’ll suffer less.

But it’s only half the story.

Because there is so much more

Within my control that I can actually influence

That will make the outcome that I desire

Come to me.

But at the time,

Young actor,

In my method,

There was no direction.

Nothing that I was really aiming at.

And certainly no planning of the actual how

I was going to go about delivering my best work.

Often the first time I said the lines out loud were in the

Audition room with the reader!

Again…

This isn’t “good” “bad” “right” or “wrong”…

It was just how I did it went I was twenty-three.

And this might be an unpopular opinion,

But I do think there’s value in it,

When used as a technique intentionally.

But it was my MO.

I realised that just going into opportunities

And swinging blindly for the fences could only get me so far.

I was leaving so much to chance.

So many stones unturned.

And If I wanted to have a long career,

If I wanted to start delivering my best,

And booking the work

That I actually wanted,

Then there had to be another way.

And then…

There was a little phrase I learned

That shifted how I thought about… mostly everything.

Any large moment in my career or life

That really mattered…

From auditions,

To recalls,

Chemistry tests,

Rehearsals,

On set or stage,

Even a conversation with my agent,

Or a person at work that I found really tricky,

This idea changed how I approached

Any major relationship or

Career moment where the end result

Mattered to me.

That phrase is:

“Start with the end in mind”.

That is to say:

Give yourself a North Star.

Something to aim at.

Something to work towards.

Define how you want to feel

At the end of the experience.

Because from there

You can reverse engineer your choices

To move you closer to what you actually want.

So instead of just swinging wildly in the dark,

There is clarity, intention and direction.

I went from;

Saying the lines out loud for the first time in the room

Maybe thinking about what my character wanted,

…Sometimes…

To giving myself the permission

To consider how it would feel

When I gave my best work

And what I was going to do

To make that happen.

How I was going to behave

In order to get myself there,

Regardless of external factors.

Now.

This may sound woo woo as fuck to some people.

Twenty-three year old me probably would have thought so too.

But cognitive science shows that having

A clear goal improves focus,

Motivation, and task persistence.

The brain essentially builds a mental roadmap

That can anticipate obstacles,

And filter out distractions.

This “future-self” simulation,

For lack of a better phrase,

Helps your brain start

Problem-solving backwards from

The outcome you desire.

So…

In a sense,

You are reverse engineering your

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour

And give yourself something to focus on,

That moves you closer to your desired performance.

Okay.

Enough science talk.

And just a little sidetone-

The phrase:

Start with the end in mind.

Has infiltrated other areas of my life.

It’s kind of crept it’s way into my personal relationships

Changed a lot of other things as well.

For example:

When I find myself in an disagreement with my daughter…

(Which happens from time to time with a four year old…)

Because I’ve defined

What my values are and what I want

The relationship with her to look and feel like,

I find myself far more easily able to think:

“Hold on… is this what I want the end result to look like”?

“Is this how I want this conversation to turn out”?

I can check myself,

Then steer the moment in a direction

That leads towards resolve,

Rather than resentment or anger.

So anyway…

What is the easiest way that

You can reverse engineer your best work?

The next time you have an opportunity

That you really care about,

Try this:

Put two minutes on the clock.

Blank sheet of paper.

Complete this sentence:

“The reason that I absolutely nailed that

Opportunity/ Audition/ Recall/ Conversation

Is because I…”

Write. Two minutes. Non stop.

One rule: You can only write things that are within your control.

So writing:

“I made the casting director break down in tears laughing”

Doesn’t count.

Everything you write must be that

Which you can actually influence.

This list can include anything you like.

From your preparation,

To the moment before,

To being in the casting room or on set,

What you did during the performance,

How you behaved after.

What you did to get yourself

Back on track when things went awry-

Literally anything that you can think of

That you are able to influence.

Have fun with this.

Use past opportunities as fuel

Or even simply imagine a scenario

Where you’ve have had an opportunity

That you have absolutely nailed.

You were in the zone,

Felt free,

Grounded,

Open,

Playful,

Connected,

What ever.

Consider this moment…

This is your North Star

How you want to feel.

And by answering that question,

You’ve literally just written down a list of actions

That you can take,

In order to move you closer towards those feelings.

In life we are constantly trying to move

Towards a feeling or away from one.

So why not get clear about the one’s you

Want to move towards and how you’re going to get there?

Write for longer than 2 minutes if you want.

Make a list or free write, whatever.

Give yourself permission

To excite yourself

By what you did.

Making it an energising exercise in itself.

Because in doing this,

You’re placing yourself in the drivers seat

Of the opportunity.

You’re rewiring your focus towards agency

Not leaving performance simply to chance or approval.

You could be defining your pre-performance rituals

So you know how you can reliably get into your zone.

You’re defining possible repeating habits

That you can use in future

Based on real data:

Your own success stories.

It’s like having your own personal playbook

For cofidence,

Freedom,

And connection

In high-pressure situations.

Training presence and preparation as skills

Not just random outcomes.

And the best part is…

You can answer this question differently

Depending on the circumstance or relationship

Or opportunity.

Simply change the phrasing to suit.

For example;

“The reason I have a great relationship with my daughter is because I…”

And once you’re finished,

You can take that piece of paper,

Fold it,

Put it away.

And forget about it.

Take your opportunity.

And at the end,

Do a little review.

Best thing/Ready For.

What was the best thing about the experience?

What are you ready for next time?

Spiral up.

That’s the aim of the game.

A little closer to your desired performance

Every time you have an opportunity.

Have fun out there.

Dx