Know your action
Winkletter • 29 Aug 2024 •
I heard a quote yesterday which I am whittling down to “know your action—whether you’re on or off your game you’ll know what to do.” In this quote, is Robert Downey Jr. talking about life or acting? How does one know what “your action” is when there isn’t a script to work from? Should I be taking life advice from RDJ?
I still think this is good advice to keep in mind. Maybe my action is to perform, or maybe in the moment my action is to relax. Either way, if I know my action, I can make it happen.
And maybe this is the big difference between working for someone else and working for myself. It’s easier to know my action when someone else defines it for me. When I’m in charge, I am constantly debating what my action should be.
Comments
I take it this way. Actors work off a script, but the script doesn’t tell them how to act. Some actors focus on immersing themselves in the role and letting their emotions inform their action in the moment. He’s saying that he walks on set already knowing his action—how he will portray the character.
For me this represents something I need to learn to do. I often try to muster an emotion to guide my actions, when I just need to perform the action.
There’s a powerful lesson from acting, which is: what does the action LOOK like? I think many of us get stuck in thinking and deliberating, which an audience would not be able to see. Thinking about visible actions can help ensure we break out of overthinking/overplanning.
And I completely relate with others defining my actions for me. When I left my programming job at Kuwait University my head of department said she’ll have to replace me with 2 employees because I was very productive. But trying to be an entrepreneur/writer I wasn’t able to structure my days or produce anything. 🥲
I broke that pattern when I met people who became my business partners. And that commitment helped give me direction.
@haideralmosawi I kind of wonder when AI agents become more prevalent if I can set up an AI PA to set my schedule for me. I bet it would work. I already don’t like upsetting Claude or ChatGPT.
@Winkletter Having what feels like another consciousness with you can probably help. Having someone with me can definitely improve my focus (provided they’re not a distraction). But I believe that’s different to scheduling. A rigid, time-based schedule isn’t ideal for me. I like to focus on activities and how to sequence them, not “at 9am I should do x”.
But I also believe we have to tune into our own preferences and work with them, because what I’m sensitive to might not be the same thing you’re sensitive to. 😄
I don’t understand what he’s saying 🤔