Know What You Want
Everyone needs to have goals, but many people's goals are short-sighted. The goal of many stand-up comedians is to appear on a late-night talk show; The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, or Jimmy Kimmel Live. Their only focus is to get that six-minute spot on TV, and all their efforts go into that goal.
It's not a bad goal to have. An appearance like that can make a big difference in a comedian's career. But what's next? Now that you got what you want, where do you go next? What's your next goal?
You need to know why you want that spot. Is it just an ego thing? Is it just to say you were on the Tonight Show? For a lot of people it is just that. But that spot on TV, no matter how gratifying it is personally, is nothing if you don't know what you want next.
Do I have to be in Los Angeles or New York to have a comedy writing career?
It makes things easier, but the world is changing and technology is making it a smaller place. Because of this, you can be pretty much anywhere and still be a success. Sometimes being outside the system can actually be an asset.
You can waste a lot of time taking different paths that don't take you where you want to go. If you don't know what you want, you might end up where someone else sends you.
You might want to be a superstar with all the trimmings — lots of money, a bunch of houses, and international recognition. But on the other hand, you might want a simple life in the suburbs with a nice house, a family, and a dog. You may just want to make a living as a good comedy writer. If ultimately you don't want to live in Los Angeles or New York, why pursue jobs that will force you to live there?
If you want to travel and see the world, then you might want to hit the road and work wherever you can. If you ultimately want to become a movie star, then take acting lessons, write your own plays, and get some experience. If you want to be a stand-up comedian but are having trouble making a living as one, get a day job that you like but doesn't demand all your time.
That way, you can pick and choose where and when you want to work. If you're tired of doing stand-up, figure out what you want to do next and start doing it.
If you know where you want to end up, you can look at every decision you make and weigh every offer you get with a clear goal in mind. A lot of people make it big and have a horrible life. But even more people make it on a smaller scale and have the life they want. Always look at the big picture, know your goals, and don't get distracted by things that will keep you from what you want.
