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Leap Before You Look!

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No, the title of this piece is not a typo. The traditional adage is in fact, ‘look before you leap,' which is a fine cautionary saying about knowing what you are getting yourself into. As an improv comedy director however, I would teach people to do the reverse; to ‘leap before you look.'

On an improv comedy stage, this worked masterfully. Many performers get into the habit of trying to plan out everything they are going to do in an improv scene right from the get go. This results in two problems. First, it's hard to come up with an entire scene's worth of material up front, so they don't do well. Second, because of the nature of the form, many things can happen that makes it impossible for the performer to stick to his plan.

When you leap before you look, you just start performing and focus on what you are doing in the moment. You figure out where you are going and how you are going to get there as you go. 90% of the time this results in a great funny scene.

The important thing to remember with this concept is that it is not reckless. It just puts goals and risk into perspective and then demands action. With an improv comedy performance, the goal is to entertain, and the only risk is that the audience will not enjoy the show. With those two parameters, the concept of leaping before you look makes a lot of sense.

Beyond the stage, it takes a little more refining. I am not advocating that you quit your job and become a writer (if that's your dream) without getting your ducks in a row. You have responsibilities and need to assess the risks and chances for success. I am advocating that you do not worry about having every last detail planned out before you start. As with improv comedy, life will throw you curveballs that will invalidate even the best plans. Get the big picture set, make sure that you have a strong desire, have a plan, and then start.

In 1961 President John F. Kennedy said, ‘I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.' At the time, no one knew how they would do it. But the goal was set, so they figured out how. In 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon (and returned safely home).

What is it that you would like to do? Why aren't you doing it? Is it legitimate, or are you just looking too much before you leap? Get your ducks in a row and then leap!


Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated! Avish is most commonly called upon to deliver programs on Motivation, Sales, and Communication

For more free articles, downloads, and resources, visit http://www.AvishParashar.com

To learn how to apply the powerful principles of improv comedy to your own business or life visit http://www.ImprovforEveryone.com

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