“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” ~Woody Allen

I just finished ready the book Woody Allen by Eric Lax.  This biography was published in 1991, just before the huge mess that developed between Woody and one of his adopted daughters.  This timing is good for me – I wanted to extract what made Woody such a tremendous comedic talent and I am not concerned with the huge errors that he has made.  I have long wanted to add more comedy to my seminars and studying people like Woody Allen is a part of that process.

Here is what I was able to extract from this biography that I believe relates directly the the uncommon success of Woody Allen:

  • He had a long-term plan for what he wanted to accomplish over a period of decades.
  • He was willing to be terrible at something in order to learn – if he thought it was important. (Woody was not a natural stand-up comic.  By all accounts he was terrible – but he kept at it.)
  • He had the courage to continue to be bad at something that he felt was important until he got it right.
  • He is extremely loyal to his friends and business associates.
  • He made his life simple – in order to have more time to focus on his craft.

Now I need to fnd some early audio and video copies of Woody performing – I think there is more to learn here.  I also need to find the courage, as Woody did, to be thought bad at something while I learn to be good – and eventually great.

Till next time…Jack

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.” ~Woody Allen