Procrastination

I was going to write a blog all about procrastination but I kept getting distracted.

Before I continue, or indeed, before you continue, if you can after that opening joke, I must remind myself to remember to write a list of reminders, before I forget.

Where was I? Oh yes, distraction. Or in my job as a professional Magician it’s called ‘misdirection.’ What a lovely word. More about misdirection another time. For this blog I’m writing about distraction from getting stuff done.

I’m self-employed, I don’t have a regular 9 to 5 job which means that my daily and weekly schedule is nowhere near regular, in fact it’s not even in the same postcode as wherever regular is. This has pros and cons. The plus side is that quite often I have time to do things as and when I like. But the negative side is that without a regular, routined structure, it’s easy to slip into procrastination and even lose focus on certain aspects of work as a gigging Magician. So creating a work structure that ensures I get stuff done is essential and it’s something that has taken me years to do. I still try to adapt it and work on new ways.

Now, I don’t mean sitting down to practice magic, I can do that for hours each day. I mean the business side of things. E-mails, admin, writing and planning, publicity etc. I’m much better at these things than I was even 2 years ago and I think I’m always improving, I certainly enjoy it more.

This last week and a half I’ve been trying something new…The Pomodoro technique!

What is it? Essentially it’s a time management technique. 25 minute bursts of focused work, with 5 minute breaks in between to do something completely different, or rest. After 4 of those sessions, you take a longer break, say 15 or 20 mins then rinse and repeat.

When I told my partner that I was trying the Pomodoro technique she said “That sounds delicious!”

So far, I love it! It’s working for me…All phone and computer notifications are switched off and I focus solidly on the task at hand. I have been using the technique while writing script for my Sherlock Show and it’s doing wonders for me. The only added thing I do is put on a good music playlist in the background. Nothing with vocals, mostly ambient music that I like. Check out Aphex Twin if you haven’t already.

I bought a little time cube. It’s essentially a glorified, but super cool, kitchen timer gadget. Having a physical object that represents the “do not touch your phone time” helps me. When it’s on, I HAVE to focus, that’s my rule and i must stick to it. When I use the pomodoro cube I call it my tomato time, cause I'm so hilarious and quirky you see.

You might be interested in trying the pomodoro technique for yourself. You certainly don’t need to use one, but you may find that it helps so here’s a link to the cube – TICKTIME CUBE!

Not that I need to say, but I have zero affiliation with the makers of this cube and they know nothing about me but in the infinitesimally small chance that someone from ‘Ticktime’ is reading this...YES, I WILL PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT FOR MONEY AND GIFTS. 😊

Now where was i…?

Stay focused y’all!

Caolan x

Caolan McBride Professional Magician