I got drafts on drafts on drafts. And I’m not talking about beer. 

Unlike conflict and sex I love starting shii but I hate finishing. 

I used to beat myself up and think this meant I lacked discipline, will power or I didn’t actually enjoy doing the thing. 

I would aspire how Stephen King would write for 4 hours or 2,000 words a day. 

Meanwhile I felt George R.R. Martin waiting for the muse to visit me. 

And she would randomly when I was bored or supposed to be focusing on something else. 

Jordan Peele the creator of “Get Out” took 5 years to finish his script. I remember in an interview he said “Follow The Fun”

See… Creative work isn’t work. It’s play. And when the moment it feels like work your brain creates resistance. 

Creativity especially for me people with ADHD moves like a drunk wild night out, then waking up in the hotel with hickeys and wondering where you got it. 

Apparently this is very common with people that suffer from ADHD. We love the novelty. The possibilities. But once that new idea is explored we get bored and move on. 

Remember when I said it can be a curse or a super power… Well… let me help you and myself on how to finish all those unfinished projects. 

So instead of fighting my brain, I built a system around it.

Now I stumbled across this method on accident. 

In fact I’m doing it now. 

I started on a web series, then got stressed and overwhelmed by the world building and how big the project had gotten. 

So I pivoted to a short film but then had an idea for a poem. I made that poem into s song. 

Now I’m making a music video for that completed released song. 

It may seem like I’m jumping from project to project because I am but not only is this something creatives like Quintin Tarantino,  Aaron Sorkin, and Jordan Peele use their own version of this method. It’s been studied by Harvard. Who knew. 

 Tarantino wrote inglorious Bastard’s script in 1998, but struggled with the ending and chose instead to direct the two part film Kill Bill.

They went on to do other projects. But sometimes it is “work”. So how do we trick our own brain. Easy. 

Keep three different types of projects active:

When one project starts feeling like unpaid administrative labor, I pivot to another. 

If writing feels painful, I work on a video. If editing the video begins to resemble a hostage situation, I design something. 

When the visual project gets stale, I return to the writing usually with a better idea.

I call this following the fun.

Stepping away from a difficult problem can create what researchers call the incubation effect. A meta-analysis found that temporarily setting a problem aside can improve later problem-solving, particularly during creative, divergent-thinking tasks. Your brain may need distance from an idea before it can see something new. Apparently, staring aggressively at a blank document is not always the breakthrough technique I thought it was. (Psychological Bulletin⁠)

Following the fun also protects intrinsic motivation—the desire to do something because it is interesting, satisfying or challenging. Decades of creativity research suggest that intrinsic motivation is an important ingredient in creative performance. When curiosity disappears and everything becomes obligation, creativity tends to become less creative and more “PowerPoint presentation due by 5 p.m.” (Harvard Business School research review⁠)

But there is a difference between pivoting and randomly changing tasks every six minutes.

Research on task switching shows that people become temporarily slower and more error-prone after switching tasks. Preparation reduces this “switch cost,” but does not completely remove it. (PubMed⁠)

That is why I rotate projects in focused blocks. Days, weeks or months. 

I do not write one sentence, edit four seconds of video, design half a thumbnail and then wonder why nothing is finished.

Before bed Tarantino and Aaron write a list of things they need to do the next day. 

So before I pivot, I write down the next physical action:

“Rewrite the opening paragraph.”

“Color grade ___ scenes.”

“Export the final thumbnail.”

Not “work on the project.” That is not an action. That is a vague threat.

This breadcrumb makes returning easier because I do not have to reload the entire project into my brain. I already know where the door is. (Unlike a relationship. Cough, cough)

I also use an if then rule: If I open this project again, then I will complete the written next step before changing anything else. Research involving implementation intentions—specific if-then plans—has found that they can meaningfully improve the chances of turning intentions into action. (National Cancer Institute⁠)

Speaking of breadcrumbs we will be going more in depth,  the obstacles that arises and how to circumvent them. 

So till next time. 

Loser logging off.
Legend loading…

Pique’s new X·E Fountain energy drink delivers clean, caffeine-free energy without the jitters, crash, or dehydration. Vitamin B Complex, magnesium, and electrolytes help support steady focus, while crisp cucumber-celery-lime makes every sip ridiculously refreshing.

Get 15% off for life.