When I was employed, I’d often spend my evenings glued to a financial model.
And I remember a certain Tuesday night where I spent a few hours trying to fix a dodgy spreadsheet.
It was dark, dreary and wet outside. Working on Excel wasn’t doing much to warm my cockles.
And I had a mist in my brain as foggy as a Chinese power station.
So I turned to my secret weapon: the soundtrack from Hamilton.
Any student worth their salt knows that music can help with
concentration.
But I remembered reading somewhere that playing the same tune on loop can take this idea to the next level.
Something to do with the repetition
boosting creativity and focus.
A bit like a mantra on steroids.
And I thought it was worth a shot.
So I switched on my Echo Dot and announced “Play Helpless from Hamilton on loop”.
And off we went.
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh (hey, hey, hey)
I do, I do, I do, I do (hey, hey, hey, hey)
Boy you got me helpless…
By now, the numbers, symbols and cells on my screen had blurred together.
And if anything, it was more difficult to concentrate than before.
After all, Helpless is one of the catchiest tunes out there. And I found myself singing along.
Not what you need when you’re absorbed in SUMIF functions.
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine
Grab my sister and whisper, “Yo, this one’s mine”…
I was certainly grinding to the rhythm. Or, at least, clicking my mouse in time with the beat.
And I knew the pesky spreadsheet was mine and things weren’t fine.
Two weeks later, in the living room stressin’
Yep. Definitely stressing.
I never felt so helplessssssss
Thanks for the reminder.
And on it went.
But about 7 loops in, a funny thing started to happen.
The model started to click.
The numbers became crisp. The formulae became coherent.
I noticed an error which I hadn’t seen before. And the pieces of the model started to fall into place.
Then you walked in, and my heart went “boom”
Boom indeed.
That little trick of playing a song on loop had rescued me from the depths of spreadsheet despair.
And sure, it might’ve been a one-off.
But if it worked for me, it might work for you.
So that’s my suggestion today. No philosophical musings on the meaning of work or venting about the folly of the 9 to 5.
Instead, a practical tip to help you be more productive.
A tip you can try right now, if you want.
I do, I do, I do, I dooooooooo
Great.
Let me
know how it goes. And what song you choose.
On which note, it’s time for me to sign off.
Catch you tomorrow.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me