JUSTIN ROGERS

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Ai Images I made

Deadline hack

March 10, 2025

Excited anticipation can make time stand still.

You’re SO excited for something next week that the days drag on.

Yet the opposite happens when we’re on a deadline; the hours and days zoom by as you frantically work to get everything done in time.

I recently discovered you can bend these laws of the universe and force he tow perceptions to collaborate for your benefit.

Looking forward to something in nine days from now?

Create a pressing external deadline for eight days from now.

Time will move fast and slow.

AI Image Prompt: Make a cartoon of a clock running in slow motion with cute little running shoes and a sweat band

Speak in outcomes then actions

March 4, 2025

I was doing some strategic planning today and I found myself feeling unclear and a bit overwhelmed with what I was writing down.

I realised I was mixing action items with the outcomes they were related to.

An example would be like:

Spread the peanut butter, find a knife, eat the sandwich, defrost bread, feel full before I leave the house.

See how all these are muddled up?

The outcome is to feel full before I leave the house

The actions are defrost bread, find knife, spread peanut butter, eat the sandwhich.

Because I was in ‘brainstorming mode’ I let all the ideas flow out into the planning doc- but their syntax was proving unhelpful.

Once I realised this, I simply made the adjustment to start with the outcome then list the actions.

This made everything I did after so much clearer and makes the planning document sharper with more chance of success in execution.

Ai Gemini prompt: a happy man in an office a peanut butter sandwich with a to do list

The magic of 25

March 1, 2025

I use the pomodoro technique to get work done.

Often it can be distressing seeing the hours of the day jump by- suddenly it’s 3pm when it should still be morning time.

I had such high hopes for what I’d do today, where did the time go?

Experiences like this reinforce the belief that there isn’t enough time for everything. It’s true what they say that you can do anything but you can’t do everything.

As much as I hate that phrase, (yes I can do everything, thank you very much) the pomodoro technique has helped me realise a couple of things:

  1. I don’t actually want to do everything- I just want to do all the things I want to do. And I am more than capable of doing that over my life time.
  2. When you have a clear task and 25 minutes to do it, time slows down

It does! I often get to 11 minutes remaining and I’ve nearly completed a task I had inflated as this big day long thing.

I think time slips away from us when we allow ourselves too much time to do things. I vote we restrict the time we’re allowed to work on a thing and ruthlessly move on in the spirit of quantity (when that’s what you want of course) Then when we next allocated time blocks for the thing we didn’t complete, we know to schedule more time.

The truth is, we can do anything and everything we want to. Set aside the time and earnestly work away at it. You’ll be suprised how many hours are in the day when you’re actually watching the clock.

Ai image generator prompt: make a drawing in the style of Quentin Saxby Blake of an esteemed tomato wearing a monocle and checking his pocket watch

The blender needs less power

February 27, 2025

Every morning I make my smoothie.

My ears are highly attuned to the various blenders I use at the different accommodations.

My nutri-bullet back home is powerful. It turns my a.m ingredients into a purple pulp faster than you can say purple pulp.

The blenders here in America are different. They take a sec.

The spinach hangs out on top for a bit and the protein powder is reluctant to join the raving party below.

The blade spins around, but it just isn’t as enthusiastic as the one back home, ya know?

Both get the job done, importantly.

My American blenders just do it with a little less intensity. (I think this is actually to do with voltage or something I don’t care enough to google right now.)

The important thing is this:

You can often produce the same output with a little less effort.

Ai Image prompt: create a photorealistic picture of a blender who has been characterized as a nonchalant lady who is making a purple smoothie

Time out

February 25, 2025

I’m in Kissimmee in Florida.

Today felt like the first day off from the show I’ve had in a long time. I don’t think that is actually true- but I think because we are here on a mini break and not doing shows in this town it felt like that.

My co-star and tour manager were off adventuring today and I really relished the opportunity to stay in the air bnb and have a complete day on my own.

It was deeply recharging. It really did feel like a time out from life.

It’s like life is a movie playing in the cinema and you pop outside for some fresh air for a second. When I turned 30 I had a whole week like that. I returned to the movie a slightly upgraded version.

I’m on the top floor of these condos overlooking a man made lake, a hundred other condos and a community pool. I haven’t really seen a soul today. It’s been raining all day. I’m in this anonymous town I know nothing about (aside from the fact that The Florida Project was filmed down the street).

I quietly strolled to the super market in the rain. I made some food. I did a bit of work. I swam. I made a little film. I packed my bag for a travel day tomorrow. I feel ready for the next little chunk thanks to my time out.

I’ll head back into the film now.

Ai prompt: picture in the style of the nighthawks (hopper) painting of a man outside a cinema getting some air, it’s dark and rainy

Goodnight

February 6, 2025

It’s time to put the laptop away and go to sleep.

Everything you have done today has been perfect. You don’t need to do any more.

Your subconscious mind will be at work while you sleep, there’s no doubt about it.

There’s nowhere you need to be. Nothing more you need to do.

You are in the perfect place to rest now.

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