Hello Simon.

I know the time demands of a legal career, especially in private practice.

How did you find the time to gain so much magic knowledge and develop such an incredible amount of material while juggling the demands of work and family life?

As an example, before I left private practice, I would be up at 6:00 am, in the office by 8:00am, home by 7:00 or 8:00 pm. Just a little time left over for supper, maybe get a little exercise and spend some time with my wife which leaves me with just under 1 hour a day (and often much less) for my magic.

1 hour a day and maybe a little more over the weekend is not a lot to catch up on the magic books & DVDs that are accumulating dust on my shelf, practice some new material and rehearse my performing repertoire.

Did you have to give up all of your other interests in order to juggle work, family and magic?

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. I would love to know how your friend John Bannon faced the same challenge.

Thank you.

Pierre

Several answers:

I’m athletically deficient. I don’t play, follow, or care about anything having to do with sports. (Fortunately Ginny shares my deficiency. We’re the laughing stock of our respective law firms, whenever the talk turns to “yesterday’s game,” in any season.) But it frees up lots of time.

In my law practice I used a speakerphone all the time. This allowed me to shuffle and deal during client calls. I also retired as early as I could. I recommend this highly.

I’m a fairly organized person (Ginny just scoffed at “fairly.” It drives her batty). I keep checklists, reminders, do multi-tasking (watching DVDs on the treadmill), and most of the time I have my mind elsewhere, particularly when people are talking to me.

We have no kids. Ginny is a high-powered, workaholic lawyer who (despite my requests) has still not yet retired. (The thought of being at home with me 24/7 must frighten her.) So, I have lots of time at home, alone.

I don’t sleep much. I hear it’s comforting, but I can’t remember much what it’s like. (This also drives Ginny batty). I keep a pad on my night table, to jot down ideas. (Ginny told me this was better than waking her up to discuss them.)
______________

But since my first three hardbound books were published while I was still actively in law practice, the above may not be a full explanation. I guess I’ve just always been a compulsive “doer,” and sometimes I push this on my friends (it drives the hell out of Bannon!) I do have one credo, that I believe (seriously now) is very important for getting things done. And that is:

“The hardest part of doing anything is starting it.”

Really, more projects don’t get done because of inertia, because you just don’t quite get there to begin it, because projects get postponed or procrastinated, or because some other thing is more important, or because I’m not quite ready, or because I can do it much better tomorrow (next month, next year, on vacation), etc. There are hundreds of reasons to wait – but once you start, you’re over the hump. Once you start, it’s in process. And since I’m so organized and compulsive, I can’t let something sit there unresolved, so I finish it. Or, more accurately, I don’t let go until it’s finished. But this only happens once you start something. (There are people who’ve been telling me for years that they’re going to memorize a stack, as soon as …. But if they started, just tried it, it might actually get accomplished!) Enough of my soapbox.

And magic isn’t my only love. Ginny and I spend lots of time together (she reads my mind). Somewhere, beyond my law and magic, I’ve also kept up an avid interest in ballroom dance (I still take lessons once a week) and in collecting contemporary art. The real “time budgeting” however started three years ago, on my 60th birthday. Ginny asked me what I wanted, that would be special, that I’ve never done before. And I told her I’d like to learn to play the piano. (I’d never played before, and couldn’t even read music.) So, for the past three years I’ve been taking piano lessons, and practicing several hours a day.

So, I guess the bottom line: I don’t know the answer to your question.

Ginny must be a saint.

Thank you Simon.

Your answer was more insightful than you realize.

Pierre

Simon Aronson wrote:
“The hardest part of doing anything is starting it.”

I absolutly agree with you 100% Simon

Peo

I gave up watching television back in the early 1980s. I've always had enough time to be an engineering manager and a magician. The trade-off: I didn't get a chance to see The Facts of Life, MacGyver, or The Dukes of Hazzard.

Maybe I didn't miss anything important...

I'm agree also with Mr. Simon & Mr. Peo : "the hardest part of doing anything is starting it".
So if you don't try to start today, it will to late and wasting your time for nothing. Even if you are very busy, there is a small chance/time to learn. Better than nothing.