In the spring of 1787, after the success of his previous opera The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart was asked to write another opera based off the infamous Spanish character named Don Giovanni.

The National Theatre in Prague decided to give Mozart until autumn to write a 3-hour performance. A pretty generous deadline for a pro.

But what the board didn’t know about Mozart was that he wasn’t just a professional composer, he was also a professional procrastinator.

For the next seven months, Mozart spent most of his time traveling between Vienna and Prague, making guest appearances at parties and attending concerts and social gatherings.

As a 31-year-old up-and-coming composer, it can be safe to say he let the success of his previous opera get to his head. Especially since he wrote The Marriage of Figaro in six weeks, so in his mind, he had nothing but time.

But just like with anything else, time flies.

And just a few days before the scheduled premier on October 29th, 1787, Mozart still hadn’t even started on his commission.

It wasn’t until the overbearing pressure began to finally weigh on his shoulders that he finally found the motivation to sit down and begin writing it.

Legend has it that on the very night before the premier, Mozart was still writing the overture, which is one of the most important parts of an opera as it sets the tone for the entire orchestra.

And after pulling probably one of the first all-nighters, Mozart finished writing his orchestration of Don Giovanni. Hours before the premier.

Now this is the part of the story where most people would expect his opera to be a flop. And who can blame them? This guy wrote a 3-hour orchestra in a matter of days.

But despite his degree in procrastination, Don Giovanni turned out to be a massive success. It would go on to become one of Mozart’s greatest operas and is now considered one of the greatest works in orchestra history.

Putting aside his poor lifestyle choices, Mozart was a man who worked well under pressure. In fact, that’s where he produced his best work.

Even today there are studies that show 32% of people work better under stress. Whether you work in blue-collar or consumer services, stress—or pressure—can make you work better because your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol which increases focus, energy, and awareness.

Of course this isn’t a state of mind we should constantly live in, but putting yourself under pressure might be the one thing you’re missing when it comes to achieving what you want.

Some of the greatest works and scientific discoveries were created in just a few days:

“Hey Jude” by the Beatles was written in two days.

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was written in three days.

Martin Luther’s “I Have A Dream” speech took two days to write.

The Manhattan Project took around three days to assemble which would go on to change the course of World War II.

I could go on and on.

But what I’m getting at is that maybe what you need in life is a little stress.

Maybe you’re a part of that 32%.

So try giving yourself a deadline.

Because as they say, pressure creates diamonds.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still reading The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal. A book on how self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it.

Quote Of The Week - “If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” — Thomas Jefferson