Ask anyone to name a magic trick and you’ll likely hear “pulling a rabbit from a hat.” This awe-inspiring magical effect exemplifies how a magician can defy expectations and create something from nothing. It’s easy to make a comparison between this magical effect and our own capacity as humans to turn our dreams into reality. By setting clear goals, writing a plan, and taking consistent action, we can unleash our own inner magic to turn our dreams into tangible achievements.
Set Clear Goals
While pulling a rabbit from a hat seems ubiquitous today, you would have to go back to the early 1800’s to view it being performed for the first time. Using the same process as today, the magician who created that effect did so by first visualizing the effect – producing a live animal from within a hat that he previously showed as empty. Setting that clear goal was his first step in achieving it. Without a precise target, success would be difficult to achieve. In the same way, imagine someone wanting to start a successful business. Their goal may be to create a product that solves a problem or to generate a certain amount of revenue within the first year. Defining these objectives in concrete terms (often using the SMART process) provides focus in developing a roadmap toward achieving that goal.
Plan and Prepare
Back to our magician. Once he decided he wanted to produce a live animal from a hat, he had to plan and prepare the effect. In the same way, we must create a well-crafted plan to achieve our desires. Imagine wanting to publish a book. The author needs to find out how to get published, develop an outline of her novel, set aside time each day for writing, and then hone her craft. Before she could begin achieving her goal of publishing her novel, she would have to map out the necessary steps to achieve it.
Act Consistently
The magician is the one who produces the effect. Without his action, the effect cannot come to life. It only remains a dream. If we are to achieve our own dreams, we must act consistently and with purpose. Imagine wanting to lose weight. Simply visualizing yourself as thin – without action to make it happen – will not bring about results. Instead, it requires regular exercise, healthy eating, and taking care of yourself to bring about change. Thinking back to our magician, he had to practice and rehearse the effect of pulling a rabbit out of a hat before performing it for a live audience. In the same way, we must work diligently towards our goals, making choices that are aligned with what we want to achieve.
Visualize Success
Our magician friend had to visualize the outcome he sought before he could make it happen. He may have imagined standing on a stage in a crowded theatre, removing his top hat, showing it empty, placing the hat on a stand, making a magical incantation, then producing a live bunny to the thunderous applause of the audience. This vision was a potent tool for him to make it happen. In the same way, envisioning the results we want to achieve – the final product, the personal fulfillment – strengthens our commitment and aligns our actions with our goals.
Adapt and Refine
Once again, our magician is back at it. He has tried four different ways of producing the rabbit from the hat and each has not worked. Through trial and error, he adapted his method each time in the hopes of perfecting his illusion. Similarly, we must be able to adapt and refine as we undergo our own journey to achieve our goal. Obstacles will arise and will require us to reassess our plans. We must be flexible, able to adjust strategies, learn from setbacks, and tweak our approach as we move closer to achieving our goals.
Just like the enchanting illusion of seeing a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat, we each possess the ability to achieve our own desires. We do this be setting clear goals, carefully planning and preparing, taking consistent and purposeful action, visualizing success, and adapting as needed. Doing these things can unlock our inner magic and make our own dreams materialize before our very eyes, creating a richer and more fulfilling life. We each possess this potential – the trick is to believe in our own inner magician!
This blog post is 100% human-created content.
Chuck Jones is an award-winning speaker, trainer, and e-learning developer as well as a professional magician. He has more than 30 years in the corporate training and development arena and has spoken at numerous conferences including the E-Learning Guild, the Association for Talent Development, and Training Magazine. As a magician, he has performed in numerous close-up, parlor and stage venues throughout the US, including Washington Magic, Elkton Magic, and he can be found most weekends performing at Poe's Magic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. Visit him online (as his stage persona, Chuck Thomas) at www.chuckthomasmagic.com.
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