here's a weird idea: everyone should carry 1 magic trick in their pocket.

To give people an… unexpected moment.

a few seconds where their brain stops running on autopilot and goes "wait... what just happened?"

I tested this theory yesterday on a flight to Texas. 2 ladies, Sloand and Brianne from Ohio.

a $15 kids' magic set. 2 tricks that worked and 3 that failed.

I mean I’m a beginner magician.

but we all laughed in the end :)

Yesterday I just landed in Texas. If you’re close, let me know! I'll be here for a month.

and this week I'm learning magic, with cards, coins, small objects, little games.

I bought a set of 30 magic tricks. it says "for kids" on the box. which feels appropriate given my current skill level.

But Alex, why magic?

because magic does something almost no other skill does. it breaks the boredom pattern.

think about your average day. you wake up, check your phone, commute, work, eat, scroll, sleep. repeat. everything is predictable. your brain runs on autopilot 90% of the time.

a magic trick interrupts that. for 3 seconds, the world doesn't make sense. and in that gap, something beautiful happens: curiosity. wonder.

the feeling we had as a kid when everything was still surprising.

I want to learn how to give that to people.

the airplane proved it

those two girls on the flight didn't care that half my tricks failed. the failed ones were actually funnier than the successful ones. what mattered was the interruption.

we went from 3 strangers avoiding eye contact to 3 people laughing and talking for the rest of the flight. How often do YOU talk to people on the plane?

that's what skills do when they compound.

comedy made the failures funny instead of awkward.

cold approach skills from week 5 made it natural to start the conversation.

confidence from public speaking made me actually do it instead of just thinking about it.

week 6 I learned guitar and it became the highlight of my public speaking talk in week 11.

now comedy and conversation skills are making magic week better before it even officially starts.

this is the thesis of the whole 53skills project. skills multiply each other.

Let me know what you want to practice so I can create more guides and tutorials for you!

what I'm doing this week

I have 7 days to go from "fumbling with a kids' magic set on a plane" to performing close-up magic for strangers in Texas.

The plan:

day 1-2: learn 5-7 tricks well enough to perform them without dropping everything

day 3-4: practice on real people. strangers. coffee shops, bars, wherever

day 5-6: refine the best ones, build a small 3-minute routine

day 7: perform for as many people as possible and document it

The goal is to be able to walk up to anyone, anywhere, and give them an unexpected moment.

Now back to you, friend:

What's the one small skill you could carry with you everywhere that would make other people's days better?

a card trick. a joke. playing a song on a harmonica. knowing how to whistle really well. a coin trick?

I might add it to next week!

Daily progress, keep practicing:

If you missed the previous weeks and unusual lessons, check them out HERE:

Reply to this email with all your questions, comments, or tips, I will answer.

Or share with friends who want to join and grow.

- Alex