“50% of the time, it works every time.” :)

that's what I told the waitress in Texas after my magic trick failed right in front of her face yesterday.

the ball was supposed to disappear from the box. it didn't.

she laughed. I laughed. and then we talked for 20 minutes, finding out the best places to eat.

Here's the thing I didn't expect about learning magic this week, skill 14 of 53: the failed tricks work better than the successful ones.

when a trick works, people go "oh wow, cool."

when a trick fails, people laugh. and laughter does something that amazement doesn't: it removes the wall between 2 strangers instantly.

Useful lesson 1: the real skill is NOT magic

Are you an introvert?

I'm an introvert. if you put me in a room full of strangers, I never know what to say first. once a conversation gets going, I'm fine. I can talk for hours.

but that first 10 seconds is so hard.

BUT this week I accidentally found a cheat code.

a $15 magic set for kids gave me something I've never had: a reason to talk to anyone, anywhere, without it being weird!

on the plane: "want to see a little magic trick?" 2 strangers became travel friends.

at the restaurant: showed the waiter a card trick. he came back to ask how I did it.

at the hotel: failed trick, big laugh, real conversation.

every single time, the same pattern. the trick is the door to connection.

this is about you too:

I'm not writing this to tell you I learned magic. I'm writing this because I think most people have the same problem I do.

you're at a party and don't know anyone.

you're in line somewhere and want to talk to the person next to you but can't think of a reason.

you're at a work event making the same small talk for the 400th time. "so what do you do?" "how about this weather?"

boring. predictable. autopilot.

a simple trick in your pocket changes that.

it gives you that epic script for the first 10 seconds. After that, you don't need one.

Useful lesson 2: how to start (seriously, this week)

you don't need to be good. I'm proof of that. here's what you actually need:

go online or to any toy store and buy a beginner magic set. they cost $10-15 and come with 15-20 tricks.

the ones that work best are physical props: the box that hides the ball, the chain that links to a ring, simple cards.

these are designed so a kid can learn them. you'll be fine.

pick 3 tricks. just 3. practice them 10 times each in front of a mirror. that's maybe 30 minutes total.

then try one on a real person. a coworker. a barista. your uber driver. say "want to see something?" and go.

if it works: they'll be impressed and you'll feel like a wizard.

if it fails: they'll laugh and you'll feel like a comedian.

either way, you broke the autopilot.

either way, you gave someone an unexpected positive moment in their day.

either way, you're now in a conversation.

Useful lesson 3: the skills are multiplying

two weeks ago I learned comedy. this week the failed tricks became funny instead of embarrassing.

week 5 I practiced talking to strangers. that made it easy to walk up to anyone with a magic cards.

week 10 I worked on listening. that made the conversations after the trick actually meaningful.

none of these skills work alone the way they work together.

comedy plus magic plus conversation skills turned me, an introvert, into someone who made friends on a plane, at a hotel, and at a restaurant in one day.

13 weeks in, this is the clearest pattern of the whole project.

Try them together with me!

p.s. I've tried on 7 cowboy hats in Texas so far. None of them fit my Italian head. if you have cowboy hat advice, let me know 🙂

Daily progress, keep practicing:

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

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- Alex