Magic Moments are about being.
They may last a few seconds or minutes, perhaps even culminating after a period of time. Regardless of the time frame—something we often can’t control—Magic Moments require presence, focus, awareness, and engagement.
The reward? A memory that may last a lifetime, recognition for a job well done, a relationship elevated, self-efficacy bolstered, or even a life changed. It’s hard to measure the impact of a single moment, but conversely, if you don’t commit the time and energy, nothing changes. Life becomes a blurry, busy, unmemorable mess. I don’t know about you, but I’m not signing up for that! No thanks, no interest!
No matter how senior or busy we are, we all have time. It’s how we choose to spend it that differs. We’re talking about just a few minutes here and there, with the potential for a hugely leveraged impact. We often have more choice than we think. It’s about committing our energy during a small window of time, where we are fully present and focused on the task or person at hand.
Here are a few examples from my role as a dad, taken from the “Friends and Family” sphere of my life over the last couple of weeks:
- Take off the training wheels. I took the time to remove the stabilizers from Hudson’s bike, even though we only had 10 minutes before he had to leave for school. He rode the bike for the first time, with his friends watching and cheering him on, while I ran beside him (just in case)!
- Play in the sand. At the beach, I dug a reservoir and showed the kids how to build a dam. It took them over 10 minutes, running back and forth, knocking the dam down, and watching the water flow into the ocean (disproportionately entertaining). They rebuilt and refilled it, again and again. To be fair, this one also buys you some legitimate adult time, with the occasional full-on intervention!
- Be a kid. After dinner, I played tickle-wrestle with the boys in the lounge. Laugh and play!
- Throw the frisbee. He may catch it for the first time (and he did)!
- Get the guitar out. You may be not be good at it but they’ll look at you like you’re a rock star. I’ll never forget Harry’s smile—priceless!
When I think about my purpose—“to create opportunities that inspire people to go forward as the ultimate version of themselves”—it starts with the intentionality to make an impact, followed by a commitment to presence, and the activation of some of my best-self principles. I’m proud to be infusing these three elements into the spheres of my life that matter most to me right now. I have plenty of examples from my work and community involvement too, all simplified through my daily focus on “inspire, connect, advance.”
You can go through the spheres of your life with this exercise:
- Self
- Friends and family
- Work role
- Workplace
- Community
- Finances
-What are some of your recent Magic Moments?
-How can you commit a few minutes to the areas that are most important to you, and create more Magic Moments for yourself and those you spend time with?
-What three focus words would encourage you to create more Magic Moments?
Do this, and you’ll enjoy more engagement, harmony, and meaning in your life!