As we busily handle the urgent tasks in day-to-day life, it’s easy to jump from one activity to the next without imagining anything better than the way we’re doing what we’re already doing. According to Liz Bohannon in her book Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now, using an imaginary magic wand in situations like this can yield some major rewards in your real life. In her book, Bohannon shares how her team would have “magic-wand” meetings where they would answer the question, “If you could wave a magic wand and change anything about _____, how would it be?” Each team member would answer, and sometimes they’d all laugh together in the face of how impossible some of the answers seemed. However, the entire team committed not to criticize or advise based on practical matters during these meetings. Instead, they would marvel at how amazing it would be if those changes really happened. “Wow before how,” Bohannon called it.
The power of this kind of exercise is in the way it opens our minds to what “better” might look like if it were possible. Bohannon and her team found that many ideas that seemed impossible at first in the magic-wand meetings later became real improvements and victories. It’s amazing how a vision that fills us with wonder can energize us in finding solutions to practical challenges that might have made it seem impossible at first.
You can use magic-wand questions to kickstart imagination and deepen relationships in all sorts of places. You can ask your spouse or child, “If you could wave a magic wand and make anything happen in the next year, what would it be?” You can ask a potential customer, “If you could wave a magic wand and make this process as perfect as possible, what would that look like?” If you’re looking to grow personally, you can ask a couple people you trust, “If you could wave a magic wand and add or remove a habit of mine, what would it be?”
May this next season be filled with hope and possibility for you. Blessings until next time! -Caleb