Most of us have had magical moments, but few of us have intentionally tried to create one. We’re generally just trying to get through the day. Proposals and weddings don’t count, although there are some lessons we can learn there. There are a few ingredients that are a good starting point:
- Puppies or Kittens
- Little kids who can’t take direction
- Flowers
- Inspirational Music
- Stars
- Fireworks
- Candlelight
- Butterflies
- Delicious food and drink
- Words that bring back memories
- Presents
- Majestic views
- Doing something really big, or really small
It’s not a complete list – but you get the idea. So here’s the question – how do you apply this to things less matrimonial? Oh – and you have little or no budget. It’s actually something I think about regularly. A lot depends on how it is applied.
Since remote work has become commonplace, people are starting to reevaluate work, life, and everything. Does the office make sense? Is the time we spend together productive? Are more hours in the office better, or is it just more hours? What if all our interactions were memorable? This is often where I land when I think about this stuff.
How We Work
When I go to my town offices, I’m always greeted by Sadie, a black lab who supervises the town manager. It’s not exactly magical, but there is a ritual for greeting Sadie that is both anticipated and memorable. Now, dogs don’t work in every office, so we can’t rely on that. Little kids are out, although it is sometimes fun when they crash a Zoom call. Still, they don’t really work, along with pretty much everything on the list I just provided. So what do they have in common that can apply to work?
It really is about connecting to an idea, experience, moment, or emotion. That’s where the magic takes place. Many leaders misinterpret this to think this sort of thing is tied to “Watercooler moments” that justify bringing people back into offices more frequently. But much like weddings, magical moments don’t happen very often in the office. And really, when was the last time you had an inspirational moment hanging out at the metaphorical watercooler? More likely, it was comparing notes on sports games or office gossip. Not a lot of aha moments there.
Magical moments at work generally don’t happen in the office. Alternatively, you may have had one at a conference or a corporate retreat. What’s the difference? Someone generally created the latter experience. It didn’t happen by accident. We need to focus on creating intentional interactions in our time together. We won’t always succeed in creating magic, but we at least create more meaningful interactions.
Our work time together should be about quality vs quantity. It doesn’t take that much more effort to think about how that time can be memorable. Before you have that next meeting or event, think of ways to make it memorable. If that doesn’t seem possible, maybe it’s a meeting you don’t need to be having.
Everyday Life
Coming out of WWII, the U.S. was blessed with suburbs, television, and commuter culture. All of those things took away from the social institutions that previously existed in most communities. The piano and game table in the living room were replaced with a large TV box. Civic organizations and churches saw their enrollment drop as people spent more time coming and going to work. Family sizes dropped thanks to the cost of day care. And in general, everyone is stressed out living on a giant hamster wheel. Who has time for magic? But that’s what everyone is looking for.
Between the Covid reset and now the rise of AI, people are stepping back to look at their lives. Why do I drive an hour to work each day? Why can’t I grow my own food? Is this where I want to live? Why does daycare cost more than my mortgage? Why is there nothing to do in my town? Just because I can generate a book or song with AI, should I?
We’ve been dealing with so many distractions like work, commuting, and TV, that we’ve lost sight of things we actually care about. People are looking for more things that are authentic and hopefully magical.
- Craft brews and wine tastings
- Events with celebrities
- Open Mic nights
- Group events
- Baking bread
- House concerts
- Table readings
- Improv shows
- Restoring a house
- Cooking classes
- Pop-up Art shows
- Meeting new people
- Gardening
- Having a picnic by a stream
- Painting
- Journaling
You might not always find magic in these things, but you never know. Someone like me is thinking about the two lists above and seeing how to create magic by doing something unexpected or memorable. Much like love, you have to experience magic to know it. When it happens naturally, it is extra special. Like the 3-pointer buzzer beater in the UConn-Duke game recently. Unfortunately, you can’t plan something like that. You can only create the circumstances in which it might happen. Some things in life we do have more control over. And if we put our minds to it, we can make magic. Here’s a look at an example.
