Lifestyle Changes That Last, Like Magic

Practicing magic for 20 years has taught me that practice never ends. You're constantly refining ideas, perfecting techniques. The levels of learning make themselves very clear. 

I’m starting to see that the positive strides I’ve made in changing certain behaviors have each taken a year or more to develop. And they follow a pattern similar to the one that comes when anyone goes for  a lifestyle change. 

I find something I want to change, I find a reason why I want that, I learn how I can accomplish it, and then I am disappointed at myself and disapprove of my inability to do so easily. I then forget about the goal, and the efforts leave my conscious thoughts. 

And then somehow, six to twelve months pass by and I find myself doing that thing or changing that behavior. This includes learning to save more, invest smarter, exercise, study and other habits. 

There’s an early point of frustration and giving up, a forgetting, and then something magical occurs. I don’t quite understand it. But I am comfortable that good things take time. That good things must start with an intention and be fueled by passion. And that they require patience. I look forward to the many more changes ahead. 

Capture the moment. Seize the day. Catch that card. #practice #perseverance #passion #play #grit #focus #determination #magic #magician #cardmagic #cardistry #sleightofhand #FoolUs #Catch52 #catchmeifyoucan Using @officialbicyclecards as always. #nogimmicks #nocrimps #noshorts #justdoit #method #effect #methodistheeffect

A post shared by Kostya Kimlat (@kostyamagician) on Jul 21, 2018 at 11:02am PDT

At the start of the year I started practicing for “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and keeping track of my practice sessions. I would place a card face up into the center of the deck and practice catching it as I dribbled the cards. I made many discoveries along the way. My favorite was that what I was doing was the equivalent of pouring gas, where you’re trying to time the pump to stop at the exact penny. Or a bartender pouring a perfect shot by using timing and estimation, instead of measuring. A chef eyeing the measurements of a recipe. I also tried different variables to see how they would impact my ability to catch the card. Should my eyes be open or closed? Closed. Go faster or slower? Faster. Can I do it well a day after a workout? No. Better sitting or standing? Standing. I knew that the only way I could focus on the performance and the entertainment during the filming is if I could isolate the technical aspect and master it separately. These practice sessions were daily and I filmed time lapse videos so a small group of friends could keep me accountable. There’s nothing like a set date on the calendar to keep you focused and practicing. #practice #focus #determination #momentum #learning #magic

A post shared by Kostya Kimlat (@kostyamagician) on Jul 20, 2018 at 11:53am PDT