Why it is worth your time to read this book…
The future is calling – it is your life – 20% is what happens to you,
80% will be how you respond to it.
With that—the question is how you go about the 80% that lies in your hands. What will you do? The future is mostly uncharted territory, awaiting your journey through it, and much of it will become what you make it to be.
That leads to questions, such as what you want to become, where you want to go, and how you will get there. The answers can come from Do-Magic.
Below I have answered some questions I was asked about this book.
What is Do-Magic and why should I consider it?
Do-Magic is a system and framework to create and live your dream. Briefly, the letters denote:
D – Define your Dream
O – Observe, and be Objective
M – Mindsets, Milestones, and Measures of Success (MOS)
A – Analysis and Action
G – Generate a Timeline and Plan B
I – Implement, and stay Inspired
C – Checks and Balances, Celebration, and Commitment
Life did not come with a user’s manual on how to dream or live. The result is that too many people wander through life and achieve far less than their full potential; relying on success by chance. They lose precious time, and wake up one day to find it is too late. Do-Magic provides a system and a framework that you can use to sculpt your success—and do it by design.
Finally, like fine grains of sand in your fist, your time on the planet is finite (approximately 36,000 days from the time of birth, 16,000 if you are about age 40). Wouldn’t it make sense to make the most of it before it slips away? Achieve something, scale new heights, live for a cause that makes you wake up every day with excitement. You can either count the moments, or make moments count.
—Neville Goddard
Why bother with a systematic approach?
Let us say you leave things to chance and let life happen. There will be little control over where you end up. You will be like a rudderless boat with uncontrolled sails flapping around in the breeze. Even with the right current and wind, you wouldn’t be able to steer it. Additionally, rapids, rocks, eddies, turns and corners are all part of the journey. How will you navigate these? It is also possible, seeing you in such a boat, someone else may attach a tow line and take you to a destination of their choice.
Do-Magic comprises a system and framework. It provides know-how to create your dream, shape your mindsets, and a framework you can use to act upon your dreams. When know-how is used in sync with a framework, it can deliver powerful results. Do-Magic enables you to channel your energy in the right direction and for the right reason. Unfocused energy results in explosions that can burn and hurt; only harnessed energy can make power and get work done.
Who can or should Do-Magic?
First—anyone can apply this approach. The results will depend on your starting point, how you use it, and what you apply it to. Students can create a pathway for their careers. Professionals can use it to progress to the next level. Business owners can use it to expand and grow their operations. Teachers can use it to help students achieve more. Moms and dads can apply it to build better families and help their children accomplish more. Coaches or mentors can guide mentees in a constructive manner that produces results.
When to use Do-Magic?
You can apply Do-Magic when you are about to start something new or use it to make improvements to something you are already doing.
Suppose you are at one of life’s many turning points, exiting from your previous commitments and engagements. A sense of vast emptiness now fills your life—and the limitless expanse of the future lies ahead. You see endless pathways and trails—each leading in a different direction. You could take an extended trip abroad, go hike the mountains, pursue your next degree, start a business, spend time with your aging parents, or, take an early retirement. You need to make critical life decisions, and there is no text book to refer to. What should you do?
Maybe you are in the middle of a career, and find things are not going the way you had anticipated, or you have gone astray for some reason. Do-Magic can help make course corrections and get your career back on track, or, chart out a new course.
As you can see, regardless of age, gender, or situation, there is a bewildering array of paths one can pursue. Making sound decisions can become so confusing and stressful; some people give up and let things happen. Recall the boat? Rudderless and with uncontrolled sails, where will it take you?
Times of uncertainty are the best opportunities to apply Do-Magic—because it has the power to help you focus and move forward, creating and living the life of your choice. You can also choose to do nothing—but the clock will be ticking and time will pass you by. Our wandering mind—left to itself—entertains random thoughts from here and there that may or may not add up to anything. But, it can keep you busy, thereby creating the illusion of progress.
Is this the only way forward?
This is one way to move forward. If you have used another approach, and it has worked—great! If not, consider using Do-Magic. I encourage you to use it, and feel free to adapt it to your needs as you go.
If you would be willing to share your experiences for the benefit of others—I will be happy to post your case study on our blogs or website, and with your permission also include it in future editions/versions of this book?
Can you take a short cut and skip some parts?
Do-Magic is an integrated system—as such you will benefit the most from using all parts of it. If you choose a partial approach, it could result in partial success, and in some cases your efforts may be in vain.
For example, if you were to apply the A (Analysis and Action), and the I (Implement), you might get movement in random directions; it would be like driving a car without steering it. If you were to use only the D (Dream), M (Measures of Success, or MOS), and A (Analysis)—there will be only thoughts and ideas; but no real progress.
For these reasons, I recommend you study the whole approach and use it as a system. It can truly be a life changing experience and you will never look back.
What about application examples?
I have included case studies of three individuals which we will follow through all the chapters in the book, giving you a complete view of Do-Magic at work. Additionally, there are some examples from my life, other individuals, and one based on NASA’s launching of the space shuttle.
What made you write this book and why now?
The system and framework described in this book are a distillation of my learning from different gurus, and the experiences gained through the application and development of the methods I conceived—both in personal life and business.
The inspiration to write this book came when I got feedback from hundreds of attendees from my seminars who commented that they wished they had learned this 10, or even 20 years ago. Many of my students have successfully applied it to their careers and projects; in one instance—students at the Granite Technical School in Salt Lake City, Utah, successfully used this approach on their senior year projects.
It was at the urging of these folks that I began composing this book.
How long did it take to create the book?
This book began as I accumulated scribbles of ideas on topics I would want to cover, mostly jotted down on planes, in airport lounges, cafes, and during weekends at home. I accumulated these notes for over a decade.
Writing began in earnest in late 2012; however business engagements held me back and I had to postpone writing work until June 2014, when it picked up steam again. Along the way I used 5S* extensively, sorting and storing ideas and topics, refining and sequencing the ones that would be included in the book.
*5S stands for Sort, Shine, Store, Standardize, and Sustain. It is widely applicable, and a practice followed by Lean practitioners on the path of continuous improvement.