From Habit to Mastery: The Hidden Skill Every Magician Knows

We hear it everywhere: success is all about habits. But as a magician, I’ve found that before we can rely on habits, we need to develop the right practices. It's these deliberate, challenging, often uncomfortable practices that shape the habits that ultimately help us succeed.

I was made aware of the difference between habits and practices by an actual magician at a conference. 

Years ago I was at a conference of magicians and, as is typical of these sorts of events, I found myself at a table where a bunch of magicians were sharing tricks with each other. 

One of the magicians at the table was a bit of a big shot. Everyone else at the table knew his name and we all eagerly watched as he shared miracle after miracle with a deck of playing cards. 

Other magicians took turns sharing little tidbits of their skills and this impromptu guru of sleight of hand shared his opinions. 

“Clean handling,” he’d smile at one magician. “You almost fooled me,” he’d wink at another.

Then he turned to me. 

“Show us something,” he said. 

I choked down my vomit and felt a rush of blood to the head. 

At that time in my life I was not accustomed to performing for other magicians. I performed for family and friends and people I met through family and friends. 

I decided to share the card trick I’d worked the hardest on, and that I was most proud of. 

The secret move involved me palming a card. (Palming is where the performer conceals a playing card in their hand, while maintaining a natural posture.)

When I finished the trick I looked up just in time to see Mr. Big Shot furrow his forehead. 

“It’s not good,” he said bluntly, making my nightmares come true. Everyone else around the table froze. 

“Your palming technique is so obvious that I bet I could see it from over there,” he scoffed and pointed to the wall over his shoulder. 

I was taken aback. It was so discouraging, especially knowing how many hours of work I’d buried into the learning of the technique. 

He must have seen the hurt in my face and pulled me aside. 

“How are you practicing this?” he asked me. 

“Every day,” I said, probably a hair more defensively than I wanted to. “Whenever I’m watching TV I’ll grab a deck of cards and let my hands do the work.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said, “You’re practicing poorly. You’re practicing habitually, but it’s more habit than practice.”

This raised my eyebrows. “What’s the difference?” 

“Practicing requires your full attention to the task. It means you cannot have the distraction of TV and movies. You’re working so that the move feels easier, which is great, but without paying attention and collecting important feedback, you’re getting really smooth at doing the wrong things.”

He wished me luck and sent me on my way. But the lesson stuck with me and it changed my perspective on practices and habits.

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Palming began as a deliberate practice for me: slow, focused, always evolving. But over time it became less deliberate. It transformed into a habit, something I could do without thinking. My progress stalled. I was comfortable, but no longer improving.

Habits may save us energy, and our brains crave efficiency, constantly nudging us toward autopilot. But unchecked, this can put our growth to sleep. When practices slip into unconscious habits, we lose the edge that keeps us sharp and at our best.

If we want to keep progressing we need to reignite our practices. It means revisiting them with curiosity and focus, refusing to settle for routine. Only then can we keep reaching for our highest potential, one conscious choice at a time.

So here’s your challenge this week: examine a few practices in your life. What can you approach with more intention and look for feedback on? Whether it’s a skill, a conversation, or a daily ritual, try bringing a fresh, deliberate focus to it. See what changes when you make room for growth.