I spent the weekend at a magic convention in London.

For people who enjoy magic (like me), it's a bit like being a child in a sweet shop.

There were performances from some of the best magicians in the world…

The chance to learn the latest and greatest magic tricks...

And everywhere you look, attendees are swapping tricks and telling stories.

The cool thing is...

As well as all the magic, there's also tonnes of takeaways related to other parts of life.

And I’m going to break some of these down over the next couple of days.

Case in point…

One of the most interesting talks was about designing tricks.

You see, a magic trick can look simple from the outside…

But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes…

And a trick can be executed in a variety of different ways.

Take a card trick for instance.

This trick could be done using a trick deck…

Using knuckle-busting sleight of hand…

Or through a mathematical principle.

And from the spectator’s point of view, it all looks the same.

Because the method is hidden from view.

Now, here’s the interesting part…

Whatever method the magician chooses…

There will always be trade-offs and sacrifices.

In other words…

There’s no such thing as a “perfect method”.

Method 1 might mean the deck can’t be handed out after the trick…

Method 2 might prevent the trick being repeated…

And method 3 has more chance of going wrong.

So whatever method is chosen, there will always be a trade-off.

And this reminded me of making big decisions in our lives.

When we weigh up our options, it can be tempting to search for the perfect solution…

A solution which has no downside.

But most of the time the perfect solution doesn’t exist.

There will always be trade-offs and there will be always be sacrifices.

(just like designing a magic trick)

Realising this can take the pressure off making a big decision….

And helps to shift our thinking from “perfect decision” to “best decision”.

Another way of saying this is...

Decision paralysis often stems from a desire to avoid the drawbacks associated with that decision…

Because drawbacks can lead to difficulties and complications.

But the truth is…

You can’t make a big decision without subsequent difficulties and complications.

And I think it's worth remembering this.

That’s all I got for now…

I’ll share another nugget from the convention tomorrow.

- Tom

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