“Magic Happens When I’m Early.”

That’s an affirmation that landed in my life a couple years ago - constructed from hard won experience - and it rings evermore true.

I was early to the airport recently. Like, real early. Kinda by accident, which was even cooler. I had mistakenly selected “no toll roads” in my google maps, which led to a 40+ minute longer route in my planning - but not in my execution.

So I got the airport 2.5hrs before my flight.

Rental car return was effortless. Check-in smooth.

Plenty of time to get my bags down from 56lbs to 50lbs on the dot.

Plenty of time to find out I was at the domestic bag drop and walk across the airport to international bag drop.

No sweat breezing through TSA Pre…

Plenty of time to sit and eat the delicious lunch my mom had packed me (just like elementary school, except all organic & keto)

But the magic goes WAY beyond effortlessly gliding through an airport all the way through boarding zone 1 to my window seat where I’m typing this.

Not having to rush, no frantic narrow focus, no fight or flight activation.

The face of the ticket agent - I can remember it.… AND the subtle impact of being present &grateful on a TSA agent.

Sure, our GDP doesn’t put a value on a grounded, regulated nervous system. But it’s worth so much.

And if you’re woo woo like me, you know that your personal vibration is the carrier frequency for the reality you manifest. Like attracts like.

APPLIED MANIFESTATION STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE EASEFUL PUNCTUALITY

HOW THE F* TO BE EARLY SO MAGIC CAN HAPPEN. Aka…

APPLIED MANIFESTATION STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE EASEFUL PUNCTUALITY

ALWAYS BAKE IN MARGIN

Think in percentages, not absolutes. I recommend 20-50% margin depending how much magic you want to happen. E.g. 30 min drive, bake in 6-15min extra. Got an hour call? Bake in 12-30min margin around the call.

THINK IN ABSOLUTES, NOT PERCENTAGES

(HA! I’m a trickster!) - a 2 or 3min margin just isn’t enough. Try increments of 5 minutes.

USE YOUR WILD IMAGINATION TO CONSIDER ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN

Terrence McKenna says “worry is a misuse of the imagination,” but Terrence McKenna was probably late for meetings all the time

Think about all the shit that can go wrong, within reason, and have a game plan and time to handle it.

HAVE A LOOSE PLAN & MENTALLY REHEARSE IT

I learned this from being on the orchestra audition circuit.

I would visualize playing an audition excerpt from start to finish, over and over, visualize the sound, my breathing, my fingers, my thoughts, my eyebrows even.

The night before -or even a few minutes before- you have an important “segment” of life, take a few minutes to visualize it going smoothly.

Visualize it going hilariously badly too, and how you’d handle that with grace & humor. Visualize it going smoothly again (but with a little more margin for the unknown). I guarantee this will change your life if you do it regularly.

EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN

Dude! What you think can/will happen is entirely based on your PAST EXPERIENCE.

If you want to repeat the past and stay stagnant, go ahead, your choice. But when you really make room for the unknown, holy crap - that’s when magic happens and you discover a new life to fall in love with every day.

DO SMALL TASKS AFTER, NOT BEFORE

Checking your email, responding to that WhatsApp thread, getting a matcha latte, doing your makeup, whatever. Most of the time you can do that AFTER you are early, rather than before. And if it MUST happen before you enjoy magical early benefits, put it in your plan and visualize it.

Refrain

When we’re early, magic happens.

I guess magic can happen when you’re late too (it has for me, with great relief at times - but requiring a lot more inner alchemy & creative effort).

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

Name one “segment” of life you’ve got coming up - a call, meeting, exam, performance, adventure, event, or outing.

Brainstorm how you can be early and make more space for magic! I’ll hold that vision with you and bless it up double.

LMK how it goes in the comments!