The Magic You’re Avoiding

There’s a certain kind of work we tend to avoid, and oddly, it’s rarely the tedious stuff. Most of us can grind through emails, spreadsheets, or scheduling without much resistance. The work we dodge is usually the work that matters.. the thing that would move us forward if we’d simply give it the time it deserves.

I caught a phrase that immediately resonated with me, and obviously stuck. I actually think about it quite often.

“The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.”

I can’t fully explain why, but the default for me (and for many of us) is to get the “other” work done first. Sometimes it’s because those tasks are things others are relying on us to complete. Sometimes it’s because it feels good to check a few easy items off the list. And sometimes it’s because the work that really matters isn’t something you finish in a day. It requires energy, attention, and a willingness to sit with the unknown.

Interestingly, avoidance isn’t a sign that something is unimportant; in fact, it’s often the opposite. We tend to avoid the projects that require us to stretch, the conversations that ask us to be vulnerable, or the ideas we aren’t entirely sure we’re good enough to execute well (at least until we drop into them and actually start doing the work). This is where the perceived risk hides, and naturally, where the growth hides along with it. So instead of tackling the meaningful thing, we fill our day with low-impact motion. We reorganize. We tweak. We tidy. We check the boxes that give us the illusion of progress, all while the real work sits untouched.

It’s better to make small progress on something meaningful than massive progress on a list of things that don’t really create impact.

What’s maybe most interesting is that breakthroughs rarely come from a spark of clarity or a wave of inspiration. They come from just doing the work.. from showing up and shipping a little bit every day. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt truly “ready” when starting something important, whether it was a new project, a difficult discussion, or a piece of writing that demanded honesty. “Ready” would imply I have all the data, that the timing is perfect, and that my plate is clear so I can focus.

When’s the last time your plate was clear? That’s why they say you have to make time, not find time, for the things that are important. I’m looking at you, gym.

This raises an interesting question: How do you make readiness optional, but starting non-negotiable? Because once you begin, even for a few minutes, you typically find the weight of avoidance lifts, and you can build traction.

So here’s a simple challenge for the week: identify one piece of work you’ve been avoiding. Not the entire category, not the whole backlog, just one. Give it ten minutes of your attention and see what happens. Does ten minutes turn into thirty? Does it inspire you to show up for another ten the next day? You’re not aiming for perfection or a full solution. Just progress. You may discover the resistance wasn’t about the task at all; it was about the story you’d built around it.

The magic, it turns out, is rarely in the final product. It’s in proving to yourself that you’re willing to step toward the meaningful work instead of away from it. And once you do, even briefly, you’ll remember why it mattered in the first place.