Restaurant servers usually start with one question. “Is this your first time?”
Either way, it’s an awful question to be asked. The answer is irrelevant. It’s like being asked the same question after a 3rd (really good) date. Just awful.
Instead, isn’t it always better to hear, “You’ve been here before, right?”
Same info is gathered. But this way, if your answer is, “This is my first time,” you don’t feel like such a idiot outsider.
Know what I’m saying, right?
This one is for people who like to read. Are you a news junkie? A bookworm? A self taught Mr. Know-it-all?
If so, you might know something about Albert Einstein. He had many theories, one of which is less read.
“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.” -Albert Einstein
Still want to keep reading?
In business, it’s tempting to win through trickery. But who are you appealing to? The less intelligent? The less educated? The less fortunate? What, Average Americans?
Big food tricks Average Americans into thinking their products are healthy. Take the “Low Fat!” bait and what do you get? Diabetes.
Free Credit Report dot com makes tricks people into thinking their products are free. Take the “Free” bait, and what do you get? Monthly charges on your credit card.
Some email marketers use ALL CAPS in parts of the subject lines. Take the “SHOCKING” bait and what do you get? A stinking pile of garbage. Plus, a link to click, probably leading you to another stinking pile of garbage.
But aren’t we all getting smarter? More educated. More exposed. Less likely to be tricked?
Statisticians may challenge the notion of Average Americans being ever-present. Yes, average is a relative term. But Average Americans are becoming Above Average Americans, compared to the past. And isn’t figuring new ways to trick them a lot tougher, in the long run, than earning their trust and treating them with respect in the short term?
On my lifeisnoyoke email list, I tout a lot of things. Small victories, taking breaks and Vitamix. But there’s one thing I don’t tout as much as I should: Long walks.
I take a long walk every day at noon. My dog Lucy comes with me.
Couple that with all the quinoa I eat, and what do you get?
Looks like a recipe for longevity.
What’s on your calendar today? Don’t keep a calendar? What’s on your task list today? Don’t keep a task list?
Well.
Put it on your to-do list. Your productivity tomorrow will soar.
So there’s a lot of FREE stuff out there. And much of it is easy to find. Why? Because the easy-to-find FREE stuff isn’t really free.
But what about the hard-to-find free stuff?
Like laughing your ass off with your friends. Or relaxing with your lover. Or reminiscing with your family.
Yes, people making a living facilitating that free stuff. Going to a movie, or on vacation, or dinner is not FREE. But the stuff that comes with it is. And while it’s sometimes hard-to-find, isn’t that the best kind of free?
Free stuff is easy to find. In fact, many people make a living showing you FREE.
Currently, I pay the bills by showing you free. Not this blog which I write for free. But by showing you how to get a Vitamix shipped for FREE. You get your Vitamix, I get credit for the sale.
For several years, FREE Credit Report dot com has built a business showing you free. You get a credit report, they get an opportunity to sell you services.
For nearly a decade, Facebook has been “FREE and always will be”. You get connected, they get to show you targeted ads.
This stuff wasn’t really free, right? $500 for a Vitamix, $20 / mo for credit monitoring services, your privacy. No wonder it was so easy to find.
When you leave your door unlocked, robbers will take your stuff.
When you leave your passwords unchanged, robbers will take your identity.
When your leave your great grandma to fend for herself, robbers will take her money.
Robbers aren’t out to get you. Taking from you is just their business. Why take it personally if you made their job easy?
It comes in all shapes and sizes. But it doesn’t carry a laptop.
Why do nearly all construction workers pack a lunch?
Is it because they save money by not eating out? Is it because their packed lunch keeps them fuller for longer? Is it because they can save time avoiding lines at restaurants?
Maybe. Or, it’s because that’s “what we do”.
For people who work in an office, it’s the same. The guy who brings a bag of spinach, deli meat and hard-boiled eggs is an outsider. It’s like a construction worker going to Potbelly for lunch. It’s just not “what we do”.
Are you gonna have the courage to change “what we do”?
Good acts are tough to follow. Last night’s Breaking Bad made Dexter look 10x worse than it actually has been this season. Even if your act is good, everything is relative.
Allow things to progress naturally. Dexter went on four seasons too long. It progressed ever-so naturally up until season four. Breaking Bad has been naturally progressing throughout its entire run.
Under promise, over deliver. How many ads did you see hyping this premier or Breaking Bad? Could last night’s episode have been as good if you were expecting a “shocking” premier?
Bonus lesson. Don’t mention last night’s Breaking Bad to anyone who hasn’t seen season 1. Why? See above.