What I Learned Today 😒

I say this with a great deal of caution because I hate paper. Hate the stuff! I'm a digital baby, man. I love the fact that I can store all the crap that used to clog up my physical existence on a 3x6-inch device or 2-pound laptop.

Every time I see a piece of paper a sick, tight feeling wells up in my belly, and slowly works its way up my esophagus, into my spine, and finally makes its way to my brain, where it registers as disgust and horror. Laugh all you want. I'm not kidding.

However!

Today I learned that paper can be my friend. Little 5x7 index cards to be exact.

Lately I've been doing these morning brainstorming sessions at one of many local coffee shops. (I bounce around so as to not outwear my welcome.)

These brainstorming sessions are electronics-free. They are not welcome, and not allowed. All I bring is my pen and a stack of these little cards.

I write about all kinds of stuff. Some of it's ideas. Some of it's feelings. Some of it's cool products or features that I could add to those products. A lot of it is content, as the marketing “geniuses” call it. (Let's not respect it too much by calling it an “article” or a “post” or a “photograph” or a “helpful resource”.)

Anyhoo, writing on paper every morning has been great! As a matter of fact, I'm writing this post right now on paper. And, for some reason, ideas flow so differently in analog. It's crazy. I thought it was a freak-occurance the first time, but then it kept happening.

It's really cool and I intend to keep it up.

There is absolutely no reason to develop ideas on a computer. I can't think of a single endeavor, creative or otherwise, that can't be worked out on paper. You know, the substance we've been using for thousands of years to write down cool shit.

When I'm done working on paper, then I go home and open a computer. There are some strict rules here, too:

1. The only time the computer should be opened is when your final work is beginning, and there's no choice. For example, you have to write that code, or digitize that sketch, or lay out that magazine cover for the client.

2. When the computer is opened, the only software that should be ignited is the one you are using to do your work. No web browser! No notifications!

3. If you need to email someone, compose the email in text edit. (Or here, on Write.as, as I do.) Then copy it into your mail client and send quickly! What good does it do to go poking around in there? it will only occupy your mind with shit that doesn't matter right this minute.

I quickly take a photo of these index cards, send them puppies to Evernote, and then toss them into the firey abyss that is the recycling container.

Whoever is reading this, hopefully this helps you a bit.

Just because you are sitting in front of a computer doesn't mean you're working. If you are going to waste time, at least go for a walk, look at some damn birds and get some Vitamin D.

Don't sit there, ruining your eyes and back if you are not being truly productive.

If you want to know how to hire a great employee, here goes. Throw away the resumés. Burn the degrees. Take a big dump on the certifications.

And then follow my two-step plan for hiring great employees every time:

Step 1: Check their social media feeds.

Step 2: Notice how many times they complain, versus how many times they are grateful.

Only interview those who complain the least. Then have all the fun you want with resumés, other random pieces of paper, and references.

I guarantee this is the best way to find the best people.

It's good to collapse from time to time. Too much stimulation is detrimental. Collapse, think about nothing, get ideas. Get stronger. And then move.

When something is comfortably intolerable, it's probably a sign that you're pushing forward in the right direction. Not feeling warm and fuzzy means I'm doing something right.

Let the low throbbing discomfort guide you to the right thing.

Wish I had more to add, but nope. The title says it all.

Execute! Don't talk or think about something unless you intend to take action.

Just because someone is a “subscriber” doesn’t mean they are reading your stuff.

I learned this today while cleaning out my Feedly subscriptions, which I do about every 6 months.

I was mindlessly scrolling through a bunch of crap for months and looked up, horrified, when I realized that my precious life, time which I will never get back, was being wasted on this drivel.

It was meaningless, regurgitated press releases. Shallow puddles of “news” and “10 ways to this,” and “you won’t believe that’s”, and hand-wringing and wailing.

I’ve fallen into the trap of not wanting to be left behind. And for this, I paid with my life.

I’ll make a prediction. This is going to get very old, very quick.

So what did I do? I made a folder called The Good Stuff. This folder consists of writers whose very names flashing before my eyes while I scroll, make me perk up, take notice, and devour their articles.

It is the folder I will go to first, read it’s entirety, and the one which, after reading, will probably leave the site, satisfied.

This is the folder of the authors who don’t waste my time, belittle my intelligence, or scare me needlessly.

They are the level-heads, the voices of reason, and the ones I trust.

Trust. Huge deal. Not that this is news but it is the most important thing in marketing. Then a good product, then UX, then all the other crap everyone seems to think is important.

What separates this The Good Stuff list from the rest of my subscriptions?

Let’s have a look.

They all have one or more of the following qualities:

1. Incredibly dense, highly valuable, educational material.

2. They are real people, writing real words. They’ve become people I consider my friends, or have some kind of deeper bond with because I’ve been taking in, and appreciating, their opinions for sometimes years. Some are intelligently hilarious. Some are enviably deep. Some are braver than I’ll ever dream of being. All reasons to be admired.

3. They are beautiful. I don’t think I’m alone here. I like looking at beautiful things. It’s nice. It’s inspirational. It’s fantasy.

Each brand or person falls into one or more of these categories. And that’s why I follow them.

Perhaps we’ll ride this 10 ways to blah, derp, disrupt something wave back down to revulsion at the other end. Kind of like a decade of decadence followed by one of health-centric, chaste behavior.

Kind of like a weekend-long frat party. You drink the booze freely, fornicate, curse, whatever. But by Sunday night you grow weary and look forward to tomorrow where your body can heal, you can think straight, and you can get some damn peace.

I call myself a “creative” but the funny thing is, I haven’t created in a long time.

Only consumed. I’m a consumer. Everything is so much easier gushing in than out.

It’s probably a good idea to create and consume in equal quantities, but right now it’s about 90/10.

Not good.

Edit, edit, edit. Remove until you can’t remove anymore.

If it doesn’t offer exceptional value, remove.

Trying to drill this deep: don’t insult someone’s intelligence or waste their time by including meaningless stuff.

Attention is a gift. Never think otherwise. Be grateful that someone is giving you the world’s only non-renewable resource: minutes of life.

And act like you appreciate it.

Today can be amazing or shitty.

I’m not pontificating. This is what I have to remind myself constantly, and what I reminded myself just now.

However annoying and cliché it sounds, attitude matters. Right now I want to throw the laptop through the window and go scrub toilets. Anything to get out the pent-up energy.

It was another sleepless night last night. Saving this teetering business is like looking up at Goliath and having an atom-sized slingshot. But, it’s not impossible to win.

One of the things that’s helped is constantly repeating, “you have a choice.” You can feel like garbage and feel like a poor little baby or you can approach your business like a champion fighter, who, may still be a toddler, but when he grows up he’ll knock out the best of them.

Today, I’m still that pathetic toddler. Complete with poopy draws and whining every chance I get.

It will be uncomfortable and scary, no matter what. But you have a choice how you fight.