How to Make Your Name Memorable By Michel Fortin
Part of my job as a copywriter includes, from time to time, creating names for businesses, products, and services. Choosing a name may be the single, most important business decision you will ever make.
We are constantly bombarded with marketing messages. Limited by people?s very short attention span, your marketing message has to be effective to the degree that it must communicate its essence and create top-of-mind awareness within an extremely short amount of time.
Names are often the best tools ? and sometimes the only ones ? for accomplishing this efficiently.
In the game of positioning, your name has to stick firmly in the mind of the marketplace and must do so instantly. While uniqueness is an important factor, there are many other elements that can help the anchoring process ? elements that help a name become memorable as well as chosen when a customer experiences a specific need or desire.
So, here are some simple rules to follow when choosing a name for your company or product.
What Does it Do?
To make a company or product name truly memorable, it should convey its main feature or benefit. It should be suggestive. Even if it?s unique, it should, in some way, communicate what it is or does in one fell swoop.
If I give you the word ?Die Hard? for instance, you will think of a battery that dies hard. If I tell you ?Jiffy Lube,? you will naturally assume that it?s a garage offering oil changes in a jiffy. If I tell you ?Band-Aid,? you will picture an adhesive bandage that comes to your aid. If I said ?Minute Rice,? you will assume it?s rice that cooks in minutes.
Suggestive names don?t have to be genetic, either. You can easily create a unique name, which somehow communicates its core benefit, its purpose, or at least its nature.
Think of names like ?Kleenex? (cleanliness), ?Windex,? (windows), ?Duracell? (durable battery cell), ?Nicoderm? (nicotine skin patches), ?Cusinart? (kitchen accessories), ?Pine-Sol? (pine solvent or cleaner), ?Travelocity? (travel), etc.
Names that do not convey at least the basic nature of a company will be easily forgotten. This includes hard-to-pronounce words, abbreviations, and acronyms such as ?MGF Holdings LLC.?
It also includes self-titled companies such as ?Michel Fortin International? (which was, believe it or not, the name of my original company close to 20 years ago ? one that nonetheless failed ? and later changed to The Success Doctor, Inc.).
Benefits are particularly effective because such a name would make a company or product instantly appear as if it had some added value. When placed alongside a competitor offering an identical product, a benefit-based name positions itself above the competition in the mind.
As a result, the name will thus be quickly remembered when people make their decision to buy.
Rhymes Move Minds Since the invention of the printing press, the written word has made it easy for us to forget names. Consequently, the process of rhyming has in the same way gradually fallen out of favor.
But strangely, what we remember the most are, for example, the nursery rhymes that we were told as children. In today?s memory management courses, people are told to use rhymes and word association in order to improve their memory.
Rhyming is therefore effective because it is pleasing to the ear and helps to hook words easily in the mind. Beyond ease-of-recall, rhyming also tends to add credibility.
Psychology professor Dr. Matthew McGlone, in his article ?The Keats Heuristic: Rhyme as Reason in Aphorism Interpretation,? has found that rhymes not only make a phrase more memorable, they also make it more believable. According to his research, people preferred ?woes unite foes? over ?misfortune unite foes? or ?woes unite enemies.?
We are a beauty-driven culture, and words are not excluded. The esthetically pleasing sound of a rhyme makes it cognitively easier to assign greater perceived value, accuracy, and believability. In other words, rhymes confer a greater sense of credibility.
As Dr. McGlone points out, ?People often attribute the aesthetic quality of a rhyme to the statement?s validity, which suggests that people may unknowingly equate beauty (a rhyme?s singsong quality) with truth.?
(According to his research, while it may not be the only reason, a major factor that played in O.J. Simpson?s acquittal during his murder trial was certainly Johnny Cochrane?s incessant claim, ?If the glove don?t fit, you must acquit!?)
While some names can easily rhyme since they use multiple words (e.g., ?Blinds of All Kinds,? ?Lean Cuisine,? ?Reese?s Pieces,? or ?Ronald McDonald?), most names are made up of only one word.
If they can not rhyme at least within themselves (e.g., ?Rodeo,? ?YouTube,? or ?Coca-Cola?), then the job would be conferred unto their taglines ? those small sentences that follow and complement names.
For example, if I said ?It takes a licking but keeps on ticking,? you will probably remember this phrase if not instantly recognize the product with which this tagline is associated. And if the tagline rhymes with the name (such as ?Uh, Oh! Better get Maaco!? or ?When you need an edge, use Pledge?), the name will stick even more effectively as a result.
(For instance, a more recent example is Windows® Vista?s ?The Wow Starts Now.?)
Repetition Resonates
What do ?Saran-Wrap,? ?Coca-Cola,? ?Krispy Kreme,? ?Chucky Cheese,? ?Willy Wonka,? ?Barbie,? ?Google,? ?Hamburger Helper,? ?Crispy Crunch,? ?Blockbuster,? and ?Pipeline Profits? all have in common?
Rhymes are not limited to vowels (often called ?foot rhymes?). Sometimes, head rhymes (or ?alliteration?) can create the same effect as the other. Why? It is because they all do the same thing. It contains repetition.
The repetition of consonants give a name that pleasant and obviously effective singsong quality. Repetition makes a name memorable by making the pronunciation more simple. In other words, it is definitely easier to remember a string of similar sounds than it is to remember a combination of totally different sounding words.
(Did you ?see the softer side of Sear?s? lately?)
In fact, consonants are great for many other reasons. Studies show that strong-sounding or ?choppy? consonants (like the sound of ?P,? ?D,? ?T? and ?K?), used particularly at the beginning, help recall by adding emphasis.
They are called plosives. And according to naming guru Steve Rivkin, who co-wrote ?The New Positioning? with Jack Trout, ?It makes linguistic sense to start a brand name with a strong-sounding consonant or plosive.?
Plosives, and rhymes and alliteration specifically, help to make a name more memorable. These are called mnemonics. Mnemonics are not only useful but also effective, particularly in the branding process.
Bottom line, from the simplest product to the most abstract or complex technical service, a memorable name helps to make the company or product memorable as well. In fact, it may even become genericized and used as the term that defines all others in its category.
(By the way, can you Xerox that document and FedEx it, please? If you don?t know how, just Google it.)
--- About the Author ---Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, marketing strategy consultant, and instrumental in some of the most lucrative online businesses and wildly successful marketing campaigns to ever hit the web. For more articles like this one, please visit his blog at http://www.michelfortin.com/ and subscribe to his RSS feed.
Self Defense is Defensible
We haven’t had any more prowler alarms. I went home and combed the woods. Found a few items that appeared to be a little weathered. So, I left them there. And now focus my attention on the spots where I found the foot prints, etc. Pepper hasn’t barked or chased anything other than the deer and the cats in the last couple nights, so I’m going to say we’re ok for now. And as I feared, the kids used some of the self-defense stuff on each other.
Jessie and Jonathan got into a knockdown, drag-out this morning. Jessie won. And Jessie was justified in her reasoning too. Our newfound burglar alarm (Drake, the dog) was outside this morning to use the bathroom. He barks at the door when he’s done and wants back in. Jonathan became annoyed that he was barking and decided to hit the dog (rather than just let him in) to make him shutup.
Jessie witnessed it and went to just beating the hell out of him. The whole time screaming, you don’t hit my dog!!!!!! So, I had to pull them off of each other. Jonathan was getting his licks in when he could, but they were few and far between. I asked what had happened and Jon went on about how he was right for hitting the dog because his barking was annoying him. So, I asked him if I could just knock the crap out of HIM everytime he opened his mouth and it was annoying to me? He said, no that’s different. And I said, NO, THAT’S FAIR.
And then I yelled at him for hitting Jessie, because he is supposed to be a man, and real men don’t hit women. And he told me that she hit him first. And I told him that he needed to learn how to remove himself from the situation without using force if at all possible, and that a real man would exercise restraint because his opposition was female and predominantly weaker. He got mad, because of course, Jessie had just kicked his butt good -- and not the other way around.
Then I had a talk with Jessie and told her that she’d better be careful when fighting, especially with someone of the opposite sex. Because, even if it’s not right for a man to hit a woman, it’s not right for a woman to hit a man either unless it is in self-defense. And that the next time she walks up and hits a man like she IS a man, that she always need be prepared to get hit back like she was a man. Because most of them, WON’T exercise restraint just because she’s a girl. And that she couldn’t rely on the fact that she is a female to get special treatment.
That’s not right and it doesn’t always work.
But, oh she was so upset about him hitting that dog. And I don’t blame her. He had no right to and no reason to. The dog was doing as he’s been trained to do: bark when he’s ready to come back in. All Jon had to do was open the door and let him in. So, anyway…it was just a big mess this morning. I pulled them both together and told them that if I EVER caught them fighting with each other that way again, that they’d both see just how tough they really were because they’d have to deal with me. It was a big long lecture.
On another subject. I went to see Bo off yesterday afternoon. It was a tearful event. He introduced me to all the people in his flight. He was a nervous wreck, and really second guessing himself on whether or not he should go or run like crazy. And the closer it came to time for him to leave me, the more I questioned if it was right of me to let him go.
He is my oldest son, and it hurt me terribly to watch him go. He’s not old enough to go. He’s not mature enough to make the decision to go. This poor kid is only 21 years old. And he’s still MY baby that I carried around on my hip until he was bigger than I was.
He hugged me and told me he loved me and told me thank you for everything I’ve done for him. And that he was proud to call me his mom, and that he’d be home for Christmas. He said he’d call me within the next two days to give me the address of where I could write to him. And asked me to please write. And as I watched him walk through all the levels of security at the air port, my heart just crawled up my throat and broke into a million pieces every time he turned to make sure I was still there.
He’d give a brave little smile and wave and nervously turn back around to walk a little further. It took every ounce of courage I had to watch him walk away and not break through all the security gates and bring him back home with me. That was by far, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I hope he calls soon.
Jessie and Jonathan got into a knockdown, drag-out this morning. Jessie won. And Jessie was justified in her reasoning too. Our newfound burglar alarm (Drake, the dog) was outside this morning to use the bathroom. He barks at the door when he’s done and wants back in. Jonathan became annoyed that he was barking and decided to hit the dog (rather than just let him in) to make him shutup.
Jessie witnessed it and went to just beating the hell out of him. The whole time screaming, you don’t hit my dog!!!!!! So, I had to pull them off of each other. Jonathan was getting his licks in when he could, but they were few and far between. I asked what had happened and Jon went on about how he was right for hitting the dog because his barking was annoying him. So, I asked him if I could just knock the crap out of HIM everytime he opened his mouth and it was annoying to me? He said, no that’s different. And I said, NO, THAT’S FAIR.
And then I yelled at him for hitting Jessie, because he is supposed to be a man, and real men don’t hit women. And he told me that she hit him first. And I told him that he needed to learn how to remove himself from the situation without using force if at all possible, and that a real man would exercise restraint because his opposition was female and predominantly weaker. He got mad, because of course, Jessie had just kicked his butt good -- and not the other way around.
Then I had a talk with Jessie and told her that she’d better be careful when fighting, especially with someone of the opposite sex. Because, even if it’s not right for a man to hit a woman, it’s not right for a woman to hit a man either unless it is in self-defense. And that the next time she walks up and hits a man like she IS a man, that she always need be prepared to get hit back like she was a man. Because most of them, WON’T exercise restraint just because she’s a girl. And that she couldn’t rely on the fact that she is a female to get special treatment.
That’s not right and it doesn’t always work.
But, oh she was so upset about him hitting that dog. And I don’t blame her. He had no right to and no reason to. The dog was doing as he’s been trained to do: bark when he’s ready to come back in. All Jon had to do was open the door and let him in. So, anyway…it was just a big mess this morning. I pulled them both together and told them that if I EVER caught them fighting with each other that way again, that they’d both see just how tough they really were because they’d have to deal with me. It was a big long lecture.
On another subject. I went to see Bo off yesterday afternoon. It was a tearful event. He introduced me to all the people in his flight. He was a nervous wreck, and really second guessing himself on whether or not he should go or run like crazy. And the closer it came to time for him to leave me, the more I questioned if it was right of me to let him go.
He is my oldest son, and it hurt me terribly to watch him go. He’s not old enough to go. He’s not mature enough to make the decision to go. This poor kid is only 21 years old. And he’s still MY baby that I carried around on my hip until he was bigger than I was.
He hugged me and told me he loved me and told me thank you for everything I’ve done for him. And that he was proud to call me his mom, and that he’d be home for Christmas. He said he’d call me within the next two days to give me the address of where I could write to him. And asked me to please write. And as I watched him walk through all the levels of security at the air port, my heart just crawled up my throat and broke into a million pieces every time he turned to make sure I was still there.
He’d give a brave little smile and wave and nervously turn back around to walk a little further. It took every ounce of courage I had to watch him walk away and not break through all the security gates and bring him back home with me. That was by far, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I hope he calls soon.
Danger For Kids At Home Alone
Apparently while RJ and I were gone to work this weekend, someone wanted in our house. Cheryl was there with the kids. She sent me a text message at about midnight Saturday night. But I didn’t wake up to receive it until after breakfast the next morning. She said someone was standing out in the woods smoking a cigarette and the dog was barking at him. It was after dark, so all she could make out was a shadow of a figure and the lit cigarette. So, she gathered up the kids and moved everyone into our bedroom and started looking for a gun…which she found, Thank God. Cheryl heard the man whistle for the dog to come over and of course, because Pepper is a kind dog…he went. And after he made friends with Pepper, he quit barking. A few minutes later, the man came on the porch and tried to open the storm door. After his attempt to open the door failed, he left. (thank God I had told Cheryl to bolt lock that door or he would have gotten in no problems at all). So, she was pretty freaked out. As was I. So, when I got home yesterday, I showed her where all our guns were and the ammo for them all. And I got a new dog.
And because I heard something last night, and RJ is still gone for work…I broke my rule of no pets in the house and brought my new dog in for the night. I figured that HE’d hear anything rustling long before I would and it made me FEEL safer anyway.
RJ was so upset. He wanted to drive home last night. But, I told him to stay, because I didn’t want him on the road for 3 ½ hours after only 2 hours of sleep and all just to keep me company. And told him not to worry, I was a pretty good shot with that 45, and that if something happened I wouldn’t stop shooting until the clip was empty.
I am debating on whether or not I should show Jessie how to shoot a pistol. She’s a pretty good marksman with a rifle, but she’s never shot a pistol. Those kids have to stay there by themselves after school for about an hour until before I get home. It worries me. And Jessie is the most safety conscious of them all. I don’t know.
If something happens tonight or if I hear something, I think I’m going to call the neighbor, Steve and ask him to come have a look. It bothers me that the house was empty all day long yesterday and remained so up until I got home last night after 9:00 with all the kids. If they were after some THING in the house, that would have been ample opportunity for them to empty it out in its entirety. Which leads me to believe it’s not material things they’re after, in which case, I WILL shoot to kill and I WILL unload the gun. I refuse to feel unsafe in my own home any longer. I’ve done it before and it’s a very hard thing to deal with.
I’ve prayed and asked to keep all evil from our home. And asked for protection, for a steady hand, a steady mind and for our family’s safety. I don’t know what else to do, shy of setting bear traps all around the perimeter, which is starting to sound more appealing. I just want this stuff to stop and for him to disappear.
Anyway, I’m rambling I guess because I’m running on fumes today. And I need to get my head on straight and get some work done. I’ll talk to you later.
You've done the most important things. One thing I can suggest is to go out where you think he was waiting and see if any trace remains. Stop just as soon as you see any so that you won't muddle any evidence. If traces do remain visible call in the sheriff's deputies. Bloodhounds may track the man down if he is a local resident and that is probably the case.
You didn't mention motion detector lights so I would suggest putting these up near all exterior doors. If you come home and one is not working, call for the deputies before going in.
Instruct the children that when they come home only one child is to go into the house while the others remain a distance away. All of them go in only after that first child comes all the way out of the house and all the way over to where they are waiting. Just calling them from the door is DEFINITELY out as they could be coerced into doing that. Make sure the ones outside have a cell phone and know how to call for help. The same principle applies if you are bringing the children home. Remember it doesn't have to be dark for an intruder to be in the house.
One other thing, always make sure the lock on the door is really locked before you unlock it. Even here I always push against the door, then make sure the dead bolt is really locked before I turn it the other way and unlock it.
http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/selfdefense.htm gives four self defense tips that can save your life.
http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/safeathome.htm shows some of the ways children can be prepared against stealth abduction in the home.
Go through the index at the bottom of each page for even more articles that may be of use to you.
Make sure the kids know that if someone has gained entry into the house, ESPECIALLY if they know that person, do not go in. What I'm talking about is like if someone close by is already inside the house when they arrive it doesn't matter how friendly they think s/he is, call you, call their father, call the law.
When we had a ring of drug dealers set up shop in the neighborhood they would break in and wait for young girls. The police kept saying they couldn't do anything about their presence, but we did. That was the crookedest bunch of cops I have ever met. There were good ones on the force but they wouldn't "squeal" on their brother officers.
Giving a pistol to Jessica with instructions to shoot to kill could produce any number of adverse mental reactions. Alternatives might be pepper spray, loud whistles, and good precautions.
And because I heard something last night, and RJ is still gone for work…I broke my rule of no pets in the house and brought my new dog in for the night. I figured that HE’d hear anything rustling long before I would and it made me FEEL safer anyway.
RJ was so upset. He wanted to drive home last night. But, I told him to stay, because I didn’t want him on the road for 3 ½ hours after only 2 hours of sleep and all just to keep me company. And told him not to worry, I was a pretty good shot with that 45, and that if something happened I wouldn’t stop shooting until the clip was empty.
I am debating on whether or not I should show Jessie how to shoot a pistol. She’s a pretty good marksman with a rifle, but she’s never shot a pistol. Those kids have to stay there by themselves after school for about an hour until before I get home. It worries me. And Jessie is the most safety conscious of them all. I don’t know.
If something happens tonight or if I hear something, I think I’m going to call the neighbor, Steve and ask him to come have a look. It bothers me that the house was empty all day long yesterday and remained so up until I got home last night after 9:00 with all the kids. If they were after some THING in the house, that would have been ample opportunity for them to empty it out in its entirety. Which leads me to believe it’s not material things they’re after, in which case, I WILL shoot to kill and I WILL unload the gun. I refuse to feel unsafe in my own home any longer. I’ve done it before and it’s a very hard thing to deal with.
I’ve prayed and asked to keep all evil from our home. And asked for protection, for a steady hand, a steady mind and for our family’s safety. I don’t know what else to do, shy of setting bear traps all around the perimeter, which is starting to sound more appealing. I just want this stuff to stop and for him to disappear.
Anyway, I’m rambling I guess because I’m running on fumes today. And I need to get my head on straight and get some work done. I’ll talk to you later.
You've done the most important things. One thing I can suggest is to go out where you think he was waiting and see if any trace remains. Stop just as soon as you see any so that you won't muddle any evidence. If traces do remain visible call in the sheriff's deputies. Bloodhounds may track the man down if he is a local resident and that is probably the case.
You didn't mention motion detector lights so I would suggest putting these up near all exterior doors. If you come home and one is not working, call for the deputies before going in.
Instruct the children that when they come home only one child is to go into the house while the others remain a distance away. All of them go in only after that first child comes all the way out of the house and all the way over to where they are waiting. Just calling them from the door is DEFINITELY out as they could be coerced into doing that. Make sure the ones outside have a cell phone and know how to call for help. The same principle applies if you are bringing the children home. Remember it doesn't have to be dark for an intruder to be in the house.
One other thing, always make sure the lock on the door is really locked before you unlock it. Even here I always push against the door, then make sure the dead bolt is really locked before I turn it the other way and unlock it.
http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/selfdefense.htm gives four self defense tips that can save your life.
http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/safeathome.htm shows some of the ways children can be prepared against stealth abduction in the home.
Go through the index at the bottom of each page for even more articles that may be of use to you.
Make sure the kids know that if someone has gained entry into the house, ESPECIALLY if they know that person, do not go in. What I'm talking about is like if someone close by is already inside the house when they arrive it doesn't matter how friendly they think s/he is, call you, call their father, call the law.
When we had a ring of drug dealers set up shop in the neighborhood they would break in and wait for young girls. The police kept saying they couldn't do anything about their presence, but we did. That was the crookedest bunch of cops I have ever met. There were good ones on the force but they wouldn't "squeal" on their brother officers.
Giving a pistol to Jessica with instructions to shoot to kill could produce any number of adverse mental reactions. Alternatives might be pepper spray, loud whistles, and good precautions.
How To Write A Letter To Jesus
Most of us will never know the thrill of hearing cheerleaders chanting our name in praise, never see the blaze of glory that erupts when our picture is posted on the front page. But all of us can share our triumphs with Jesus when they come and our frustrations when they don't.
For your letter to Jesus to provide you with the most benefits it must be a stand-alone project. Your objective must be to let Jesus know why what you are telling him is important to you. This letter is not supposed to be about "Johnny" or "My JOB" or even about "LIFE!" No, No, NO.
It is YOUR feelings, your thoughts and your plans that are important in this project. This is YOUR letter to Jesus. Let "them" get their own press agent.
When we write a letter to Jesus we don't have to hold anything back. We can tell him exactly how we feel about anything that matters to us.
We will want to tell Jesus about all the bruises that have come our way, all the battering we are going through, and all the barriers we can see in our future and want to avoid.
Eloquence is not essential in our first attempts. What matters most is getting the facts out there on paper. Let the anguish of your soul penetrate your message and eloquence will be your natural derivative.
Never Clean Up Your Mess
Writers are especially prone to making the big mistake of cleaning up a mess that has piled up in our lives. Anyone repeatedly confronted with a mess in their lives will reach a boiling point sooner or later and begin hauling tras hout, filing, throwint it into a box, shoveling it aside until later, and just putting stuff back where it is supposed to be.
With great satisfaction we then resolve to keep the mess out of our lives from then on. Before we know it another mess has creeped upo9n us again. With a scowl we wonder, "Where did this mess come from?"
When I first began searching for practical ways of eliminating the autogenesis of clutter on my desk the stacks were three feet high before I noticed them. Back then I would tell others, and worst of all I would tell myself, "Don't touch anything on my desk; I know where everything is." And yes, actually I did know where everything was right then, everything that was still fresh in my memory anyway.
What we must first admit is that the clutter in front of us today came from the same place as the first mess did, and the one before it too. It takes more than a generic resolve to keep our lives clean. Simple ratiocination tells us we need to determine how we make a mess so that we can turn our lives around and remove the sources of mess in our lives.
In the same way, telling our children to clean up their mess doesn't change their natures which are causing the mess. Telling ourselves not to mess things up won't help either. At all costs we have got to find out where they are coming from.
"I know where my messes are coming from," you are probably muttering. Oh, but do you? Then why are messes still happening in your life? If you really knew why the situation was happening you would at least be able to diminish it. Consequently, if clutter isn't diminishing then you are on a false trail that can only lead to more messes down the line.
The quickest and surest way to determine where our mess comes from is by analyzing a mess we have. As I said, don't clean up your mess. Find out where it came from and discover the reasons behind the decisions you made that culminated in a mess. I could shovel stacks of paper that weighed two and three pounds into one trash can. Since I have quit the practice of dusting my hands off and saying that was out of the way, I have slowly gained control over the origination of clutter until it now takes weeks and months for the top of my desk to be obscured from view.
When I sit down at my desk now I scan the desktop for signs of clutter. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision? Is it still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it?
Most of the time the clutter in my life appears simply because I set work aside in order to do something else that is only incidental. As I analyzed this tendency I realized that it was the incidental work that needed to be set aside. Once I recognized this tendency it was easier to recognize similar patterns in other areas BEFORE they develop into clutter.
Once I understood the problem I bought a three ring binder (with pockets) and a three hole punch. When something incidental comes up to distract me I put it inside the three ring binder. This is NOT a scratch pad. It is not a TO DO list. It is a reservoir.
A scratch pad is for temporary use and is to be thrown away just minutes later or filed immediately. A TO DO list are notes to myself that something important MUST BE DONE. A reservoir may be an actual document from some other company that I am keeping because it prompts a line of thought, or it may be a article that came to me fresh and hot and be three or even four pages long. There will also be instances where a few sentences are thrown in, but the idea remains the same. The only reason that reservoir is kept is so it can feed me and my mind later.
I set the reservoir aside and I will work on it when I can't afford to get caught up in more serious work. For example, when I HAVE to be at an appointment at a specific time and I have a short time buffer of from ten to fifty minutes I will bring it out and begin working on one or two short term projects. After this began producing undesirable results, not getting ready to leave on time -- which resulted in more clutter, which I analyzed the reason for it appearing, led me to a wholesome NEW approach; now I get ready to go FIRST. THEN I sit down at my desk and open up the reservoir. When the last minute approaches I can then snap it shut, stand up AND LEAVE a clean desk behind me as I hurry off. Every last second has been used up, clutter has been eliminated and I made it to my appointment on time too.
So, when you notice clutter cluttering up your life, DON'T CLEAN IT UP. Ask yourself these questions before you move a thing. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision at that time? How could I have avoided the need for that decision and all the decisions similar in purpose? And only then do you ask yourself: Is this clutter still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it? Where should it go to now.
You have the power to take your life apart and put it back together again so that YOU are the kind of person that does not create clutter, you control it.
With great satisfaction we then resolve to keep the mess out of our lives from then on. Before we know it another mess has creeped upo9n us again. With a scowl we wonder, "Where did this mess come from?"
When I first began searching for practical ways of eliminating the autogenesis of clutter on my desk the stacks were three feet high before I noticed them. Back then I would tell others, and worst of all I would tell myself, "Don't touch anything on my desk; I know where everything is." And yes, actually I did know where everything was right then, everything that was still fresh in my memory anyway.
What we must first admit is that the clutter in front of us today came from the same place as the first mess did, and the one before it too. It takes more than a generic resolve to keep our lives clean. Simple ratiocination tells us we need to determine how we make a mess so that we can turn our lives around and remove the sources of mess in our lives.
In the same way, telling our children to clean up their mess doesn't change their natures which are causing the mess. Telling ourselves not to mess things up won't help either. At all costs we have got to find out where they are coming from.
"I know where my messes are coming from," you are probably muttering. Oh, but do you? Then why are messes still happening in your life? If you really knew why the situation was happening you would at least be able to diminish it. Consequently, if clutter isn't diminishing then you are on a false trail that can only lead to more messes down the line.
The quickest and surest way to determine where our mess comes from is by analyzing a mess we have. As I said, don't clean up your mess. Find out where it came from and discover the reasons behind the decisions you made that culminated in a mess. I could shovel stacks of paper that weighed two and three pounds into one trash can. Since I have quit the practice of dusting my hands off and saying that was out of the way, I have slowly gained control over the origination of clutter until it now takes weeks and months for the top of my desk to be obscured from view.
When I sit down at my desk now I scan the desktop for signs of clutter. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision? Is it still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it?
Most of the time the clutter in my life appears simply because I set work aside in order to do something else that is only incidental. As I analyzed this tendency I realized that it was the incidental work that needed to be set aside. Once I recognized this tendency it was easier to recognize similar patterns in other areas BEFORE they develop into clutter.
Once I understood the problem I bought a three ring binder (with pockets) and a three hole punch. When something incidental comes up to distract me I put it inside the three ring binder. This is NOT a scratch pad. It is not a TO DO list. It is a reservoir.
A scratch pad is for temporary use and is to be thrown away just minutes later or filed immediately. A TO DO list are notes to myself that something important MUST BE DONE. A reservoir may be an actual document from some other company that I am keeping because it prompts a line of thought, or it may be a article that came to me fresh and hot and be three or even four pages long. There will also be instances where a few sentences are thrown in, but the idea remains the same. The only reason that reservoir is kept is so it can feed me and my mind later.
I set the reservoir aside and I will work on it when I can't afford to get caught up in more serious work. For example, when I HAVE to be at an appointment at a specific time and I have a short time buffer of from ten to fifty minutes I will bring it out and begin working on one or two short term projects. After this began producing undesirable results, not getting ready to leave on time -- which resulted in more clutter, which I analyzed the reason for it appearing, led me to a wholesome NEW approach; now I get ready to go FIRST. THEN I sit down at my desk and open up the reservoir. When the last minute approaches I can then snap it shut, stand up AND LEAVE a clean desk behind me as I hurry off. Every last second has been used up, clutter has been eliminated and I made it to my appointment on time too.
So, when you notice clutter cluttering up your life, DON'T CLEAN IT UP. Ask yourself these questions before you move a thing. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision at that time? How could I have avoided the need for that decision and all the decisions similar in purpose? And only then do you ask yourself: Is this clutter still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it? Where should it go to now.
You have the power to take your life apart and put it back together again so that YOU are the kind of person that does not create clutter, you control it.
Take A Hike In Another Man's Shoes
One way to make your stories more real is by describing your scenes as if you were really there.
What I suggest to young writers is that they take a hike in another man's shoes. This is that man's turf so he probably doesn't notice anything. But YOU have never been there before. So, as you walk along in his shoes you want to be asking yourself some questions..
What kind of trees are these?
What kind of birds do I see?
What kind of animals are about here?
What kind of tracks am I looking at?
How old are the tracks?
Where do animals cross the trail?
Why are they crossing here?
Which way does the wind blow most often?
Are these trees, or shrubs, or a mix? Are they stunted?
Are there any vines? How big are they? How long did it take for them to grow this big?
Where is the nearest water?
How thick is the underbrush?
What sounds am I hearing?
As there are almost as many sounds of silence as there are sounds of water, what silences are you hearing?
What smells are coming your way?
What is the weather doing?
How does the weather affect what you are wearing, doing, thinking?
Are there any vibrations to your feet?
What kind of terrain are you moving through?
What are you not seeing? Not hearing? Not smelling?
If you see no birds, why not?
What is the purpose of your walk?
What signs are there that others have passed this way as well? What do those signs tell you about those others? For example, limbs that swing at your face are often snapped back, broken. This tells you how tall the person is.
Tale Wins has hundreds of exercises that will improve the way you write, and throw a spotlight on what you should be writing about. Be sure to visit.
What I suggest to young writers is that they take a hike in another man's shoes. This is that man's turf so he probably doesn't notice anything. But YOU have never been there before. So, as you walk along in his shoes you want to be asking yourself some questions..
What kind of trees are these?
What kind of birds do I see?
What kind of animals are about here?
What kind of tracks am I looking at?
How old are the tracks?
Where do animals cross the trail?
Why are they crossing here?
Which way does the wind blow most often?
Are these trees, or shrubs, or a mix? Are they stunted?
Are there any vines? How big are they? How long did it take for them to grow this big?
Where is the nearest water?
How thick is the underbrush?
What sounds am I hearing?
As there are almost as many sounds of silence as there are sounds of water, what silences are you hearing?
What smells are coming your way?
What is the weather doing?
How does the weather affect what you are wearing, doing, thinking?
Are there any vibrations to your feet?
What kind of terrain are you moving through?
What are you not seeing? Not hearing? Not smelling?
If you see no birds, why not?
What is the purpose of your walk?
What signs are there that others have passed this way as well? What do those signs tell you about those others? For example, limbs that swing at your face are often snapped back, broken. This tells you how tall the person is.
Tale Wins has hundreds of exercises that will improve the way you write, and throw a spotlight on what you should be writing about. Be sure to visit.
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