thinking is hard

Thinking is hard, which may be why we spend so much time trying to avoid it.

Instead of thinking about what our audiences really want, what would really move them, we go in search of mindless rules, simple boxes to check:

• How many tweets per day should i send
• How long should a Facebook post be
• How many emails should I send per month
• Should my subject line be “hey”

Tacitly, we struggle toward a future (that will never come) in which we just have to run the checklist and not think about what we are doing. That way we avoid the hard questions like:

• Is this picture, article, post, etc. remarkable?
• Does it evoke strong emotions?
• Will it delight my readers, followers, or supporters?

The hard questions are indeed hard, which is what makes them worth asking.