Commentary
"Geniuses differ from ordinary men less in the character of their attention than in the nature of the objects upon which it is successively bestowed." – William James
Have you heard of the 996 working hour system? It's a common work setup in China, where employees work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. It's a dangerous practice, say some. The World Health Organization found that burnout is a medical condition that is making us worse at our jobs.
And Common Sense Media found that a third of teens wake in the middle of the night to check their phones; is it any surprise, since a quarter of their parents do too? We need to set better examples.
We're not made to be always on. Serenity—or tranquility—is perhaps the greatest virtue in life. Time to reflect and read (there's a great modern translation of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations that I highly recommend), talk with loved ones, or just be. In essence, less dot com. More dot calm.
In fact, there's a Latin phrase that perfectly sums it up: solvitur ambulando — it is solved by walking. The act of walking not only provides you with transportation (yay, mobility!), but it gives you a chance to get in touch with nature, know your surroundings, handle stress or depression, take exercise, and just be with yourself.
P.S. I've begun putting some of my writings (and this newsletter) on Medium. Check it out and let me know if you have any feedback. | | Curated Stories
"I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is my own." – Montaigne
It's tempting to let loose at a target when you're riled up. While it might feel good, instead try a calm and positive approach. I saw two examples from Fortune 10 chief communications officers this week that were seemingly devoid of such counsel, and chronicled it: C-Suite Executives Should Lose the Attitude When Communicating.
We try to persuade potential customers with appeals to logic, when we should be following the lessons of ethos, pathos and logos that Aristotle taught 2,300 years ago. He's one of the subject of Great Books of the Western World, and it was these lessons that Mortimer J. Adler used to sell that set. (The Polymath Project)
The Holy Grail of influencer marketing: advertisers can now turn organic Instagram posts from influeners into ads. But before brands can make ads out of these posts, the content creator must grant their business partners (the brands they have relationships with) access to promote their posts. (Marketing Land)
Content marketers are using more technology, but "there is a great need for optimizing the use of technology to make content flow more quickly and seamlessly throughout the enterprise—and to get that content in front of the right audiences at optimal times," says Robert Rose of the Content Marketing Institute, in the 2019 Content Management and Strategy Survey. (Agility PR)
What's the single most important thing to consider with digital transformation? Your culture. A digital culture will make it easier for employees to deliver results faster, and in turn will demonstrate those tangible results back to employees, creating a feedback loop of progress. (Sprinklr)
Disney's new Galaxy's Edge Star Wars park is another chapter in Disney's ability to bridge their content and strategy. And more than any other park, it's where content meets experience. (CNN Business) | | Sponsor message:
AMI's Virtual Owner's Network brings like-minded agency owners together to problem-solve, share best practices, and learn from each other. | | | For the Curious Mind
"Curiosity is the lust of the mind." – Thomas Hobbes
Do you take notes on your laptop? It probably makes sense to you: you type faster than you write with a pen, it's more efficient, and you can multitask (ahem) during that meeting. You ought to rethink that, as humans listen better when taking notes longhand, and as a bonus, there's a muscle memory built in that connects the motions to your brain. (Harvard Business Review)
Social clubs were once a huge deal in America. Whether it was city clubs, fraternal organizations, or even service organizations, there's been a decline. But what is contributing to their sudden reemergence? (Fast Company)
When's the last time you were concerned with your happiness? We spend so much time chasing success thinking it will make us happy, when in fact, if you want to be successful, you should first focus on happiness. (Aeon)
If you want a happier, more fulfilling life, a 75-year Harvard study says focus on this one thing.
 | | Recommended Reading/Listening
"Let me recommend this book." – Arthur Conan Doyle
| | | This week, I started listening to a new podcast: The Shrink Next Door. It's written and hosted by Joe Nocera, the New York Times columnist. This is the story of one therapist's psychological manipulation as he crossed lines and defrauded his patients — and he's still out there. It's another barnburner from Wondery, in collaboration with Bloomberg. | | | | An ancient work that stands the test of time, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is just a relevant today as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. It helps put life in perspective and allows the reader to reframe how they think about the world around them. It's a welcome respite from the workaday world and typical business books. | | | | I know two things for certain: never start a land war in Asia, and never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. But now there's a third: never try to argue grammar with Random House's copy chief. That's Benjamin Dreyer, and he's the author of Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. It's a refreshing take on how we write (and read), and every grammar nerd needs a copy. | | | | |
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