“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
– Fred Rogers
The First Sip
Hey Sunday Brewers!
Procrastination at its finest…
The shocking truth about adult reading levels…
…and $72 million worth of graveyard paychecks.
It’s all inside…
While I typically lead off with a motivational story about something someone else is doing to be a #ForceForGood in this world…
Today, I want to zoom out and celebrate what’s been happening on a grander scale.
Because according to a brand new survey, 74% of people say 2020 made them more aware of the needs of others.
In the process, 3 out of 4 people have become more selfless than ever before.
The study also found that 87% of people have donated a portion of their earnings over the past year (even while 3 out of 5 experienced financial difficulties).
Here are some of the top ways people were selfless in 2020:
⏰ Volunteered time – 50%
💲 Donated money to charity – 48%
🚶♂️ Helped a stranger across the street – 41%
🚮 Took out a neighbor’s trash – 39%
❄️ Shoveled a neighbor’s drive – 38%
📞 Reached out to a friend – 32%
🛒 Bought something for a stranger – 19%
It’s been a tough year for many, but that light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
Thank you for doing your part to be a #ForceForGood 👏 👏 👏
1 Caffeinated Neurohack
There are two groups of people in this world:
1) Procrastinators
2) Recovering Procrastinators
Procrastination is basically an emotional battle that takes place between two parts of your brain anytime there’s an unpleasant activity or labor-intensive task on your to-do list.
It’s an all-out brawl between two competitors 🤜 🧠 🥊
In the near-corner of the ring, you have the limbic system (the “pleasure center”)
In the far-corner, there’s the prefrontal cortex (your “internal planner”)
When the limbic system is victorious, the task gets put off for another day ❌
When the prefrontal cortex wins, the work gets done ✅
If you want to stop procrastination in its tracks, I have one sure-fire hack that works almost 100% of the time.
The trick is simple:
Commit to doing the task for just 5 minutes.
This is known as a micro-commitment.
It makes a much larger task seem more digestible and less intimidating.
And once you start working on the task, you typically find a groove and end up working much longer than 5 minutes.
Once you feel tired, take a break.
Then commit to 5 more minutes.
Do this enough times and you’ll train your brain to view big tasks as nothing more than a collection of manageable sub-tasks.
☕ TL;DR: To override procrastination, commit to doing the task for just 5 minutes.
Marketing Psychology Quick Hit
Data shows the average American reads at a 7th grade reading level.
And 1 in 5 can only read at a 5th grade level (or lower).
If you’re spending lots of time carefully constructing complex sentences with exotic words that would make Mr. Webster blush…
…well, there’s simply no need.
Whether it’s emails, blog posts, LinkedIn messaging, or any other form of client communications…
These EASY pointers will help you simplify what you write:
1️⃣ Avoid dense paragraphs and use plenty of line breaks. (Never more than 2-3 sentences per paragraph.)
2️⃣ Use the phrase “It’s like…” to explain complex ideas in a way that your prospects can relate to it.
3️⃣ Use the free Hemingway Editor App to edit your copy for clarity. (It’s like having your own personal editor on staff.)
☕ TL;DR: People read on a 7th grade level. Simplify your writing.
Weekly Industry Catch-Up
Experts expect travel to be up 62% this weekend compared to 2020…but still down slightly from 2019.
U.S. Covid cases are down 50% over the past 30 days, while 1.7 million vaccines are administered per day.
Here’s what else is happening…
🔹 Ghosted. The U.S. govt just issued a fresh round of $1,400 stimulus checks, bringing the total amount sent to date to $391 billion. But many are convinced it’s not enough – already pushing for Round 4.
In related news, the IRS recently got a $72 million “rebate” after 60,000+ stimulus checks were returned when it was discovered they were sent to deceased individuals.
🔹 Price bounce. Still reeling from the Colonial Pipeline outage earlier this month, U.S. gas prices are the highest they’ve been since 2014.
Prices also remain sky-high in the construction industry, where lumber’s retail price is up 323% (all-time high).
All the while, Wall Street eases its worries over long-term inflation concerns.
🔹 Bitcoin’s wild week. During a crazy week of trading on crypto exchanges, many “whales” used the opportunity to double-down on Bitcoin – reportedly buying $3 billion worth when the price fell.
Another billionaire, who was previously a crypto “hater” says he’s prepared to make a $1.5B investment in the digital gold.
What’s New In #ShiftNation?
657 advisors already have the SCRIPT…do you?
Enjoy your Sunday,
Jeremiah
