Close your eyes. No, don’t do that. You won’t be able to read this. Let’s start over. Picture yourself enjoying your ideal retirement. What are you imagining? Perhaps you’re standing knee-deep in a Montana river, fishing for trout. Or strolling through the cobbled streets of Prague, browsing art galleries. Or reading Faulkner on the back porch, listening to the [...]
By Early To Rise | Mon, Aug 31, 2009
A flaneur (flah-NUR) — from the French for “lounger/saunterer” — is an aimless idler. Example (as used by The Atlantic in a review of The Idler’s Glossary by Joshua Glenn and Mark Kingwell): “This delightful chapbook proffers a puckish twofer: a whimsically learned defense of indolence and flaneurship … and an engagingly etymological lexicon of loafing, [...]
By Clayton Makepeace | Fri, Aug 28, 2009
When you set out to create a sales message that connects with your prospects’ dominant emotions, you have no choice. You have to begin with the prospect. You begin by considering his most intense feelings about … Himself relative to the subject at hand … The benefits your product and premiums promise … The medium through which your message [...]
By Early To Rise | Fri, Aug 28, 2009
The magalog (MAG-uh-log) — a combination of “magazine” and “catalog” — is one of many direct-mail formats used by marketers. It looks like a magazine, complete with cover, and may have anywhere from 12 to more than 100 pages. It includes a combination of editorial content and promotional copy … all of it designed to [...]
By MaryEllen Tribby | Thu, Aug 27, 2009
I love to get up early and go to the gym. The outcome of my entire day is determined by that very first hour. When it goes well (and it almost always does), I have more energy all day long. I’m more productive. And, frankly, I am a lot more pleasant to be around. All due to [...]
By Early To Rise | Thu, Aug 27, 2009
Inane (ih-NANE) — from the Latin for “empty” — means foolish or pointless; lacking sense or meaning. Example (as used by MaryEllen Tribby today): “When I saw Liz approaching that morning, I assumed I was in for some inane small talk. But it turned out she is a smart, well spoken, and interesting person who has [...]
By Bob Cox | Wed, Aug 26, 2009
I was returning from a flight to Florida’s West Coast. I was five miles out of Orlando Executive (my home airport), and winds were only 5 to 7 knots. But they were coming at an angle that was going to make landing difficult for the runway air traffic control had assigned. I felt confident I could [...]
By Early To Rise | Wed, Aug 26, 2009
To fester (FES-ter) — from the Latin — is (1) to become inflamed or infected, as a sore, or (2) to rankle, as a feeling of resentment. Example (as used by Bob Cox today): “Give your distress a voice instead of holding it in and allowing it to fester and intensify.” [Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive [...]
It was 1898. James Webb Young dropped out of school and started working for a book publisher. He was 12 years old. By the time he turned 22, he was advertising manager. In 1912, he joined the prestigious advertising agency J. Walter Thompson. And he quickly became known as an “idea man.” In 1917, Young became vice president [...]
By Early To Rise | Tue, Aug 25, 2009
To mull over — possibly from the Middle English for “to crumble” — is to carefully consider. Example (as used by John Wood today): “[Merv] Griffin was mulling over game show ideas when his wife noted that there had been no successful ‘question and answer’ shows since the quiz show scandals.” [Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive [...]
By Michael Masterson | Mon, Aug 31, 2009
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