I check out the insane $6 million Pagani Huayra BC super car at this week’s South OC Cars and Coffee. In addition to that work of art, there were tons of other cars to check out as well, like a couple of purple people eater Porsche GT3 RS and the new GT2 RS that set the Lighting Lap record at Virginia International Raceway. Enjoy!
There are certain cliches that we’ve come to internalize as a modern society, whether or not they are actually true in all or even most cases. We just assume automatically that every used car salesperson is sneaky and deceptive, straight up lying to your face in order to close the deal. There is the archetype of the starving student, accumulating massive student debt as they eat instant noodles for lunch and binge drink on the weekends. Most of these are unfair, of course, but we’ve come to internalize them.
And for the most part, we’ve come to assume that artists are generally crazy, broke, or more likely than not, both crazy and broke. While we may romanticize the idea of the artist sacrificing for his or her craft, we also assume that most artists are practically destitute, sharing one-bedroom apartments with four other “hippies” or “hipsters.” But a few break through and actually achieve impressive success within their lifetimes.
Pablo Picasso is one such individual. Even if you know almost nothing about the art world (like me), you’ve surely heard of his name. You know that he was (is!) incredibly famous and he was (is!) very influential in the art world. You probably know him best from his cubism period with distorted images of reality.
What you see here is an oil and collage painting called Three Musicians. This is the version that is a part of the permanent collection at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). There is another version of this painting that looks a little different but has a similar kind of colorful concept; it is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
It goes without saying that Pablo Picasso was and continues to be a very big deal. But it’s not like he was an overnight success either.
I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. In it, he recounts a particular story about Pablo Picasso that may or may not be one hundred percent accurate, but it still illustrates a very important point that all of us should take to heart. And yes, this comes well before the Internet became a thing, let alone Internet marketing as a viable business.
So, the tale goes a little something like this. Pablo Picasso is in his later years, having already achieved great fame and fortune from his art. He’s leading a much quieter life, but his creativity continues to yearn for representation and application. And so, he finds himself in some small cafe, sipping away on a coffee or whatever, and he allows his mind to wander as he doodles on a paper napkin.
As he prepares to leave and just before he tosses his napkin into the trash, he’s approached by a woman in the cafe. She expresses her great admiration for his work and asks if it’s okay if she have the napkin with the doodle on it. She says she’d even be willing to pay for it.
Picasso turns to the woman and tells her that the price for the napkin doodle is $20,000. Remember that this encounter would have taken place about half a century ago. Adjusted for inflation, the asking price would be somewhere around $500,000 in today’s dollars.
Aghast at the asking price, the woman declares that he was just about to throw the napkin into the trash anyhow and it only took him a couple minutes to draw. To this, Picasso replies (and I’m paraphrasing), “No, you’re wrong. It didn’t take me two minutes. It took me over 60 years to draw.”
When we see the final work of a professional, whether that’s a painting, a song, a book or anything else, we only perceive the actual final product. What we don’t see are the years of blood, sweat and tears that it took to get to that point. We don’t see all the failed manuscripts and drafts that no one cared to give a second look. We don’t see all the learning through experience that it took to get to that point.
Know your value. And know that it takes time for you to get to the point where you can, with confidence, ask for half a million dollars for your napkin doodle. The story goes that Picasso then delicately folded up the napkin, put it in his pocket, and walked out of the cafe.
Being a full time blogger can be very time consuming, which is why I like to outsource my SEO. This is not always the case, only when I have a full schedule ahead. Over the years, I have learned a lot about outsourcing, and what to look for when choosing the right company to take care of your organic work. These days, with so many updates, Google now targets poor quality links, content, and private blog networks, ultimately banning sites that don’t meet the quality threshold. In short, you have to be very careful when selecting SEO companies in the future, making sure they do a solid job on your blog.
Today, I’d like to go over a few things to look for when hiring an SEO company. I’ll also explore how asking the right questions can help you select a reputable company. I believe with content marketers getting so busy writing in-depth content, it’s hard to find time to build natural links for organic SEO. Please provide your feedback, and input so we can start a debate on this topic.
Let’s jump right in…
Whenever I’m going to hire a company, I skim through their website, looking for special services in what they provide. For example, SEO is more than just building links so it’s important to me to find a company that provides a complete package. What does this mean? For those of you who have never hired an SEO company, it’s important they provide:
Content writing –
Building links has to come from other content so it’s important that they write quality posts to be added to other websites. They must be high quality and relevant because this is important to Google.
Social Media Optimization –
Social media is very important so I want the SEO company to have experience on popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. This means being able to use the right #hashtags, post during popular times, have a huge following themselves, etc.
On-Page SEO –
It’s all about relevance so I ensure they know how to tweak my pages to fit specific keywords. The company should skim through, looking for areas for improvement on my website. If they can’t, then they definitely won’t perform off-page…right?
Off-Page SEO –
I would like a breakdown of how their company will build links and at what ratio. Its important links are relevant, but are a variety like URK, EXACT, Phrase, etc.
I can go on about this section, however, let me clarify my point….
Before hiring the SEO company, it’s important that you have a complete breakdown of what they offer in their package.
I like to get a clear cut explanation about the improvement I can expect to see. It’s important they tell me how they’ll improve my SEO and search rankings. For example,
Having answers to these questions is very important because this way, you’ll understand what you’re paying for long-term. It’s very important to ask about links and how the ones they’ve built will improve your rankings over time.
A solid SEO campaign is nothing without an accurate way to track results. I ask the SEO company upfront how they’ll keep me informed of the changes. I want a clear and accurate way to find changes in SERP rank, content rankings, and domain and page authority. I also want to see how many new links I have pointing to my website, and from what location they are coming from. Next, I’d like to see the work they have performed throughout the month, usually in spreadsheet format.
Two things to keep in mind:
First, never let them track changes internally because they can have a system that is inaccurate. It also gives them control to manipulate the results if they don’t provide what they told you they would. Secondly, it’s important to have control for yourself because if the company you’ve hired doesn’t complete the work, then you’re NOT left hanging, completely lost. In the worst case scenario, you’ll have a complete breakdown, and can continue working if you choose to at a later time. You’ll also have a breakdown to hand over to another company if you’ve hired one instead of continuing on your own.
A reputable SEO company will have a list of clients they’ve worked with in the past, and you can learn a lot the company by viewing their results. You should ask the company if you can contact some of them to find out about the quality of their work. A solid company usually will give you authority to do so because they have nothing to hide except awesome results. For example,
Just like asking an attorney about the cases they’ve won and closed in the past, it’s important to get a good idea of the quality of work performed by the SEO company. As mentioned, I’ve dealt with 4 different companies with all of them being more than happy to share past client information.
Every year, you hear about changes being made to search engines and the algorithm. This means you have to be extra careful when doing organic SEO because what once used to be acceptable may NOT be going forward. If you’re doing the SEO yourself, then you can make tweaks right after researching what changes have been made. However, hiring an SEO company requires a different approach.
First, it’s important to ask them if they follow Google best practices, and how they know what changes have been made. Secondly, it’s important to get a breakdown of the changes so you know they keep up-to-date with the search algorithm. Third, it’s important they have a clear-cut way to ensure the best practices are followed by the entire team. The manager might know about the changes, but they might NOT have a clear way to implement them into their system. I always ask the company how they ensure the right practices are taken throughout their SEO process, and what guarantee they give me if they don’t follow them.
These days, it’s NOT uncommon to have SEO companies use tools in their strategy but it’s very important to me that they use the right ones. For example, I don’t want them using tools that automate back-linking or even the content writing because this is NOT following Google’s quality control. To protect myself going forward, I like to get a complete breakdown of the tools they use, and for what. This will allow me to do two things:
First, I can do research on my own understanding of how important the tools are in SEO. It will also give me a chance to determine if the tool should be used or if it’s causing more damage than benefit. Secondly, when I decide to continue the SEO on my own, I’ll know EXACTLY what tools I can rely on going forward to ensure the campaign stays right on track.
Always ask the company for a breakdown of the tools and they should be fully compliant in giving them to you.
I’m a true believer that the COST should not be an issue as long as you’re getting quality work done. It’s hard to find good help if you’re NOT willing to pay for it but it’s important that you do understand the payment structure. For example, ask the SEO company the following questions:
These are simple, but fundamental questions that should be asked before hiring the company to begin work. It’s hard to determine what a fair price is, however, this comes down to the quality of work and level of package. If, after reviewing previous work, you’re happy with their reputation, then paying more than usual is NOT a bad idea.
From my experience, you can expect to pay on average $1,500-$2,000 for a high quality job.
This is something I need to know and the communication MUST be clear and concise from the beginning. Especially when paying for work to be done, it’s important that they are available during the times they tell me. In most cases, communication will be conducted through email, however, local companies will work an on-call basis.
It’s also a good idea to suggest some other communication methods if you feel more comfortable proceeding that way.
The one thing with SEO is that it can be tailored to all types of niches but it’s still important to find out how much experience they have in your industry. This will help you determine how well they know your industry, and if they know where to focus while progressing.
An easy way to find out about their experience within your niche is to ask about previous clientele or even general questions about your niche. Anyone with experience in every niche should be able to answer questions related to your industry. Even though this doesn’t mean they can’t get the work done, it’s still good to know how much experience they have working within your industry.
I left this as the last thing to ask or think about because it’s truly optional but I’ve always asked this question. You’re hiring the company so they should prove to you why they are worth getting your business. This is their time to shine, and tell you about the past and present accomplishments. I like to give the company a chance to go over what they can do for my business that others won’t be able to. This is a good time to see what they can come up with, and pay close attention to red flag answers like:
It’s a good way to catch them off guard and slip up, which, in the end, gives you a sense of trustworthiness. I guarantee, the way they answer this question will determine if you hire them or NOT.
Now that you have a few things to keep in mind, I’d like to close with these thoughts…
Even though I’m a true believer that SEO work should be done by you, it’s also a good idea to hire someone if you don’t have the time. Doing it yourself is important because it’s the best way to learn and understand the fundamentals as it applies to organic SEO. However, sometimes, getting others to do the work can be awesome to pick up a few hidden secrets. For example, it was through hiring a company I learned…
Keep in mind, you also have the option to do both – work yourself and hire someone to help out. Using this approach will help you get a better grasp when it comes to organic search rankings and optimization. I know hiring someone can be expensive so pay close attention to the price and what you get in your package. The high cost MUST out-weigh the negatives, and you should truly know you’re getting your money’s worth.
In the end, your entire experience should account to results in search engine rankings, authority, profits, and influence.
When running a website, it’s important to know what your audience thinks. But how can you do this in a way that’s engaging and interactive?
For WordPress users, the perfect solution is a survey plugin.
Unlike a poll, a survey allows you to answer questions in different formats, such as images and star ratings. It’s a personal way to interact with your audience.
Surveys are the perfect way to find out what interests your audience. You can use the data from surveys to create content tailored to their specific needs.
A quality survey plugin will be easy to use, provide readily accessible results, and allow you to share and export those results in different formats.
If you’re looking to engage further with your audience, here are the 5 best WordPress survey plugins you can use.
With an already engaging, popular contact form plugin, WPForms now has a survey and poll add-on provided when you purchase their Pro plan.
It features an easy to use drag and drop form builder, interactive survey reports, and exportable results. Need to print your report to share in person? No problem. The add-on comes with many customizable print styles to choose from so that your reports are pretty to look at while you analyze.
You can answer survey questions using text, images, star ratings, and more. You can also embed your survey anywhere you want in WordPress: post, page, or sidebar widget.
One of its most intriguing features is that you can turn any existing form into a survey at the click of a button, adding to its simplicity.
Survey Monkey is user-friendly survey plugin with features that include customizable branding, pre-written questions, and 24/7 online or offline accessibility.
The plugin’s dashboard has a friendly user interface and is easy to navigate.
You can ask questions based on categories like demographics, customer feedback, and market research. It also provides survey templates with different questions to choose from.
SurveyMonkey’s paid upgrade allows you to export results in CSV, HTML, and PDF formats. You can also display them as bar graphs, pie charts, and tables, which are all customizable. Share your survey with others via an embed code, direct link, social media, and more.
With the Polldaddy survey plugin, simplicity is key. You get features like a drag and drop question editor, 15 theme options, and 3 pop-up styles.
You can close the survey after a certain date or when a quote is met. Integrate password protection, Captcha protection, or IP restriction to prevent multiple or automated responses.
If you’d like to follow up with survey participants, you can ask them to provide contact information like a name or email. Results can be monitored in real time and responses can be collected through email, social media, or via WordPress.
Polldaddy allows you to export your data in different formats such as PDF or XML and through Google Docs and Excel.
Simple and easy to use, the free version of Quiz and Survey Master features unlimited surveys and responses, a customizable thank you page, and the ability to email users once the survey is complete.
Answer options include multiple choice, true and false, and number rankings. Results can be sent straight to your email or viewed directly through your WordPress dashboard.
The upgraded version is worth the price if you want to include reporting and analytics, data exportation, and user-friendly survey templates.
Created by OpinionStage, this plugin requires you to create an OpinionStage account on their website, which is where you build your survey. If you’re looking for something straight to the point, the free version provides all the basic features you’ll need.
Some features include various survey designs, a WordPress editor button, and an easy-to-use interface. You can display your survey anywhere on your WordPress site.
Customization includes many different color schemes and fonts. You can view your data by the amount of time a visitor has been on the survey, the number of views and leads, and the number of engagements.
Although you need to upgrade to a paid plan to access features such as adding your own logo and advanced customization, the free plan is simple and easy to navigate.
Depending on your needs, one of these plugins is guaranteed to aid you in gathering the analytical data and results you’re looking for.
Asking your audience to take part in a survey is a personal, fun, and engaging way of getting to know them better. This will help you in your blogging journey as you tailor the type of content visitors are looking for.
Years and years and years ago, far before I had any glimmer of an idea about the possibility of making money online, my dad shared a story with me. I don’t think I was much older than maybe 6 or 7 at the time and I’m not even 100 percent certain the story is even true, but the underlying lesson is something that I’ve really taken to heart… even if it’s not directly applicable to my everyday life now.
One of the most famous entrepreneurs and “business magnates” that Vancouver has ever produced is Jim Pattison. He was born in Saskatchewan, but he grew up in East Vancouver, just like me and John (though we grew up in different neighborhoods and at different times).
If you’ve ever been to Vancouver, you may have noticed his name plastered all over the city as the owner of the Jim Pattison Group, Canada’s second largest privately held company. It’s got billboards, TV and radio stations, car dealerships, grocery store chains, real estate development, and more. These days, Jim Pattison has an estimated net worth of nearly $7 billion. That’s “billion” with a “B,” making him Canada’s fourth richest person.
He bought his first GM dealership way back in 1961 and has since amassed over 200 companies with diversified investments across multiple countries. “Jimmy” Pattison and his family have done very well for themselves.
For whatever reason, this was one of my dad’s favorite stories. Maybe it’s partly what eventually led him down the path of being a small business owner himself and, by extension, what led me to my freelance writing career today.
So, the story goes that Jimmy Pattison came from a family of rather modest means, so he took it upon himself to make some extra money. As a kid, he’d do things like head out to the local fields and farms to pick berries and fruit during summer, for example. He also took on a newspaper delivery route, among several other gigs and jobs along the way. But he also set out with his own humble small business as a teenager too.
He made the astute observation that buying things in bulk is usually cheaper on a per-unit basis than it is buying smaller amounts. We see this is relatively obvious these days, but not many people actually take entrepreneurial action based on this knowledge. Pattison did. He would buy giant bulk bags of flower seeds and the like, dividing them into much smaller bags that he would then sell door-to-door.
I don’t have the actual numbers, of course, but let’s use today’s dollars to illustrate this using a hypothetical example. Let’s say a massive bag of seed costs $20. From that massive bag, you can make 200 individual portions that you can then sell for $1 each. And let’s say that you can bulk buy 200 little bags for $5. Given this, it means that for a total cost of $25 (the big bag of seed plus the cost of the small bags), you can bring in $200 in revenue, resulting in $175 in net profit. That’s a 700 percent return on investment!
I can never be completely certain why my dad enjoys telling that story so much. Maybe it’s because it’s so inspirational and it shows how a humble kid from East Vancouver can grow up to be a billionaire. Perhaps it’s because Jim Pattison demonstrates that your dreams can become reality if you’re savvy and willing to put in the work.
For me, the biggest lesson here is that you just need to come up with creative ways to work with what you have. As a teenager, there’s no way that Pattison could buy a car dealership. It would be impossible for him to open up any sort of real traditional business, but he saw an opportunity and he was able to capitalize on it. Splitting a big bag of seeds into several smaller bags is hardly a novel idea, but it proved to be profitable and it helped to sow a prosperous path for him to follow.
Oh, I can’t make it big on YouTube. I can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on equipment or hire professionals to produce, direct and edit the videos. But you can start vlogging for $200 or less. So, start there. Just like starting a blog, getting into Internet marketing, publishing an ebook, or whatever other ambitions you may have, use what you have, put your unique spin on it, and go out there to sell some seeds.
Email marketing is huge and you can double or even triple your growth with a solid follow-up campaign. Over the years, I have learned every top blogger encourages other bloggers to have a solid opt-in sequence that will increase user engagement. However, I’m surprised at the number of people who still don’t choose to implement email marketing on their blog. I think everyone should have a solid email marketing plan, especially because they are very cheap and easy to set up. For example, I’ve been using Aweber.com and had them set up on my blog within a few minutes. They offer free templates, a drag & drop interface, and autoresponders that can be sent out within minutes. With so much to be done easily, it’s important you start looking at how you can benefit with email marketing on your blog. After,
It’s time to test and tweak your email campaigns because it is truly about generating opens that convert into profit. They say each subscriber is worth $150-$200 to your company, but only if you are able to get them to open your messages. This is where things get tough, but you are NOT alone in this battle because case studies are around to help guide your open rate. For example, when I first got started, I located awesome case studies that helped generate an awesome open rate. Today, I’d like to discuss some of them so you can get started with creating a solid follow-up sequence.
Let’s jump right in and look writing emails people want to open and read.
This is the first thing your readers will see so it’s important you have a subject line that stands out compared to all other messages within their inbox. It’s no secret people get bombarded with emails, but with the right subject lines, you can definitely stand out compared to the rest. Here are a few ways to get converting:
Build Curiosity –
Whenever people have to question what’s inside the email, then you have a better chance of them opening. It’s like a box wrapped in beautiful paper because this can be very tempting…right? To build curiosity, use things like:
All of these questions or statements will build a heightened level of curiosity that will help increase open rates.
Use Numbers –
There is a simple reason numbers work so well and that’s because they tend to stand out from basic text script. As humans, we tend to scan things quickly because we are short for time, and numbers help catch the eye quickly.
Short and Right to the Point –
As mentioned above, people are skimming through their inbox because they get bombarded with emails. In this case, it’s important to always keep things short and to the point. It’ll help get the message across, increasing the likelihood of them clicking on your message. Remember, it’s NOT just about keeping it short because you’ll learn next that it’s about testing until you find a high CTR.
Always Test Your Subscribers –
It’s important to keep testing until you find something that works. This is the only way you’ll find out what resonates with your readers. Keep the subject line short as mentioned above, but try a combination of subject lines and track results. Email marketing is so easy that you can test with the click of a button, so implement the strategies above while tracking the results.
Just like writing content that provides value, it’s important to do the same when sending email messages, too. This is especially important when subscribers will open an email at least once, and if they don’t find value, might unsubscribe going forward. This is why I’m a true believer in NOT sending out too many follow-ups until you have something of value that you know your subscribers will love to read. If my subscribers open a message and are redirected to valuable content, then I’ve increased the chances of them doing the same again going forward. What is value?
First, understand why they joined your newsletter in the first place which MOST likely is they found value on your blog. Next, understand exactly where most of them opted because this will help guide your writing in the future. For example, you can create the same type of content going forward, and then send them a follow-up message with the link embedded within. Third, keep the message short, which you’ll learn later on as you continue to read this content.
Here are some quick content value tips:
There’s a reason people spend time on your blog, and a major reason is because you have established your own voice. This means going forward, it’s important you continue to write content that builds your identity. Even though you will probably follow this philosophy as it applies to content writing, it’s important you do the same when sending out newsletters to your subscribers. They will want to feel the same passion in your follow-up messages that they did when reading your content.
The best way to personalize your voice is to keep it real from the beginning. The cool thing about blogging is you’re representing yourself, which can be very strong when done the right way. Start with writing content, and keep that personal tone going throughout your messages. You’ll see that people will resonate much better with your messages, knowing you’ve kept it real from the very start.
I had mentioned previously how I’d explore this a bit more going forward. As mentioned, people are bombarded with emails daily, and they quickly skim through them. They will organize them and quickly SPAM the ones that seem to be poor quality. However, sometimes, the subscriber isn’t sure about an email, and will open to skim through, which is why you have very little time to get your point across. In short,
It’s very important to make sure your email follow-ups are concise and right to the point. However, don’t forget the fundamentals that I have discussed above, like:
You need to ensure you catch the subscriber’s attention quickly, and in very little time. You have to know what they expect to read and give it to them in a way where they can engage right away.
I have many blogging colleagues who have built a huge email following and are doing very well growing their blogs. However, there are some who have gone stagnant over the years, which tempted me to ask them what happen over the years. One of the main complaints they said was their inability to keep a solid follow-up sequence going, which caused many subscribers to forget they opted in to receive newsletters. Before continuing, let me summarize my main point…
If you want to keep subscribers engaged, it’s important you build your reputation through a solid follow-up sequence. What does this all mean?
First, it’s important you send messages consistently so you stay relevant when they check emails. I know many times, I’ve unsubscribed from email messages even though I actively subscribed month back. The reason was very simple, it’s because over time, I had forget about the blog because of slow correspondence over time.
Secondly, it’s even more important during the consistent follow-ups you continue to provide value, which I’ve already discussed above. Third, always test when sending email messages because you’ll notice throughout the day that certain time slots work better than others. However, you should also pay close attention to the days you message because open rates will fluctuate throughout the week. Here’s what I’ve learned over time about email timing and inbox:
It’s also very important you pay close attention to timing when you send messages. You want to catch the subscriber at the right time, which will help increase open rates. Here’s what I learned about timing:
In the end, writing emails can definitely help increase engagement on your website, but it’s very important that you apply different strategies along the way. It’s is a complete waste of subscribers and efforts if you can’t re-engage your visitors after they have subscribed to your newsletter. Once they have, it’s time to really build that lasting loyalty, which can transform your business 10 fold. Going forward, it’s important you start implementing the strategies that have been discussed above to get a better understanding of how email marketing works. After you have utilized the strategies discussed above, you’ll begin to see improvements in your engagement. Once this happens, it will transform your entire blog, increasing traffic, loyalty, and engagement.
There are many examples I can give you on how people have managed to use email marketing to increase overall growth. For example, Neil Patel from QuickSprout.com has stated numerous times that it’s very difficult to get 100,000 visitors a month without having a huge list of subscribers. However, he has also mentioned that having the list is NOT the only thing that matters because you have to know how to get them to open emails and click on the engagement links.
Over the years, I’ve written for a number of different websites and publications. Some have been more formal or more specific about how they want their content formatted. They may have very specific instructions about the size and dimensions of images, for instance, or about how they want sources to be cited. This is all in addition to the more academic style writing I did during my university days, which is decidedly quite different from the more casual web content I largely write today.
Even though I’ve been doing this professionally for over a decade, it may surprise some of you to learn that I don’t really have much in terms of formal training. I never went to journalism school, I haven’t taken any creative writing courses (though I’d like to take a couple at some point), and I don’t have a diploma in marketing and communications. It’s all just stuff I’ve picked up along the way and my “writing voice” has evolved accordingly.
A lot of people have this ill-conceived notion that “good writing” is defined as writing with perfect spelling, grammar and syntax. They believe that you must have these components absolutely correct and you should stick strictly to the guidelines outlined by the powers-that-be. But you’ll also find that much of the best writing breaks a lot of rules. Like how the preceding sentence is really just a sentence fragment, much like this one too. Is that bad?
If you’ve been following me and my blog for some time, particularly the Grammar 101 series, then you might also believe that I am a stickler for proper spelling and grammar. Many years ago, I wrote that poor grammar and spelling mistakes are like a chipped coffee mug at a restaurant. The chipped mug doesn’t matter too much; it’s more about what else it represents. If the cafe doesn’t care about the condition of its cups, where else are they throwing caution to the wind? Where else do you they let things slide?
To some extent, it’s true. I think spelling and grammar matter. On another level, I’m not really an authority in this space either, as I’ve never really been formally trained on the matter anyhow. There are many instances where I’m not entirely sure what is the “right” way to write something, so I usually just end up reworking the sentence to avoid the issue.
Pablo Picasso once said that you should “learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” The Dalai Lama echoes this sentiment, saying that you should “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” And there is definitely some weight to those statements… but what if you don’t know the rules or you’re unsure about them?
Sometimes, avoiding your problems is the simplest solution available. I could spend hours or even days pouring over how to format a sentence such that it adheres perfectly to the rules outlined in the Associated Press Stylebook, but even those rules can be ambiguous or incomplete. This could lead me down an incredibly deep and potentially bottomless rabbit hole, all to determine whether I should be calling it a six-quart pot or a 6-quart pot or a 6qt pot or a…. you get the idea.
Unless sticking perfectly to AP style is of critical importance for the publication and you don’t have a resident expert who can help you, wasting too much time on such a minuscule concern is indeed wasteful.
But, as you might have been able to guess from the title of this blog post, avoiding problems is oftentimes not the best approach to take. If you have a problem with debt, simply throwing your bills in the trash is not going to make that problem go away; it’s only going to make it worse. If you have relationship problems, avoiding your partner altogether is not going to make that problem go away; you need to talk about it to resolve it, one way or the other.
Sometimes, you might think that you are solving a problem in your life when all you’re really doing is trying to sweep it under the rug and make it go away for a little while. Just don’t be surprised when that little problem develops into a much larger and more pressing problem down the road. Solve it. Fix it. And then you can move on to the next thing.
