Ben Settle wrote an email today with the subject line, “Why airports are the devil.”
Ben’s email is all about how he hates travel — the bacteria-infected airports, the dirty hostels, and the horror-filled lifestyle of a digital nomad.
Now, I hate many of the same things that Ben’s pointing out.
And yet, I still travel frequently and willingly.
And I think traveling is important — whether I like it or not.
That’s because I’ve noticed that when I sit at home and develop a daily routine, my brain slowly and imperceptibly starts to get slow, stupid, and depressed.
After a while, it simply refuses to work very well. It refuses to be active, creative, or engaged — because everything around me is too familiar.
The upshot is it starts to take me longer and longer to get work completed… Small obstacles become overwhelming… And I find it hard to stay motivated or positive.
Going for a trip clears all those cobwebs quickly and amps me up with energy for when I get back home. And that’s why I’m willing to submit to uncomfortable airplane seats or to bacteria in dodgy restaurants or embarrassment when having to deal with strangers in a strange land.
I’m sure there are many people who are like Ben, and who can thrive in their own home fortress, with a regular, familiar routine, day in and day out.
But I suspect many people are also like me.
The thing is, not everyone has a free and flexible lifestyle.
Many people who do get depressed and bored and inactive in their daily lives cannot travel and get new experiences whenever they want.
And so they seek novelty, stimulation, and entertainment wherever they can get it.
Usually through TV shows. Or social media. Or even in the marketing they are exposed to.
Which, in case you’ve got a business, is a great opportunity.
If you send marketing emails entertaining and challenging your audience, you can help your prospects make up for the fact they have routine and staid lives.
And if you want to see how I write such emails — even as I sleep on friends’ couches and expose myself to dangerous airport bacteria — then you might like the following: