Josh Allred's Blog

2,000 years ago, knowledge was stored on scrolls in great libraries. Scholars would travel many miles and many days just to get access to information.

Now, with the explosion of the internet and content, we have more access to more information than ever before in the history of mankind. Infinite knowledge and unlimited communication, one click away.

But with that comes mass amateurization, anyone can start a blog or post a picture or create a website. It is no longer left to “professionals” to decide what it shared. Which means anyone can write a post that is not sourced or peer-reviewed. Anyone can stand on a soapbox and scream to the masses.

The problem is that it makes it easier to ignore facts, data, and to find stories that enforce our biases, our prejudices, and our believes. Which leads us down a road of picking our own truth.

The answer then is with every click we get to decide what kind of messages spread. We get to decide what kind of content is worth sharing. With every interaction, we can choose to elevate the conversation (literally) to what is trending.

We could do better than sharing what we had for lunch.

It is easy for any addict to relapse when they return to the same neighborhood, with the same friends, doing the same activities.

Therefore, it is essential then to change the environment if you want to see a change in behavior. Will power is simply not enough to withstand the forces of temptation.

91,980,225,000.

That is how many pornographic videos were viewed in 2016.

Access is available anytime, anywhere. Amplifying the behavior.

Abstinence from technology is not a viable solution in this case since most of us use email and the internet for work.

The challenge moving forward is figuring out how to change the environment when temptation is just one click away.

In the virtual world:

Mastering a video game by completing all the levels, defeating every boss, collecting every rare artifact/weapon/spell, and becoming the most powerful character in the game isn’t as satisfying as we think. After a while, we become board without an obstacle or an objective to overcome.

Until…

Until you start a new game and the pursuit of perfection begins again.

In the real world:

The thing about skiing is that you are never perfect. You are striving for each run to be your best run while encountering different obstacles along the way.

The point isn’t to get to the bottom as quick as you can. The purpose is to get as many good runs as you can.

When given a choice though many of us choose to stay in virtual worlds. We want defined goals and perfect scores.

Being done isn’t the same as being satisfied.

It won’t make you happy.

The wheel of unending accumulation is actually unending.

Things we don’t have can’t help us solve the challenges before us.

Good artist learn to look at the space surrounding their subject in an effort to enhance their work.

Sometimes, when we’re stuck, we just need to look at the environment surrounding the problem in order to find a solution.

In 1845, Henry David Thoreau built a 10-foot by 15-foot cabin where he spent two years, two months, and two days living as simplistic as possible. He would go on to write about his experience in his essential book, Walden.

Two little known facts about his time in the woods was that he had built the cabin on a piece of land owned by his wealthy friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson. In addition, every week Thoreau’s mother would stop by and drop off a basket of fresh-baked good for Thoreau to enjoy. Inside, he would often find donuts.

When we are doing our best work, it is easy to fall into the trap of not excepting help from others. We are afraid of what people might think and we do not want to lose the purity of the experience.

We forget to take the donut.

Next time someone offers you a few bucks to say thank you, take the donut.

When someone wants to give you a ride or a free meal or a couch to crash on, take the donut.

Even the most self-reliant among us needed help along the way.

Rule #1: Don’t be a hero.

It doesn’t resonate with your readers or your customers to talk about yourself.

They are the heroes of their story, not you.

Rule #2: Keep it short, to the point.

All we want to know is if we can trust you?

Can you help us solve our problem?

Be the guide.

If you can’t bring them clarity, they will find someone else who can.

We live in a world where harmful behavior is more accessible than ever before.

Relying on willpower alone is not enough.

The answer then is to create an environment where temptations are not around.

(Out of sight, out of mind.)

A chocolate cookie on the kitchen counter is much harder to resist than in the grocery store.

Here is the thing we need to understand about social media:

If you use social media, you are not their customer. You are their product.

It has been intentionally marketed and optimized to make you just unhappy enough that you will continue to use it over and over again. (Like a dog that presses a button to get a piece of food.)

The problem is that you can’t be abstinent from technology. You can’t create a world where your job doesn’t use email. Technology is ubiquitous. Which means we need to be ever more vigilant in setting boundaries, making access more difficult than just one click away.

Identify the goal.

Everything you do is a means in achieving the goal.

And if it doesn’t, stop doing it.

Guaranteed to reduce stress, fear, anxiety, depression, uneasiness, discomfort, tension, pressure, agitation, nervousness, worry, eagerness, impulses, urges, pain…

While increasing productivity, profits, longevity, happiness, health, well-being, aspirations, inspirations, motivation, encouragement, enthusiasm, drive, ambitions, pleasure, satisfaction, contentment, joy, prosperity.

In addition, it will improve your relationships with your family, friends, and strangers.

Turn data off your phone.

Human beings have weak stopping rules. We do not know when to quit. Turning data off your phone is built-in time to unplug when you leave your home or office.

70% of office emails are read within six seconds of receiving them. We can access or be accessible anytime, anywhere. But advanced productivity comes with human costs.

The updates, the dings, the pings, the itch gets worse every time we scratch it.