Only One Thing At A Time (Apparently)

Tonight I was chatting with Dan on the phone about his new-found love of yoga, and I said something that was utterly preposterous, even in context.   Something like, “Well, my opinion here might be a little outside the norm” –– as though ANY of my opinions are anything but.
But I’ve had my eyes opened about this over the last week in regards to something else:  apparently, the overwhelming major of people –– even those who seem quite intelligent –– can only respond to the simplest message, consisting of a single piece of information.
Of course, I get why this is necessary in a 30 second commercial or in a brand-identity campaign, but I’ve been feeling it more and more on other levels.
I began thinking about this last week when I listened to the Awesome Amy Ahler’s call about her new program and she was adamant that an email blast should only be about ONE THING.  Only one topic, one offer, one subject per communication … THAT’S IT.
It got me thinking and I realized that my most successful open and response rate EVER was about my NY Times mention last month.  I whipped the email together in 2 hours that same morning and thus there was pretty much no other content.
I like the other eblasts I’ve sent since I started in the fall, but I thought what made them interesting and worth reading was that they also included other projects and interesting links and “just in case” content.  [Like, “maybe you can’t come to the ab workshop, but just in case you want to buy a painting, here’s the link.”]
I thought of it again when I realized that my posting for the Miracle of Money book got bogged down perhaps because I wrote a post that said, “After a rocky start, things going so well in this course for me;  X, Y, and Z have all happened.”  People got caught up on one question, and somehow that made the whole thing go off track for me, tarnishing all three of my pieces of good news.
Really, it should have been three separate posts.
[Even if just because –– please allow me a moment of cynicism –– too much good news happening to someone else is too much to bear.]
As another example, I thought I’d solved an business issue yesterday about a future yoga retreat, and spelled out the three remaining questions to a very intelligent person, stopping short of numbering them but just one sentence each on separate lines.  The return email responded to only one of them (IE, I’m scoring 33%).
Then I was chatting with Andrea today and she said that with some people she’s learned to write only one question per email (like in the subject line and repeated in the email.)
I suppose that could get annoying if you’re in the middle of a complex deal or transaction where there are dozens of points to be discussed, but I do sorta get it.
In some ways, I just now also realize this is parallel to why all the branding work has been so invaluable;  I now have my sound-bite about what I do so that it’s all clear and comprehensible.
I’m still rebelling against this –– I’m a born multi-tasker — even going so far as to have gotten a “lot of other stuff done” while practicing yoga today.  [Yes, I’ve had tons of deep and profound personal practice moments –– I think –– but I’m so not above hanging out in hip-openers while getting caught up on emails and TV shows.]
There is something to be said, obviously, for a pure and concentrated experience.  That, in a nutshell, is why meditation is so invaluable.
I just didn’t realize I was required to create that in every email I send…but maybe everyone will be happier if I do, including me.
Especially since it seems I have to send the same email three times anyway.  Although I guess that means in the end, it evens itself out perfectly.