A while ago, a young Nigerian who works at a store near a place I often stroll to sit struck up a conversation with me. At some point, I mentioned the pressing need for me to earn as much as I could over the next few months. His response amused me.
He said that, of all the young Nigerians he knew, I was one of the few people he did not think was ready to make money. So, I asked why.
At first, he struggled to explain it. Later, he told me that he had been observing me. He often saw me arrive at roughly the same time of day, sit in the same spot, sometimes with a notebook, other times with my phone, and remain there for an hour or more. He said, nobody serious about making money would sit down for that long. They would be moving around, looking for something to do.
I like the guy. But what interested me was the mentality behind his conclusion. One thing I have noticed among many Nigerians is a tendency to confuse motion with progress. If people cannot visibly see you exerting yourself, rushing around, reacting, struggling, or performing urgency, they assume nothing productive is happening. But a person can spend two hours running around in circles and achieve less than someone who spends thirty minutes carefully deciding where to direct his effort.
In reality, many of those occasions when he saw me sitting there, I was reviewing documents, responding to emails, editing work, reading, planning, and organizing my next steps. I simply preferred doing it in an open space rather than staring at the same corner of a room all day. Because the work was not visibly strenuous, it was interpreted as laziness.
I have encountered this mentality in other contexts too. When problems arise, my instinct is usually not to react immediately. I sit and think. Sometimes for a few minutes. Sometimes longer. This has irritated many people.
People often become frustrated because I am not as visibly upset as they are. I am not demonstrably angry. I do not immediately spring into action. To them, my calmness can look like disinterest.
Yet I have repeatedly watched people react first, rush into action, exhaust themselves, and eventually arrive at the very conclusions I arrived at after taking a few extra moments to deliberate. Simply because I was willing to pause long enough to consider possibilities they had not yet considered.
The same mentality appears in how we think about ambition. Some people seem to believe that if you are truly focused on success, you must always look serious. You cannot stop to greet people, laugh, enjoy yourself, think quietly, or take stock of your situation. You must constantly appear busy.
I have never accepted that view. The ability to zoom out, evaluate your actions, learn from mistakes, identify patterns, and adjust your approach is not the opposite of ambition. It is often the very thing that makes ambition effective.
Worthy goals are achieved through a combination of thought and action; knowing when to push, when to pause; when to observe, when to engage.
I am deeply suspicious and often disconcerted by any culture that treats quiet deliberation as laziness and superficial activity as virtuous. Movement is not always progress. Sometimes the most reasonable thing a person can do is sit still and quietly alone and by themselves.
Spice Up Your Copywriting
If you want to make your copy...
More vivid...
More interesting…
And most importantly...
More effective at selling...
Here's a simple method to do just that.
All you have to do is...
Use sensory language.
That means use words that appeal to your audience’s senses.
You want to use words that describe:
1) Sight
2) Sound
3) Smell
4) Touch
5) Taste
6) Motion
Let's look at a few examples for each:
1) Sight
• Pale
• Shiny
• Gloomy
• Striped
• Metallic
2) Sound
• Buzz
• Shrill
• Crash
• Gargle
• Hushed
3) Smell
• Burnt
• Fresh
• Smoky
• Pungent
• Fragrant
4) Touch
• Dry
• Rough
• Jagged
• Smooth
• Slippery
5) Taste
• Salty
• Bitter
• Bland
• Sweet
• Chewy
6) Motion
• Dive
• Rush
• Sway
• Crawl
• Swerve
And here's a quick example to show just how potent sensory words are.
Would you sell:
• House salad?
Hopefully not.
It’s not specific enough.
So let's add some specifics:
• House salad with tomatoes, lettuce, radish, and dressing
Better.
And now let's add in sensory language:
• House salad with plump tomatoes, crisp lettuce, spicy radish, and a drizzling of tangy honey mustard dressing
Note how much more appealing that is.
And all I did was get specific and then add a few sensory words.
So you can see using sensory language isn't hard.
You don't even need to think about it when you're writing.
All you need do is keep it in mind when you edit your work.
Then look for opportunities to liven up and get more specific with your descriptions.
And if you found this useful:
Repost it to help your fellow persuasion professionals.
Make sure you’re following me @AndrewWriteCopy for more quality copywriting and marketing content.
And enjoy the rest of your day!
I've seen the article about my past being shared, so let's address it directly. A few years ago, I got caught up and caught charges in a weed-related drug operation/case. I'm not proud of it, and it's a chapter of my life l've worked hard to move on from.
At that time, I was making choices that didn't align with the person I wanted to be. That experience was a wake-up call. It forced me to reflect, take accountability, and make real changes in my life. Since then, l've dedicated myself to building something positive— trading, helping others, and creating a community that's focused on growth and success.
I'm not running from my mistakes. I own them because they've shaped who I am today. I've learned, I've grown, and l've moved forward.
To everyone who's supported me on this journey: thank you. Your belief in me fuels everything I do. For anyone looking at this and judging: I understand, and I hope my actions today show that people can change.
Good evening ☀️ Today is Day 2 of our ‘No Excuses November’: This is your night time reminder to stay discipline.
Most Millionaires all went through a pass of intense focus on the weekends. Be willing to sacrifice.
You wanna get rich?
Start acting like it.
Make it happen
O Blessed Mother Mary, guide our steps today. Help us discern God’s will in every decision we make. Give us the wisdom and strength to follow the path that leads to your Son even when those paths differ from our own will. Amen🙏