What Grabs Your Attention?
When you scroll through your social media accounts, what makes you stop? What things grab your attention, so you engage? During the Superbowl, everyone is excited to see the commercials! Why? What grabs your attention?
If you grew up during a specific time frame, I bet you can identify with the following slogans:
- “The coffee that tastes as good as it smells.”
- “Plop, Plop, Fiz, Fiz….”
- “My bologna has a first name….”
- “Where’s the Beef?”
- “I am stuck on _____ _____cause germs don’t stick to me.”
- “It Wasn’t Me.”
- Maxwell House Coffee, 1961
- Alka Seltzer, In the ’60s
- Oscar Meyer, In the ’70s
- Wendy’s, In the ’80s (is not politically correct today, but still a great question)
- Band-Aid, In the ’90s
- Cheetos, 2021 commercial
It seems we only have around 8 seconds in our attention span. So getting a hook to grab readers in is a must! We need to keep this in mind to capture the attention of our readers and audience!
Can you reach that?
I know I have mentioned too many times about my book! The thing is, everyone I believe can write a book. My original goal was to write a book! As I look at the goals written in high school, writing a book is all it says. At the time, it seemed like a great goal. Writing 168 pages of words may seem impossible, but if you sit down and start talking/writing before you know it, you have them. Just writing a book became less of a goal for me.
I did not fully understand the depths of the investment in writing a book to share with others. It is not a box to check off as a goal completed. The value of the box is much more. The book’s readers have invested in gaining knowledge, purpose, solutions, and longevity from you as an author. These points should not be taken with light thought but with an investment in time, value, generosity, and gratitude. The thoughts, lessons, solutions and the messages I share will grow within those who read my pages. They will take the information and make it better for the next generation. I had to stop and take a few breaths. Can I reach that?
One of my former students messaged me last night because her child is having to transfer to a different school now. She wanted to know if I was still there because someone told her I was. “I am sorry, I am not. However, it is a great school. They have some amazing teachers. The secretary is great and you just introduce yourself to her. They will take care of you.” She messaged back, “Thank you so much. Hearing you say that makes me feel so much better about her going. I know I can trust it and feel good about it.”
I was reminded of the importance of relationship building. This young lady was one of my 5th grade students as a teacher. She now has a second grade student of her own. I stay in contact with as many of my students as I can even as adults. I know the work each one of us do can to make an impact on those we serve. I do believe my Two Rules will help others make a greater impact on those they serve and I look forward to its publication.
I want to thank those who helped me see the value, investment and patience of writing a book: Peter DeWitt, Ariel Curry, Chip Bell, Becky Robinson, Julie Winkle Giulioni, Daniel Bauer, all of those I have met at Berrett-Koehler Publishing. Barrett-Koehler Publishing is a family. Every author, staff member and member of this organization brings value to your life, gives graciously, consistently provides and I can not think of a time they were not there. Ken Blanchard is my lifetime model in leadership. Kristen Frantz the VP of sales and marketing provided me with guidance in reading other authors to learn from. I am blessed more than any of them can realize. It is funny about relationships, in my classroom I was face to face to build strong relationships. However, in all that I mentioned, we have only spoken through email, Twitter, Zoom calls or webinars. Technology is not always bad.
Life brings you opportunities daily. Each day is a gift to unwrap to find what it may bring. No day is ever promised to us, nor is it to be trouble free. It is in how we react we find the gifts we were meant to receive. I believe this is how I discovered these incredible individuals and groups. A life-threatening accident shifted my path, breast cancer has caused me to pause at this time to reflect, and all of their encouragement, leadership, consistency, and the support I gain from my support systems helps me. I can stand on their hands as I can hear, “You can reach that!”