Does the frequent use of the word “ASS” on this blog provoke your?
If it does – GREAT!
The fact is that we remember better when emotions are involved and this means that if you get all fired up over something I say (or my domain name) then there is a better chance that you will remember me and come back later.
This blog was actually renamed some time ago, and I wrote about why I changed my domain name and why I settled on “RetireMyAss.com” instead.
But in this post I want to go a bit deeper and also help you realize that it’s a good thing that you cannot please everybody and you want to use it as an active strategy.
Just the other day I got the following email:
Rasmus,
I just got tired of your crude title.
I was interested in your program but found that your use of ‘ass’ was wearing me out.
I am probably not alone, but the best decision for me was to say goodbye.
Profanity becomes exhausting.I liked your message, hope all goes well for you.
Rob
You might find it strange, but I was really excited about getting it.
Emails such as this (and I think this is the first one being so direct) just goes to prove that I’ve successfully provoked someone. I really like the fact that Rob took the time to sit down and formulate this rather than just hit the unsubscribe button of my newsletter.
I actually ended up spending 30 minutes going through Rob’s website and giving him a few pointers on how he could improve that and his business model.
Not that one subscriber more or less would have an impact on my blog or business, but because I felt that I owed him something for spending time writing me about his thoughts.
It’s not the provocation that is the goal
You have to remember this. I’m a nice guy and I would prefer that all people who I met thought so to.
So the goal with my brand is not to piss people off and have them hate me.
But instead to spark some kind of emotion in the visitor.
And since I’m not a particular sophisticated guy I opted to go for the profanity angle with this blog (and jokes about naked nuns, but that’s mainly when I’ve had a few beers 
).
Emotions are the key to have memories stick
You probably remember some events in your life better and more vivid than others, right?
Whether those are when you had to get up on stage in that school recital or your wedding al those years ago, they are all tied together by emotions such as fear and happiness.
On a more scientific note, researches recently found a part in the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex that is in charge of linking memories with emotions.
This means that it’s a great idea to include emotions with anything you want people to remember. Whether that is a blog or a big product brand (just look at the ads on the TV and tell me how much is spend on educating you on the product and how much is being spent on sparking your emotions).
I just added the picture of the cute pets to prove my point.
Take a good look at them and tell me that you don’t feel anything! Hopefully this will help you remember that emotions are tied to memory.
However there are some guidelines to remember
- Pleasant emotions such as extreme hapiness are usually remember better then unpleasant ones such as fear and sadness.
- It’s the emotional arousal that helps the memory not the importance of the information
Of course based on this, you could probably argue that I should have named my blog “RetireSuperHappy” instead 
It’s ok that not everyone like you
If you want to cater to everyones taste, you end up having to serve something from the lowest common denominator – something totally stripped of all emotions.
Instead you should be bold.
Don't hide who you are, tell it like you see it and don't filter yourself
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Be passionate about your message and focus on those raving readers that it resonates with.
Chances are that you will use your emotion to spark a passion in their hearts as well.
So that is why my blog is named like this and I write like I do
I’m passionate about helping people just like you to break out of the standard way of living where you need to go to a 9-5 each day.
And I usually tell people that it’s all about “working less and living more”
If this message doesn’t resonate with you, fine! With millions of blogs out there, I’m sure that there is someone you will end up liking.
But if you other hand can see through all my profanity, poor grammar and foul language and you’re looking for another way of life, then I would invite you to come back for another peek at what I’m currently up to!
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