How Walt Disney tricked his brain into getting so much work done

Something to think about if you struggle with productivity: Last year I wrote an email about how, many years ago, the great sci-fi novelist Ray Bradbury was being interviewed about his thoughts on his old friend Walt Disney. If you know much about Walt, you’d know he was a notorious procrastinator, needing motivation to get things done, especially as he got more successful and rich beyond the dreams of avarice. And Ray Bradbury said something very interesting about that. Specifically, he said Walt was highly motivated by surrounding himself with this animation and art to get more work done and accomplish more of his goals and ambitions. In other words: It was a way he motivated himself to grow his business, brand, and legacy. I have long done something similar. And the email I wrote about Walt then went into the ungodly amounts of time, effort, and money I’ve invested in the visual & design-side of my marketing universe of offers. Everything from book covers to the comicbook-style ads (and full length Email Players comicbooks) I’ve produced, to opt-in page and website design, to interiors being professionally done on a couple of my books, mobile app design, software design, graphics, and the list goes on. A lot of this stuff is framed and adorns my office and main resident den walls. And, really, with two exceptions, it’s the only “artwork” I collect. (I am a collector of my own IP, that’s my art curation game…) And it absolutely inspires me to create more. More of what? More fun and memorable customer experiences, ultimately. To which a reader (who asked to remain anonymous) replied: === Great email. A quick addendum to reinforce your point that I think you'll find interesting: At my day job, I work for a guy called Peter Marino, who is one of the highest-paid architects in the world. Long story short: he's the main architect behind all of the flagship stores for LVMH -- Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany, and so on. Guy's 70-something years old and still works all day, every day. He's a genius at architecture and interior design. In a recent interview, he dropped this line: "A very close friend said, “Oh, poor you, you have to work on Sunday,” and I corrected her saying, “a) Not poor me. I’m so blessed that I have so much work. b) It’s not work. Do you say it’s work when Julian Schnabel goes to his studio and does paintings all night long?” She goes, “No.” I said, “Well, it’s not work for me either. Going in and creating is such a joy.” I surround myself with objects. I get inspiration from everything." “For me, the family philosophy to enjoy your life meant surround yourself with the most beautiful things you can find visually. Money is for me very abstract, and art is very real. Whatever I get I spend on art.” And it's true. From personal experience, every room in his office, his estates, and his apartment is jam-packed with art -- some of it his, and some of it made by famous artists. Either way, he's deliberate about stuffing his work environment with these objects as motivation. And he's still making the big bucks. Hardly a coincidence that you share a similar perspective... glad you brought it up. === If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe him… Whatever the case, all this brings me to the August Email Players issue. It’s the 13-year anniversary issue of the newsletter. And it is also the unofficial “sequel” to my Markauteur book, too, about the visual & design-side of my marketing universe of offers. This August issue has several of my covers produces since Markauteur was launched analyzed (including the back-and-forth emails between me and Kia so you can see how cerebral we get with the process and solve problems that arise), as well as my latest opt-in page design, the comicbook-style ads (not just a cartoon caricature of me or whatever, but full-blown stories being told, often that sell my other offers) I have been producing since 2019, and even how I am planning about marketing, selling, and monetizing my fiction, too, for those interested in that. This issue is double the size (40 pages). And it’s also probably quadruple the value. Reason why is I’m also including with the August issue: “Email Players Annual #3: Copywriting Conversations with God” This 68-page oversized (literally — in both size and page count) Annual issue bonus exists outside the normal continuity of the newsletter. And I wrote it to both commemorate the newsletter’s 13-year anniversary and give my best boys & ghouls something that can help them navigate the withering inflation and failing economy using ancient wisdom for success, selling, and persuasion that goes back 100s and even 1000s of years that can work for nearly any kind of business — and whether you’re a sinner or saint, pagan or atheist, including even if you’re so fragile you call the cops or your therapist when someone so much as wishes you a Merry Christmas at Walmart. You can read more about that in the P.S. below if you choose. Otherwise, to subscribe by the deadline in a few days do this: 1. Go to the link below 2. Read the sales page carefully to know what you’re getting and what’s expected of you 3. Patiently wait for the August issue to arrive Here’s the link: []( Ben Settle P.S. Some of the secrets found inside the bonus Email Players Annual #3: Copywriting Conversations with God bonus I am sending with the August Email Players issue include: * A line in the book of Exodus that is, word-for-word, arguably the single most profitable marketing lesson ever written. (I first learned about this in 1999 when selling MLM and foolishly ignored it. But when I got into daily emails years later, it helped propel my business forward in ways and at a speed that, speed that, frankly, I still don't believe sometimes..) * How to trick your trolls & haters into ramping up your email inbox deliverability… and without them even realizing it. * Denzel Washington’s creepy insight into whether trolls and reply guys are just assholes or are actually possessed by demons. * The CS Lewis method to converting scoffers, doubters, and even hostile unbelievers in your offers to becoming some of your best and most loyal customers/clients. * A little-talked about way (discovered by brain scientists some years back, I believe, but don’t quote me on that) to write headlines and subject lines that are almost neurologically impossible to ignore. * The angry boomer secret Jesus Christ used to go viral — where people told everyone they knew about Him, spread the word about Him, and got people talking about Him. (I don’t know if he does it on purpose, but I notice Dan Kennedy does the exact same thing these days.) * A secret way of using Biblical genealogies to find out if a guru you want to buy from or hire is full of crap or not. * Persuasion secret of an Old Testament prophet who converted a bunch of devil worshippers who wanted to kill him. * How to get away with teaching and saying controversial things on woke and converged platforms (like YouTube, Facebook, the ever-growing list of ESPS, etc) that kick people off for saying anything that goes against the Narrative. * A Biblical persuasion method Jesus taught in the book of Luke that, 2000 years later, Bruce Barton (son of a preacher and the second “B” in the billion dollar BBDO advertising agency) used to convince US Steel to keep paying his company through the nose for advertising when they insisted on killing the contract. * The ingenious secret Jesus used to create the biggest and most influential religion in world history that has also been used by a controversial filmmaker to create some of the biggest and most influential films in cinema history. * A powerful secret for growing a better and more response email list that Old Testament farmers used for growing better and more abundant crops. * A totally violent & disturbing copywriting tactic that works like gangbusters to get attention… but that you should avoid reading if you have a weak stomach. * Ezekiel’s “dung eating” lesson for how to sell with stealth — and in a way that can work far better than just lobbing benefits and claims at your list. * What Genesis chapter 5 teaches about how to preserve your business and protect it from being “Rings of Power’d” by your heirs. * An eerie red flag (straight out of the book of John) to look for if you want to identify the rats, bad actors, and other treacherous “Judas” types when choosing who to do business with. * What to do if you want to “exorcise” trolls and reply guys off your list. (Hint: Jesus, the Apostles, and Old Testament figures were never “nice” to evil — they always got rough with them, cast them out, rebuked them, and in Old Testament days even beheaded them!) * What the Bible says about how to go from always being scared of what’s going on in the world to having the world scared of you. * The violent lesson found right inside the book of Revelation about having a tight, responsive, and profitable email list. * One word that can help rile up large segments of your list (and it’s not even profanity) when you have to get their attention and nothing else you try works. * Advice to businesses who sell MLM offers who don’t want to be shunned and laughed at by friends, family, and peers. Real life story about this: There was once a party full of elites and A-list celebrities in Hollywood, yet everyone was gathered around a little old unassuming lady waiting in line to talk to her. The reason they loved her and ignored the celebrities? Because she was a sex therapist… no, I’m not saying to talk about sex in your marketing. That would be missing the point. But inside you’ll see a way to tap into the same force of persuasion the old lady did to potentially be “the person” people wants to consult about whatever your offers do vs being the person everyone avoids.) Anyway, there’s a lot more in this 68-page “Annual” edition. And you can read it free, my 13-year Email Players anniversary gift to you, simply by being subscribed to Email Players by the deadline on the last day of July. Here’s the link: []( This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2024 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA