Before I start writing an email for this site, I sit down and write 20 different subject lines first.
It was a suggestion I heard in an interview years ago, and the main benefit is that it forces me to clarify what I want to say before I begin writing.
But, there was another, unexpected benefit to this practice as well. Namely, it’s easier to consider the virtues of a subject line when I have others to which I can compare it–then if I’m just thinking about it by itself.
And, once I realized that, I found myself applying this idea to other parts of my life.
For example, there came a point when I felt like I was watching too much TV. But, when considering individual shows to cut out, it felt difficult because I would think about a character I loved or an episode I loved and that made it hard to part ways.
In that regard, I felt myself wrestling unreasonably with questions like, “Should I stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine?”
But, if I put it in the context of a few other shows and asked, “Which would I rather stop watching: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Twin Peaks, or Jersey Shore?” it was much easier to make that choice.
(As you can tell from the examples, this happened awhile back. And, if it matters, I stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I know it’s a better show than Jersey Shore. But, for reasons I don’t totally understand, I felt more invested in the latter. And, Twin Peaks is probably my favorite show of all time. So, in this context, it was relatively simple to part ways with the detectives of Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct.)
Because this site is mostly about workout music, I’ve tried to put this idea to work in a new compilation as well.
Specifically, I consider an average of 40 submissions for every one that I feature on an album.
And, that ratio has produced a steady of supply of songs that I’ve been consistently excited to share with people.
So, to push myself–and this idea–further on the workout music front, I considered 2487 songs before settling on the 13 that appear on Run Hundred Tracks 2.
With just one in every 200 contenders making the cut, the album took five times as long to compile. And, in this case, the theory held–because the resulting album is dynamite.
For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t say this about my own work–however excited I might feel personally–because calling your own album “dynamite” feels gauche.
In this case, though, I didn’t contribute a single note to the album. So, I’m letting myself gush more than I would otherwise.
(Also, I don’t normally refer to things as “dynamite” either. But, I was listening to a some live KISS concerts recently and their singer/guitarist Paul Stanley tends to fill the space between songs by shouting things like, “You people are dynamite!” And, he does it with such enthusiasm that his phrasing is now lodged in my subconscious.)
Anyway, tying all of this together, I just want to offer a reminder that–if you can create more options for yourself–you will often create better options for yourself.
I think you will hear that principle pay off in the latest Run Hundred compilation, and–if you don’t find that to be the case–I will give your money back cheerfully. (My contact info accompanies every order in case you want to touch base.)
So, if you like this idea in theory and want to put it in practice in your workout–using 13 songs that emerged from a pool of 2487 contenders–you can download Run Hundred Tracks 2 here.
Thanks!