What's in a name?

What we call things matters. Yet most of the time we fall into autopilot with words.

​

So it's valuable to occasionally challenge our preconceived notions. The exercise is pretty simple:

​

• Pick something.

  
  

• Think of ten alternate names / things you could call it

​

For instance, let's pick a simple tool like a hammer. I don't know how it got that name in the first place, but it doesn't "ham" anything.

​

Other possible names?

• Hitter

• Slammer

• Nail Pusher-Inner

• The BamBam

• Pointy-Thing-Banger

• Smash Stick

• Metal Mallet

• Force Driver

• Whacking Thing

• Strength Accelerator

​

We can try this with anything, including what we call our jobs, our business types, or anything else.

​

For instance, "Email Newsletters" is a fairly boring, if well-accepted, term for the thing you're reading right now. Other ideas:

• ThoughtStreams

• 3-Minute-Knowledge-Boosts

• Insight Notes

• Micro-books

• Weekly Smart Shares

• Group-wide Greetings

• Thought-you'd-find-this-interestings

• Knowledge Notes

• Hey Y'alls

• Procrastination Opportunities

  
  

Give it a shot on some things that are meaningful to you, and see if it doesn't expose new ways of looking at it.