The Art Of Addictive Thinking
Okay, we want to write Addictive Newsletters.
Great.
But how do we do it?
This is our next challenge.
To share addictive content, we have to think differently.
Forget formulaic spreadsheets, shouty headlines, and jargon-garbled caution.
Instead…
I’m inviting you to nudge your writing (and your brain) into a new realm.
I call this Addictive Thinking.
It’s not conventional.
It’s often a little awkward.
But it’s exactly how we share stuff that is un-ignorable. (Did I make up that word? Apparently not, according to Google, but it looks fake to my old brain. Moving on…)
3 Steps to Addictive Thinking
Changing our perspective isn’t easy.
So, here’s the 3-step method I teach my clients (and use in every piece I write):
Step 1: Get Uncomfortable
To start, we’re going to lean into our tension. What’s the uncomfortable truth no one’s saying?
What’s the hidden frustration, contradiction, or lie people feel—but can’t name? Find that pressure point. That’s where your idea starts.
Here’s an example: “Everyone says consistency builds trust…but what if authentic inconsistency builds trust faster?”
Boom. You're in.
Step 2: Get Flipped
Now, we’re break the norm and challenge our default mental setting. To flip the switch, say the unexpected. Challenge what “everyone knows.” And surprise your reader out of autopilot.
Here’s an example: “Most content tries to be helpful…but the best content makes people FEEL something.”
To put it simply: Your job isn’t to educate. It’s to recalibrate.
Step 3: Get Real
Land with a Truth or Invitation
Finally, we’re going to end by leaving your reader with a (gentle) gut-punch, something undeniable that they’ll carry with them all day. Maybe it’s truth they can’t un-see, or a question they’re dying to answer.
Here’s an example: “If your voice disappeared from the internet tomorrow… would anyone miss it?”
Here you go, folks.
It’s Addictive Thinking in a nutshell:
Tension → flip → truth.
Can Addictive Thinking Make My Newsletters Better?
If you’re writing a newsletter (or thinking of starting one), here’s the deal:
Maybe you won’t believe me right now, but…
Your voice is your unfair advantage.
Your perspective is your power.
And your ability to say what nobody else is saying is, quite simply, magic.
Addictive Thinking transforms your newsletter from “just another content channel” into a movement.
A “vibe” (sorry, I’m too old to say that with a straight face).
You create a space your readers look forward to.
And it’s exactly what builds devoted readers (not just followers).
So, imagine this:
Instead of “5 tips for productivity,” you write: “Burnout is your body staging a revolution.”
Instead of “How to write better,” you write: “Good writing is a side effect of dangerous thinking.”
Instead of “Here’s my offer,” you write: “This is the thing I wish someone handed me when I almost quit.”
Suddenly your newsletter isn’t just content, it’s currency.
But What About My Personality?
Well, here’s a fabulous thing about Addictive Thinking.
Your personality? It’s not something you “add” later.
It’s baked into the thinking itself.
When we write Addictive Newsletters, we’re using our real voice, our wildly unique POV, and our wacky but wonderful lived experience.
Addictive Thinking is all about:
The quirky analogies
The sarcastic rants
The midnight musings
And the thoughts that scare us a little (in a good way).
You don’t have to be loud or dramatic—you just have to be true.
So…
Let your stories leak in.
Let your humor slip through.
Let the edge stay sharp. Write like someone who stopped trying to impress and started trying to connect.
That’s what people actually crave: voice, not volume. Clarity, not polish. A sense of you, not a persona.
Thinking Differently Is Your Strategy
We live in a noisy, nutty world.
And most creators online are saying all the same things over and over (with slightly different fonts, frameworks and photos).
If we want to stand out, following the norm isn’t the answer.
We have to think differently.
If this were a manifesto, we’d loudly declare our allegiance to truth (not tired “Tips” lists), emotion (not overhyped expertise), and our valuable, amazing, imperfect VOICE (not volume).
This is the magic of Addictive Thinking.
And when you master it?
Your audience doesn’t just read your words.
They feel them.
They remember them.
They come back for more.
And that, my friends, is how our work begins.