Mr. Achievement – Stanley F. Bronstein – Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of television; we’d all still be eating frozen radio dinners.

– Johnny Carson

Over the past 50 years or so, the American society has become incredibly convenience oriented. We are all so busy that we want things to be as easy as possible for us.

What is convenience?

Convenience is anything that saves or simplifies work; something that adds to one’s ease or comfort.

When did it start?

I think a lot of this trend started with the invention of the first TV dinners by Swanson and Sons in the early 1950s. Supposedly, Swanson was faced with an overabundance of leftover turkey after the previous Thanksgiving holiday. One of their enterprising executives came up with the idea of packaging the turkey, along with cornbread dressing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes into an aluminum tray, freezing it and selling it for 98 cents. Initial estimates were that Swanson would sell 50,000 units that first year. People liked the convenience so much, they supposedly sold more than 10 million units that first year. Wow ! Think about it, they could heat up an entire meal in the oven in 25 minutes and there were no dishes or anything to clean. Everyone could sit together in front of the TV and eat while they were watching. The cartons from the TV dinners were even made to look like a television screen. Everything was completely disposable. No muss; no fuss.

Was the desire for convenience created, or did it always exist?

Many marketing professionals would probably argue that Swanson created a need. They marketed to us and told us that we couldn’t live without the convenience of these TV dinners. While I tend to agree, I also think society’s desire for convenience was there long before the invention of the first TV dinners. One way or another, master marketers would have found a way to tie into that desire and find a way to sell that convenience to us.

That’s what Johnny Carson was suggesting in his quote. TV dinners were marketed to us as dinners to be eaten while sitting in front of the TV. They combined the need to eat along with the desire for the social aspects that were being met by watching television. Before television was invented, radio was the social glue that tied together the world. Had marketers never come up with the idea for eating frozen dinners in front of the TV, they would just as likely come up with the idea for eating frozen dinners in front of the radio. Marketers would have found a way to tie into our desire for convenience.

So what does this all mean?

It means that all human beings inherently have a desire for comfort. We all inherently have a desire to make things as easy as possible for ourselves.

What should be do about this desire for comfort and convenience?

We should acknowledge this desire for comfort and convenience & embrace it! There is nothing wrong with creating a more comfortable, more convenient lifestyle for ourselves and others. No need to feel guilty. No need to feel like we’re being lazy. In fact, I’ve always believed that finding ways to add comfort and convenience in our lives allows us to devote long hours of time and energy to the matters that are most important in our lives! Comfort and convenience are good things, not bad ones.

So why am I talking about comfort?

I wanted to talk about comfort today because sometimes we get comfortable and we become afraid to take risks (even if they are intelligent, carefully measured ones). It is only when we are willing to step outside of our comfort zone that we can see, attract and act upon some opportunities.

One person who was initially afraid to step outside his comfort zone is Eric Kirkland of Phoenix, AZ. Watch the video below to see the tremendous, life-changing opportunity Eric “almost” passed up because he was initially afraid to step outside his comfort zone.

Eric Kirkland is one of the persons who will be featured in my upcoming book:

If you want to view that portion of the interview, click on the image below.

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