title: Opening Mail / frantic.im
url: https://frantic.im/opening-mail/
hash_url: 7a223e552e8a8e3e11c759cbc5bc3ffa
archive_date: 2024-01-07
og_image: https://frantic.im/figma/og_opening_mail.png
description: First make the change easy, then make the easy change.
favicon: https://frantic.im/favicon.png
language: en_US

<p>I never liked opening envelopes; they’re tricky and ripping them open is annoying. My letters would get stuck or tear with the envelope.</p>
<p>The mail just used to stack up, and I’d miss important stuff because of it.</p>
<p>But then I found this cool little gadget from Japan.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GR4DQ8" target="_blank">
  <img src="https://frantic.im/assets/ceramic-letter-opener.jpg">
</a></p>
<p>It’s well-made, affordable, and feels good to use. Plus, it’s safe.</p>
<p>The best part? It actually made me enjoy opening my mail.</p>
<p>After this experience, I started thinking differently about unpleasent tasks. Is there a tool or a service that add delight to mundane things?</p>
<p>I also started noticing when people do this subconiously. For example, most software engineers I know hate blogging, but they like building their own blog engine to make blogging more pleasant (I’m very guilty of this too).</p>
<p>Kent Beck <a href="https://twitter.com/KentBeck/status/250733358307500032">nailed it</a>: “for each desired change, make the change easy (warning: this may be hard), then make the easy change”.</p>