Stuck on what to write?
Need more ideas for solving biz problems?
Spent 15 minutes tidying up your desk rather than making calls or doing the work you’re supposed to do?
I’ve got a framework that fixes all of that.
It’s called the Extreme Framework, and it works because it forces you to stop being vague and start being specific.
Here’s how it works.
Talk in extremes
You talk about the edges. The most and the least, the biggest and the smallest, the first and the last, the best and the worst. You pick an extreme and start from there.
Why does this work so well?
Our brains are couch potatoes. They have to be because we’re bombarded with thousands of messages every day, so they developed a shortcut to only pay attention to things on the edge of a category.
It is much easier to remember things like the tallest building. The cheapest option. The fastest car. The worst mistake.
Everything else that doesn’t stand out simply blends in with the crowd like a shy introvert doing his best to stay low.
When you use the extreme framework, you’re telling your reader’s brain: “Just focus on THIS thing.”
What makes this framework useful
The extreme framework isn’t just about getting attention (though it does that well.)
It’s also easy to write, or to focus your next actions because you’re only talking about ONE thing. You’re not juggling 5 angles or trying to consider 10 other options for completing a task.
It makes content naturally interesting. People want to know what’s the BIGGEST, thesmallest, the first, the last…there’s a scarcity effect baked in, and we’re wired to care about #1.
How to use this in your writing (and life)
For content ideas
Stuck on what to write? Reframe using extremes to get more ideas:
What’s the worst way to grow your email list?
What’s the best way to get subscribers with the least amount of money?
What’s the #1 mistake I see people make with their welcome sequence?
Mix and match. Most + least. Biggest + smallest. Best + worst. Boom! Instant angles.
For business positioning
You can’t compete on “we’re pretty good at a lot of things,” but you can own an extreme:
The first-ever company to do X
The company with the most Y
The only Z that does it this way
Create a category for yourself. Make it believable AND extreme. That’s how you stand out when you can’t outspend the big guys.
For productivity
When your to-do list looks like a receipt filled with tasks like “work on proposal, create slides, call mum…” ask yourself:
What’s the most important thing right now?
What’s the least important thing I can delete?
What’s the one thing I need to do just for today?
For mindset
If you’re stuck on a project or a task like writing…
Ask yourself: what’s the worst thing that could happen if I hit publish, and what’s the best?
Usually the worst isn’t that bad.
If nobody reads it, no problems.
Somebody screenshots it and mocks it? That’s survivable too. The shame is going to lose to the next TikTok reel anyway.
The best thing that could happen is usually worth the risk, and this reframe has gotten me to take action more than any motivational quote ever did.
So, the next time you're stuck on what to write, and you've already tidied your desk, checked your phone, and made a coffee you didn't need…try using the Extreme Framework and simplify it to just one task, one content angle, one whatever which should help you get more content ideas.
