Week 10 of 2024 has arrived. On Tuesday of this week, here in Kansas City, it was 70 degrees in the morning and by 8pm it was snowing.  But the weird part is... we were all surprised. It seems to happen at every few years.

Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square. Done?

What is the longest you have ever sat and watched something? 10 minutes? 2 hours? 6 hours?

I had an exchange with a person this week that got me thinking.  She saw a 4K Weeks poster for the first time and she said "I'm just sad that's all we get! I want a billion weeks with my baby!"

Two things to say about this.

1. It is sad. There is no way around it. There are no smooth, silky words that take the suck out of death. This is fun, one day it will end, that sucks, and we just have to hold that suckiness and smile in spite of it.
2. I don't think you do want a billion weeks with your baby. I think it just feels that way.  My dad certainly got to a point where, in spite of all he was leaving behind, he was at least curious about what was next.

I don't know about you, but even If I was watching the most beautiful thing in the world, after about 30 minutes (or less) I am ready to move on, and that's ok.

And even if I was to have my wish granted, and I was able to have lunch with my dad one more time, even if I knew that was the last lunch I would EVER have with him, at some point, it would be fine if it ended, and that's ok.

We are explorers, a curious animal. The unknown draws us on even as we love what we have known.

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Thanks for being here and reading! These blogs help me "Sharpen The Saw" and hopefully help you to sharpen yours!

Remarkable Weeks

Week  10 of 1959, Ruth Handler, businesswoman and inventor, unveils Barbie to the public at the American Toy Fair in New York. Since then, over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide. She was 2,209.29 weeks old. (42.36 yrs)

Week  10 of 1971, Joe Frazier brings an end to Muhammad Ali's 31-fight winning streak in what is famously dubbed the "Fight of the Century." He was 1,416.71 weeks old. (27.16 yrs) 

Week  10 of 2009,  Neymar, Brazilian soccer sensation, marked his debut in the world of professional football with Santos at the age of 17. He was 891.43 weeks old (17.09 yrs).

This Week's Quote

Be great in act, as you have been in thought. -William Shakespeare

What I am Consuming This Week

Spark and Fire. "Cultivate a child's sense of Wonder, with Rian Johnson". Johnson is the writer and director of the Knives Out movies, which are big favorites at our house. My wife recommended this to me (it's 2+ years old.) when I was talking to her about my struggle with my latest creative endeavor (writing). It is pretty interesting... and I think Seth Godin would approve of the treatment of genre.

Tim Ferriss Show, "#719 Greg McKeown" I heard the snippet of this in the "ICYMI recap" which is good in its own right..I finally started taking fish oil after that one... I am always looking for structures to build into my life, and this is a somewhat tactical discussion about how to stay focused on what is important to you.  The few pages of long form primary goals at the beginning of a planner to help you refocus when you are lost is something I am going to adopt.

Same As Ever, Morgan Housel.  This book is good.  I am still reading it, but for those of you that have enough money that you are deciding what to do with it, this book is a good foundational philosophy.

Save the Cat, The Last Book on Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need, Blake Snyder. I am not writing a screenplay.  But, I am trying to learn about stories, and their composition: what works, what doesn't, and what is essential.  So I picked this book up on a recommendation.  It is perfectly crass and non-precious.  There isn't any high art here, just a breakdown of what it takes for a story to be successful.

Insta Nuggets:

1. First... Reader Herb sent me a note about the scandal at META regarding how the platform failed, egregiously, to protect children. I don't know how to handle my integrity here... They have nearly turned themselves into a utility.  Would I shut off the power to my house if I discovered the CEO of the power company was doing the same? Someone smarter than me should start a blockchain-based social media company where the users are the owners, and all the best parts are retained, and the worst parts controlled for... I would invest. Read, Write, Own.
2. Seems silly to put IG posts in here today in light of that.

What I am Thinking About This Week

North Stars.

I think I have my priorities straight.  But...?

If you were to tell me that I could only have one priority, it would be my family, without a doubt.

BUT.  That might suck.  It would suck for them, and it would suck for me.

Can you imagine if the only thing I could ever do is spend time with my wife and kids?

Don't misunderstand me.  I LOVE spending time with them.  My favorite thing in the world is to sit and talk with my wife, and my kids are incredibly interesting humans in their own right. But most of the important work that each of us does is done alone.

So, when constructing a life made of finite days, weeks, months, and years, how do we go about reconciling the fact that we only spend 20% of our time on the "one priority"?

I don't have a great answer here.  I say this as I am alone in my office, writing this email, knowing that my kids and wife aren't here.

In fact, in spite of the fact that I am nearly 100% in charge of my own schedule, I still work 35 hours or more most weeks.

To be fair, some of that work I am doing for them.  For groceries next week, a warm house to live in, and to bear the cost of seeing the world with them.

But I also know that my kids will be on to their own "main character s%#t" in the next five-seven years, and 90% of the total time I get to spend with them will be spent.

Do you have thoughts on this? I am looking for actionable tips to be intentional about this.

I am ok with uncomfortable truths. What I don't want is carelessly missed opportunities.

Have a great week!

Thanks for being a part of the journey with us! Please tell me if you liked/disliked the blog this week. Ask my wife... those are the only emails I like to get!

Spencer, Owner of 4KWeeks.com

Dad Joke O' The Week

Did you know that my favorite frequency is 50,000 Hz?

Yeah, you've probably never heard it before!