Week 14 of 2024 has arrived. It's so magical how the seasons change gradually.  If you don't look you might miss it, but if you do look, each day you can see the literal rebirth of the living world.  The trees and bushes are budding and "greening", and if you are super sharp, you can catch the occasional snake sunning itself on top of a rock.

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

Every week I get emails from readers of this newsletter, surprised and thankful that it isn't a thinly veiled sales pitch. I can't stress enough how important it is to me to learn and think and share thoughts about how to live a good life.  

Yes, this is a business, and it needs to be profitable, but the primary mission is to bring value to people and help to make their lives better... and maybe, just maybe, if we can do that, we can make the world a better place.

Thanks for reading. Email me a note about what you like, what you need help with, topics you think I should cover... etc.  I always love to hear feedback.

I want something from you.  I want  you to record a quick (10-30 seconds) video of you and your poster (selfie style),  mentioning how it has changed you. I don't have much creative direction other than that.  I will be using these videos to change more people's lives with a 4K Weeks Poster.  If you email me a video (spencer@4kweeks.com), I will say thank you with either a $75 4KWeeks gift card, OR with the The 66 day Massive Action Society. Your choice. 

The 4K Weeks Brightsider... For the colorful among us.

The 4K Weeks Fade to Black - Memento Mori, Anyone?

The Original 4K Weeks... A Striking Visual of Your Life

Remarkable Weeks

1. Week  14 of 1917, Jeannette Rankin commences her tenure as the first woman to serve as a member of the US House of Representatives. She was 1,920.43 weeks old. (36.83 yrs) 
2. Week  14 of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., while staying at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, fell victim to an assassination carried out by James Earl Ray. He was 2,046.29 weeks old. (39.24 yrs) 
3. Week  14 of 2008,  Mariah Carey surpasses Elvis Presley's record of 17 No. 1 hits on the US charts with her 18th hit, 'Touch My Body,' solidifying her place in music history. Only The Beatles stand ahead with 20 chart-topping hits. She was 2,036.00 weeks old (39.04 yrs).

This Week's Quote

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.”― Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

Every course of action has unknowns.  There will be mistakes made. It is much easier to make quick corrections if you are on your toes vs on your heels.

One thing that has always worked well for me is the internal dialogue that says "How could I be doing this task faster at the appropriate level of quality?".  Sometimes when you operate that way, you waste some time building systems that don't work out. But the least valuable worker is the one who is willing to tolerate crappy systems and implementation for years and decades.

Don't tolerate crappy systems, and don't tolerate people who tolerate them, either. (Not in a mean, unhelpful way... just don't allow that attitude to go unchallenged.  And if they are committed to being stuck in the mud, then move them along.)

What I am Consuming This Week

Diary of A CEO, Stephen Bartlett I have been rereading this book at bedtime.  It is written in such a way that makes that easy.  I am always struck by how many times I need to hear something before I can "know" it, and how long I "know" a thing before it is part of my bones... The part I highlighted last night was "What psychological discomfort are you avoiding?"  . . . because that is exactly where you should be working.

The Daily Laws, 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy and Human Nature. I don't like the vibe of a lot of this book... it seems like tips and tricks to get one over on people. But there is a ton of truth in it, and it is worth reading for the reflection on your own behaviors, and I suppose every tool can be used for ill or for good.

People I Mostly Admire, "#128, Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" A very interesting conversation with AI researcher Blaise Aguera y Arcas.   I don't think you could be learning too much AI right now. 

The Tim Ferriss Show, "Seth Godin, Coaching Tim on Overcoming Resistance".  I love Seth most of the time.  I really like the "Tomorrow I am going to write, not because I need to have a blog post, but because it's Friday, and I write every day." line of thinking.

• Well, now I want an otter.
• WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING???
• Damn... now what.

What I am Thinking About This Week

Community.

Our new mailman's name is Jeremy. I see him every few days and say hi as I am walking to or from the office. Our old mailman, Tim, left the USPS to start KC Puzzle Company.

On Tuesday, as she was walking to the dentist, my wife texted me:

"Pretty sure the mailman just honked at me in passing. Why did that make me so happy?"

I responded, "Because community is wonderful." and she replied, "That's it exactly."

There are myriad ways to build community, and it is a HUGE quality of life boost.

We used to go to this auto shop named Hank's. (Since closed, sad trombone.) The cantankerous mechanic who would always take my key and write down the issue was named Bob.  It took me three years of oil changes, brake jobs, etc. to get him to warm up to me, to the point where I occasionally saw multiple smiles per visit. It was worth every bit of the time spent strategizing on how to talk to him with my wife

Get to know your neighbors, your bank teller, find out your trashman's name, say hi to your mailman. There are tons of ways to build this habit, and each makes the next instance easier.  Our daily lives are full of routines that provide opportunities to build community. You just have to notice and then act.

Spending that effort and overcoming that social anxiety is a high-leverage activity you won't regert.

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 hear about the bank robber who fell into the cement?

Yeah, She's a hardened criminal now.

I told my girlfriend she drew on her eyebrows too high.

She seemed surprised.