Week 37, 2024
Week 37 of 2024 has arrived. The pools are closed, and everyone is buckling down on their school work. As I watch my kids get back in to the swing of the school year, I feel a bit of longing for the routine of my high school years, when seasons had a clear flavor and the cycle just seemed to drag me along with it.
Time to walk over to your 4K Weeks poster and fill in another square. Done?
Thinking about the baked-in change that students get with the school year coming back into view reminded me of this podcast clip. The relevant portion is at 23:26
It is from the People I Mostly Admire podcast last week. Steve Levitt was interviewing Sendhil Mullainathan, and he said “We all have a status quo bias, and so, when faced with a possible change, if you are indifferent, then you are actually in at “change”.
Not only does adult life just seem to have fewer baseline opportunities to experience change, it’s clear to me that as we get older it gets much easier to stay in our bubble and only chose the things that we 100% know will bring us satisfaction.
The bummer is that choice is weak, and boring, and not the fertile ground of growth. You don’t have to decline as you age… but if you don’t want to decline, you are going to have to actively choose growth. And that, by definition, means you will be a bit more uncomfortable. It’s a hard balance to strike, but I am sure we can all get used to being a bit more out of our comfort zone.
Start by ordering something other than your usual the next time you go to your favorite restaurant.
P.S. If you really want to get uncomfortable, the 33 Day streak tool will launch later this year. If you want to get on the wait list, send Eli a message with "33" in the subject line...Info@4kweeks.com
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Remarkable Weeks
Week 37 of 1945, Willem Johann Kolff successfully conducted the first kidney dialysis using his own artificial kidney machine in the Netherlands. He pioneered hemodialysis, artificial heart, and the field of artificial organs. He was 1,804.00 (34.59 yrs).
Week 37 of 1991, Nirvana released their single "Smells like Teen Spirit" which was dubbed the Generation X anthem. The band was about 244 weeks old (4.60 yrs). I remember this... I preferred Pearl Jam.
Week 37 of 1992, Mae Jaemison made history as the first African American woman to travel into space and later became the first real-life astronaut to appear on Star Trek. She was 1,873.43 weeks (35.92 yrs) old, respectively.
This Week's Quote
"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." -Frederick Wilcox
What a great illustration of what this actually means. Everyone wants to make progress towards their goal… Home plate! Scoring a run for my team…Cheers! Victory! GLORY!
But to steal a base means opening yourself up to being called out… Failure, Disappointment, “GROAN!” says the crowd. Bad social feedback! Oh no! Social ostracization!
It's cliche, but Babe Ruth struck out 1330 times... he only hit 714 home runs. Michael Jordan missed 26 potentially game winning shots. He only made 28 game winning shots.
I think you should push yourself to have the courage to ask for the ball the next time the clock is running out. And then, if you miss? Turn on the positive self talk... and try it again.
You have to risk some things to grow. Don’t be stupid… don’t put all of your chips on the table, but do something! Here is a good guide for how to think about decisions and their potential consequences. A cool guide to Jeff Bezos's decision-making model
What I am Consuming This Week
Only two really great podcasts this week... They are so great that I have listened to them twice, and already taken action on four things I have learned from them.
There is just so much good, actionable content here. The little book of experiments, the explore/exploit tradeoff, Kind and Wicked learning environments.... so much good stuff.
3 books with Neil Pasricha, "Chapter 3; Seth Godin on shifting stories and stretching ourselves."
So much good thinking shared. Rocky emailed me this week asking about Masterminds. One of the great benefits of a mastermind is the rule that you become the average of the five people you hang out with the most. Having a mastermind is a form of being intentional about that rule. If you can't for some reason create a real mastermind, do what some successful historical figures have done... create a virtual Mastermind with the thoughts of people you admire. If you do that, you could do way worse than putting Seth Godin in your five.
What I am Thinking About This Week
Two things this week... with a connection between them.
I spent just spent a long weekend in southern Missouri on a beautiful set of rivers with two of my best friends and their families. It's been a tradition for the last eight years, and all 12 of us just love it.
One of my favorite parts this year was when, after a long day floating the river in a raft, eating way to much dinner, and a few games of cornhole, the three of us pulled chairs out into the driveway and spent a half hour looking up at the stars.
We pointed out orbiting satellites, saw a shooting star, and were mostly quiet. As we were sitting there I thought about the light from those stars, and I wrote this:
Tomorrow's light is different.
Think about the light
shining from those stars.
Traveling billions of years
to get here to your eyes.
And if you aren't open
to witnessing
it just passes by.
Unseen.
Tomorrow's light is different.
That is the first thing.... how important it is to just witness the fact that you exist within this amazing world, and you are surrounded by insanely magical things 100% of the time.
The second thing is this quote from Seth Godin. "If we believe something is going to work, it is more likely to work."
Duh, but wait for it.
We are all realists. You can't will a basketball into a hoop in the waning seconds of a high stakes game.
But maybe... just maybe... if you show up to do the work, for days and weeks and months, then maybe the "believe" part of it IS the part that gives you the courage to take the shot. Most people don't ever even get to the courage part. They pass the ball to a teammate... "Let him be the one that misses... I don't want all that shame and ridicule!"
But GOSH DANG IT! I sat in a magical Ozark mountain scene watching light that has traveled BILLIONS of YEARS to get to my eyes! And magical computery orbs, put there by humans just like me, floating in space... And a bit of space dust burnt up in the sky above me while I was in the company of two humans that I love.
It is all so improbable and amazing.
Witness the magic of the world around you and have the courage to participate. When you have the courage to live into your free-est, most abundance-focused self; When you believe with your core that this is all amazing and you are worthy and capable of being a full participant... When you do that, you honor the universe and add to its magic for the rest of us.
And all you have to do is: show up, do the work, and be brave. That would be a hell of a way to fill in your square each week.
Have a great week!
Spencer
Dad Joke O' The Week
My brother invented the first "cold air balloon"...
But... it didn't really take off.
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