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New WhiteHouse.gov

This morning I’m reading through several of the write-ups on the new WhiteHouse.gov – initial reactions from Matt Mullenweg and Pagely in addition to the longer piece by Fast Company.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled to see developers pushing the boundaries of WordPress on such a high profile site.

Screenshot

From what I’ve gathered, the site’s content editing experience is as good as its front end experience.

? ? ? to everyone involved!

A Call To Spy ?

I think what amazes me about the World War II era is just how many films and documentaries seemed to still be released about it every year. We thought Summerland was very good but it was a bit more niché. A Call To Spy really had something for everyone and retold such an important story. I’d definitely recommend for your next movie night.

Notes from Essentialism ?

Find the convergence of “inspired by”, “talented at”, and “significant need”.

Discern more so you can do less.

Zero-based budget your time.

If I didn’t have this, what would I be willing to do to get it?

What is the “slowest hiker” in your job or your life?

What is the smallest amount of progress that will be useful and valuable?

Ultimately, what is important right now?

Voted!

There are many days where I’m cynical about our politics but I will not let today be one. There are many great current / future public servants on the ballot this week. In a year where our state is experiencing a pandemic and reckoning with racial injustice, I’m grateful I got to vote for a black physician to be our next governor in addition to getting to vote for my literal neighbor three doors down to represent us in the state house. Get out there everyone! Our system works best when more people are involved.

Selfie of me voting

Not Making Excuses vs Accepting Limitations

This week I’ve had to say “no” to a lot of opportunities I would’ve liked to say “yes” to.

I’ve found myself feeling a sense of guilt both because I feel like I’m letting people down and I’m not able to do as much in a week as others around me seem to do.

Our work culture tells us not be a person who makes excuses but accepting the limitations of life’s seasons is healthy. This is what my seasons of life life is right now:

  • My wife is at work or on call 84 hours per week.
  • I have a two-year old and a baby on the way.
  • My nearest family member lives two states away.

Instead of feeling guilty, I’m trying to focus on this:

  • I am a quality developer and demand for my services is higher than their supply. This is a good thing and a testament to the quality of work I do.
  • I get to spend a lot of quality time with my son every week and experience his joy as he discovers more and more about his world.
  • I am supporting someone I love as they launch a new phase of their career.

Quote from Company of One ?

If you have an idea for starting a business that requires a lot of money, time, or resources, you’re mostly likely thinking too big. Your idea can be scaled down to the basics – do it now, do it on the cheap, and do it quickly – and then iterated upon. Start without automation or infrastructure or overhead. Start by helping one customer. Then another. This puts your focus on helping people immediately with what you’ve got available to you right now. Work on things like sales funnels and automation when it no longer makes sense to personalize your interactions with customers in surprising and delightful ways.

– Paul Jarvis, Company of One (pg. 22)

The Oh Hellos Christmas Extravaganza

It’s a lot more effort to go to shows these days but I’m so glad we made the effort for this one.

We dropped Curren off for a night at a friend’s house, got a dog sitter, and booked at hotel in Indy for a night away just the two of us to ring in the Christmas season at the The Oh Hellos Christmas Extravaganza.

Here’s some photos the band tweeted out: