2x2: The Sweater Vest

Hello! Shawn here. And welcome to this week’s edition of the 2x2 Newsletter. Your premier Friday email for doing the important work that matters while creating and protecting your free time to enjoy life. I’m so glad you’re here. Check this out 1: [Endurance]( (My holiday break book pick) I always shut down work for the last two weeks of the year. And, one of my all-time favorite pastimes is to read a good book. I just started reading Endurance this week and I’m loving it so far. (My wife is quite smug about it, because she’s read this book like 3 times already and has been telling me to start it for years.) 2: [Dale Irby’s Legendary Sweater Vest]( So dorky and so awesome. This was my favorite random thing from the Internet this week. Dale Irby was a high school gym teacher who accidentally started a 40-year tradition of wearing the same outfit for every schoolbook photo. Something to think about 1: Question of the WeekWhat do you want now… and how does that compare to what will matter when you are old? (h/t [Kaleigh Moore]( 2: Make decisions with your Core Values in mindIn Brené Brown's book, [Dare to Lead]( she has some excellent insights on the importance of values. She writes: "Living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we practice them. We walk our talk — we are clear about what we believe and hold important, and we take care that our intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with those beliefs." This weekend, Anna and I will be going through [Plan Your Year](. And as I make decisions about what to focus on in 2024, I always do so with my personal core values in mind. They serve as an excellent filter for what to prioritize and what to remove. It also means that, later on in the year, as I come to reckon with the commitments I’ve made — I’m usually very excited to be in the middle of doing things that line up with my values! * * * — Shawn P.S. Save the date! January 15 is the start of Focus Cours Live. This is my online group program to help you restore margin and focus to your full-time life. Registration will open up on Dec 28. 👋 Whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you: 1: [Start with the]( Focus Assessment]( to get your personalized roadmap to eliminate busywork, procrastination, and burnout. 2: Join 3,500 creative professionals who have declared their goals and reset their schedule to do more of the important work that matters. Get instant access to the [Focus Course](. 3: [Join our growing Membership community]( and get your all-access pass to our entire course library along with weekly accountability and ongoing workshops. (Recommended.) 4: Business Owners: Hit reply if you’re interested in running your full-time business on part-time hours. [In-Depth App Training for Power Users]( To unsubscribe, click [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States