Hey folks,

Happy Friday! A couple things on my mind…

1. Daily Task: I’ve realized I’m wired for intensive sprints with deadlines inside 7 days, not slow burn projects where you’re plodding 1% every day with no immediate stakes. The problem is that most of the things that actually matter (like getting ready for our Oct book launch) are slow burns. So I’ve been compensating by loading a “master plan” into a Claude Project, and every morning I just ask, “what’s my highest leverage ONE task I can do today?” It removes the decision fatigue, and it’s been the difference between drifting and actually building traction.

2. WWBAD?: If you don’t know, my real name is actually Blake Smith, but my family and I build, write and publish online under the Allsmith pen name because it’s much easier to find and differentiate online. This past week I was on a walk thinking/praying about my day, and I got the phrase “What would Blake Allsmith do?” stuck in my head. I keep going back to it, like making “Blake Allsmith” this aspirational version of myself who is intentional and relational, that I can try to live up to every day. A small example: later that day I had time to either knock out some emails or run a chore I’d been putting off. Blake Smith would definitely go back to his inbox, but Blake Allsmith grabbed a kid, drove to the hardware store, and had a great conversation in the car. I’m curious if this is something you could do as well: imagine an aspirational version of yourself, name him/her, then ask what they would do differently today.

3. The Case For Tucking In: At some point, maybe around kid #4 or #5, tucking kids in at night became a task to get through rather than a shared relational moment with each kid. Maybe this is just a big family thing. Anyway, the past couple weeks I’ve been trying to figure out ways to slow myself down more in general, so I decided to just hang out when I’m tucking kids in until they seem ready for me to leave. It’s ended up being incredibly delightful, and honestly not that much more time. The really surprising thing is that the kids have stayed in bed more after I tuck them in! It turns out that spending an extra minute or two has saved probably 20min of putting kids back to bed or bedtime conflict that was probably there because the kids just wanted a little more connection. If you feel similarly that tucking kids in is a task, just give it a shot and see if maybe the rushing is backfiring on you.

That’s it for this week!

Best,

Blake

P.S. Our book launches on 10/13! We’re building a launch team of 1,000 people to help us get the word out. As a member, you’ll get an early copy of the book, bonus content, and a real role in shaping the launch. Click here if you’re in: I’m in!​