Chapter Content
Okay, so, um, I wanted to talk today about something I've been thinking about a lot lately, and it all started, weirdly enough, with Apollo 13. You know, that movie where the astronauts have that whole oxygen tank explosion thing and they're trying to get back to Earth?
So, remember that part, the really climactic scene, where they have to manually steer the ship back into the atmosphere? If they go in at the wrong angle, they either skip off into space or, like, burn up. It's insane. And they have to do it manually, without the computers. Commander Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, obviously, comes up with this solution: he says, "Look, all we need is one fixed point in space." And he uses the Earth, visible through a tiny window, to keep them on course. "If we can keep the Earth in the window," he says, "fly manually… all I have to know is how long do we need to burn the engine."
And it works! They make it back safely. Amazing, right? But the real takeaway from that scene isn't about space or science or even Tom Hanks. It's about that tiny window and the Earth.
See, in philosophy, they have this concept called a "razor." Basically, it's a principle that helps you cut away unnecessary explanations or actions. Like, a rule of thumb to simplify decision-making. There’s Occam’s razor, which says the simplest explanation is usually the best. Then there's Hanlon's razor, which is like, "Don't attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity." And Hitchens’s razor is anything asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. Useful for, you know, avoiding pointless arguments.
And keeping the Earth in the window, for those astronauts, was a razor. It was a single point of focus in all that chaos. It helped them simplify a crazy complex problem.
And that, I think, is a powerful metaphor for life. Think about it. We all face challenges, right? A new job opportunity that’s tempting, the loss of someone close to you, job loss, health scares, relationship problems. All of that stuff. It's easy to get lost, to lose sight of your priorities. That's when you need your own "Earth in the window." You need a Life Razor.
A Life Razor is like, a single point of focus, a rule of thumb that helps you make decisions and navigate life's uncertainties.
I mean, take Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix. He had this thing, right? "Never miss a Tuesday dinner." For over thirty years, he left work at 5 p.m. every Tuesday to spend the evening with his wife. Like, no matter what.
And, it wasn't *just* about the dinner. It was symbolic. It showed his priorities to everyone around him. It showed his wife how much he valued their relationship, his kids saw his dedication to their mother, and his employees saw his boundaries. One action, with ripple effects. So he said, "Everything comes from what you put first."
And I think that idea is important. “I will never miss a Tuesday dinner” is an identity-defining statement. It’s clear and controllable. When a new situation comes up, he could ask himself, "What would the type of person who never misses a Tuesday dinner do?" And that's the key, right? Connecting that statement to how you show up in the world. It's his Life Razor.
Without one, you’re kind of just leaving life to chance, wandering aimlessly. But with one, you can see clearly and navigate through anything.
So, how do you find your own Life Razor?
Well, a powerful Life Razor has three things: it's controllable, it creates ripple effects, and it's identity-defining.
Like, for me, my Life Razor is, "I will coach my son's sports teams."
It's controllable because I can make the time to do it. It creates ripple effects because it shows my son how much I value our relationship, and my wife sees my dedication to the family. And it's identity-defining because I *am* the type of person who coaches his son’s teams. That’s part of who I want to be.
So, when a new opportunity comes up, I ask myself, "What would the type of person who coaches his son's sports teams do?" And it helps me make decisions.
So, how do *you* define yours? Think about what's important to you. What actions and traits capture your ideal self? If you could attend your own funeral, what would you want people to say about you? List them. Then zoom out. What single action from that list would imply all the others?
So, I’ll give you some examples, people have said things like “I wake up early and do hard things” or “I always tuck my kids into bed” or “I never let a friend cry alone” or “I never miss a recital” or “I do one good deed each day (and never tell anyone about it)." All great examples.
Take some time, pause, think about it. Write down a few options. Test each one. Is it controllable? Does it create ripple effects? Is it identity-defining? Then, narrow it down. Select your starting version.
And remember, your Life Razor can change over time. It's going to look different at 24 than it does at 40. Revisit it every few years. Adjust it.
And look, I've never met Tom Hanks, but I think he changed my life. Because if you find your Earth in the window, your Life Razor, and keep it top of mind, I bet he'll change yours too. Thanks.