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“The most wisdom per word of any
newsletter on the web.”
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3-2-1: On obsessions, what you can control, and the power of decisive action
Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!
Suggested listen: I have been interviewed on a handful of popular podcasts recently and I thought this one with Mel Robbins was particularly strong: Click here to listen. It's a great conversation on habits to start the year.
Here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...
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3 Ideas From Me
I.
"You can't make time go faster or success come sooner. The only thing you can control is the next action."
II.
"There are two ways to grow: by adding or by shedding.
Do you need to add something or do you need to shed something?"
III.
"When you drink water from a cup, it becomes part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later.
Similarly, thoughts can be consumed or dismissed. Is this thought nourishing? Is this feeling something you should drink? Or is it more like getting caught in the rain?
You'll always feel the rain, but you don't have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass and in a few moments the sun will return. You don't have to claim everything you feel."
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2 Quotes From Others
I.
Clergyman and writer Basil King on the power of decisive action:
"Go at it boldly, and you'll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid."
Source: The Conquest of Fear
II.
An entry from the diary of Patricia Highsmith, novelist and short story writer, who reminds us that results come from sustained focus not casual interest:
"Obsessions are the only things that matter."
Source: Patricia Highsmith: Her Diaries and Notebooks, 1941–1995
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1 Question For You
Are you continuing to do it mostly because it makes you feel interested and alive — or are you continuing to do it mostly because you know what to expect and you're hesitant to make a change?
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Want to share this issue of 3-2-1? Just copy and paste this link: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/january-8-2026
Until next week,
James Clear
Author of Atomic Habits
Cofounder of Authors Equity
p.s. Let's get this person on speed dial.
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What else am I working on? |
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