“The most wisdom per word of any
newsletter on the web.”

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3-2-1: On the joy of losing, how to set expectations with others, and notes to myself

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

Here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...

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3 Ideas From Me

I.

"Remain playful as your responsibilities increase. It's easy to become serious when people and results depend on you, but nearly everyone's performance improves when they proceed lightly through the world."

​II.

"Although losing is never fun, there is a certain satisfaction that can be found on the other side of losing — but only when you give your all. To lose with half effort offers no pleasure in the moment and no peace in the long run. But if your ambitions were full and your attempt was genuine, after the sting of losing wears off you'll be left with something resembling contentment. The reward is not always in winning, but in striving."

III.

I found this in a pile of notes to myself, and share here simply as food for thought...

"You want two things:

1. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. No wasted movement. No wasted effort.

2. Compounding. Every project should have a long runway and feed the others."

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2 Quotes From Others

I.

Writer Jacob Falkovich on how to respond to a mistake:

"If you think you’re running 10 minutes late, text to say you’ll be 15 minutes late. That way the other person gets one disappointment and one pleasant surprise. Most people do the opposite: they say they’re 5 minutes late when it’s 10 and end up annoying the other and looking like total fools."

Source: 100 Ways to Live Better​​​

​II.

A programmer and writer who goes by Loopy, on the difference between preparing to do it and actually doing it:

"Things that aren't doing the thing:

• Preparing to do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Scheduling time to do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Making a to-do list for the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Telling people you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Messaging friends who may or may not be doing the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Writing a banger tweet about how you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Hating on yourself for not doing the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Hating on other people who have done the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Fantasizing about all of the adoration you'll receive once you do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Reading about how to do the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Reading about how other people did the thing isn't doing the thing.
• Reading this essay isn't doing the thing.

The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing."

Source: Things That Aren't Doing the Thing​

1 Question For You

If a competent CEO got to run your life for a day, what is the first thing they would eliminate?

Want to share this issue of 3-2-1? Just copy and paste this link: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/april-3-2025

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Until next week,

James Clear ​​
​Author of Atomic Habits​
Creator of the 3-2-1 Newsletter​
Cofounder of Authors Equity​

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p.s. The best email signature. ​​

What else am I working on?