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

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3-2-1: On the surprising path to success, the value of downtime, and how parenting changes you

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.

"Take all the energy you spend on...

• worrying about the past
• worrying about the future
• worrying about what others think
• worrying about if you might fail

... and channel that energy into one useful action within your control."

​II.

"Stories of failure resonate more than stories of success. Few people reach the top, but everyone has failed—including those who eventually succeed. If you're teaching people how to succeed in a given field (or talking about your own success), start with how you failed."

III.

"Success is largely the failures you avoid.

• Health is the injuries you don't sustain.
• Wealth is the purchases you don't make.
• Happiness is the objects you don't desire.
• Peace of mind is the arguments you don't engage.

Avoid the bad to protect the good."

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2 Quotes From Others

I.

Banker and archaeologist John Lubbock on the value of downtime:

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

Source: The Use of Life ​​

​II.

English teacher Elizabeth Stone on how becoming a parent changes you:

"It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

Source: A Boy I Once Knew ​

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1 Question For You

Who do you secretly envy—and what does that reveal about what you truly value?

Want to share this issue of 3-2-1? Just copy and paste this link: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/march-27-2025

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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. Vet etiquette. ​​

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