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

​

3-2-1: On living a well-rounded life, managing risks, and enjoying the worst-case scenario

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

​

3 Ideas From Me

I.

"Your success depends on the risks you take.

Your survival depends on the risks you avoid."

​II.

"Hype erodes. Quality persists."

III.

"Running one mile has more in common with running a marathon than sitting at home.

Investing $100 has more in common with being a millionaire than being broke.

Writing one sentence has more in common with writing a book than never writing one.

It always feels small in the beginning and the big goals seem far away. It's easy to talk yourself out of the early attempts because they feel kind of meaningless.

But every race starts with one step. Every fortune starts with a small deposit. Every book begins as one sentence.

The real question is not "What is my current position?" but rather, "What is my current trajectory?" Doing nothing builds nothing. Put yourself on the path to something better. Start small, but make sure you start."*

*Note: inspired by this Instagram caption from Kayla Henry.

​

2 Quotes From Others

I.

Entrepreneur Will Ahmed on living a well-rounded life:

"Success is being excited to go to work and being excited to come home."

Source: Instagram​

​II.

Activist and former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, on the path to growth:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. ... You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

Source: You Learn by Living​

​

1 Question For You

Let's say the worst-case scenario actually occurs. There are obviously things you won't like about it. But what aspects of that scenario are you excited about?

Want to share this issue of 3-2-1? Just copy and paste this link: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/august-14-2025

​

Until next week,

James Clear ​​
​Author of Atomic Habits​
Cofounder of Authors Equity​

​

p.s. So, how are you handling the summer heat wave?

What else am I working on?