3-2-1: The excuses we live by, how to handle your mistakes, and when productivity doesn't matter

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

And now, here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...

I.

"Make a mistake? Release the guilt, remember the lesson."

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​II.

"Surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you. Rise together."

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III.

"Productivity is most important for things you don't want to be doing. Most people want to increase productivity so they can spend less time on the task.

But before you worry about being more productive, think about being more selective. Rather than focusing on increasing productivity, it may be worth asking, "What would I be delighted to spend time on, even if it went slowly?"

Direct your energy toward figuring out how to start what you want to do rather than thinking about how to shorten what you don't want to do."

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I.

Philosopher and author Albert Camus on the excuses we allow ourselves to live by:

"Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it."

Source: Notebooks, 1942-1951​
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​II.

Math teacher Dan Meyer reminds us how to solve problems in the real world:

"What problem have you solved, ever, that was worth solving where you knew all the given information in advance? No problem worth solving is like that. In the real world, you have a surplus of information and you have to filter it, or you don't have sufficient information and you have to go find some."

Source: Math class needs a makeover

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A wonderful question from Morgan Housel on measuring your results internally rather than externally:

"Would I be happy with this result if no one other than me and my family could see it, and I didn't compare the result to the appearance of other people's success?"

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Want to share this issue of 3-2-1 via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link:

https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/june-27-2024

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Until next week,

James Clear
​Atomic Habits, the #1 best-selling book
​Atoms, the official Atomic Habits app
​3-2-1 newsletter with 3 million subscribers

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p.s. When I donate my body to science... ​

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