3-2-1: Importance of habits, dealing with interruptions, and how art opens our eyes

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

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I.

Let's start with a short reminder from Atomic Habits:

"Building habits in the present helps you to do more of what you want in the future."

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​II.

"It can be a great advantage to (1) be somewhat restless and (2) have very high standards.

Holding yourself to a high standard prevents you from jumping into whatever new thing comes your way. It encourages you to be thoughtful and ensures you remain patient for the right opportunity.

However—because you are somewhat restless—you are always digging around and watching for opportunities. When most people stop searching, you continue to explore. And when an opportunity comes your way that meets your standard, you'll be more likely to notice it and more likely to act upon it immediately."

III.

"Life presents an endless series of interruptions and distractions.

You will continually be pulled off course or asked to put out a fire created by someone else. People will disrespect your time and steal your attention—usually with no intention of malice, but simply because different people have different priorities.

When your day is interrupted or your progress stalls, it's easy for your mindset to collapse as well. You may feel guilty for not following through on what you intended to do. But you are not guilty, you are human.

Everyone gets distracted. In many ways, the real divide is between those who get back on track quickly and those who let interruptions expand into longer periods of inactivity.

Top performers get back on track faster than most. This is the skill to develop. You will be interrupted, but you can choose to keep it brief."

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I.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky, often considered one of the greatest writers in history, explains the importance of habits:

"It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a person's life is made up of nothing but the habits they accumulated during the first half."

Source: Demons​

​II.

Science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin discusses how art opens our eyes, ears, and souls to the real world:

"The daily routine of most adults is so heavy and artificial that we are closed off to much of the world. We have to do this in order to get our work done. I think one purpose of art is to get us out of those routines.

When we hear music or poetry or stories, the world opens up again. We’re drawn in — or out — and the windows of our perception are cleansed, as William Blake said. The same thing can happen when we’re around young children or adults who have unlearned those habits of shutting the world out."

Source: Talking on the Water​

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Is taking things so seriously improving my performance? How can today feel like play?

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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/august-25-2022​

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Until next week,

James Clear
​Author of the #1 worldwide bestseller, Atomic Habits​
Creator of the Habit Journal​

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p.s. I remember the day I learned how to draw these.

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