3-2-1: Focus, self care, and making better decisions

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

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I.

"Focus starts with elimination, improves with concentration, and compounds with continuation."

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​II.

"Self care takes effort. It doesn’t just happen.

The body and mind need to be maintained. Similar to a garden, without effort, weeds will pop up and overtake everything.

With a bit of consistent pruning, the results can be beautiful."

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III.

"The connective tissue between your failures and your successes is the lessons you learn along the way.

It is only by going through your early attempts (usually failures in some form) that you accumulate the insights, skills, and understanding required for success.

Everything is a lesson. Learn enough lessons and the failures become useful."

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I.

Greek philosopher Epicurus on desire and contentment:

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."

Source: Letters, Principal Doctrines, and Vatican Sayings​

​II.

Author Carole Hildebrand on making better decisions:

"Most of us have weak decision-making muscles. We do not realize what it means to make a real decision. We fail to recognize the force of change that a truly congruent, committed decision makes.

The word "decision" comes from Latin roots, with de meaning "down" or "away from" and caedere meaning "to cut." Therefore, a decision means cutting from any other possibility. A true decision means you are committed to achieving a result and cutting yourself off from any other possibility.

Committed decisions show up in two places: your calendar and your bank account. No matter what you say you value, or even think your priorities are, you have only to look at last year's calendar and bank account to see the decisions you have made about what you truly value.

See how you have reserved your time. Look at your expenditures. Those are the trails to the decisions you have made."

Source: On Time (lightly edited for clarity)

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What is the highest leverage activity you have ever done? Does that tell you anything about how to better spend your time?

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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/march-16-2023​

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Until next week,

James Clear
​Author of Atomic Habits and keynote speaker​​

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p.s. Anyone want to go on a cruise?​

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