3-2-1: Starting vs. finishing, and the value of trying differently

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

Just a quick note: students of all ages are heading back to school soon. If you're looking for a great notebook and pen combo, consider the Habit Journal and Atomic Habits special edition engraved pen.

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

I.

"I recently found a box filled with notes I wrote to myself years ago. I like this one:

1. Know what you want.

2. Go after it relentlessly."

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​II.

"You're more likely to unlock a big leap in performance by trying differently than by trying harder. You might be able to work 10% harder, but a different approach might work 10x better. Remain focused on the core problem, but explore a new line of attack. Persistence is not just about effort, but also strategy. Don't merely try harder, try differently."

III.

"First or last?

Sometimes the first move is the most important. The first set in the gym. Now you're working out. The first sentence. Now you're writing. The first call. Now you're in the game.

Other times, the last move is the most important. The last brick. Now the building is built. The last line of code. Now the app works. The last round of revisions. Now you can ship it.

What do you need to focus on right now? First or last? Do you need to start or finish?"

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I.

Scientist and geneticist Nikolai Vavilov on effort:

"Do what you can. If you can't do something you wanted to do, then you will be forgiven, but if you don't want to try to do anything, you will not be forgiven."

Source: The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov

​II.

Philosopher John Macmurray explains one of the dilemmas of life:

"In imagination we feel sure that it would be lovely to live with a full and rich awareness of the world. But in practice sensitiveness hurts. It is not possible to develop the capacity to see beauty without developing also the capacity to see ugliness, for they are the same capacity. The capacity for joy is also the capacity for pain. We soon find that any increase in our sensitiveness to what is lovely in the world increases also our capacity for being hurt. That is the dilemma in which life has placed us. We must choose between a life that is thin and narrow, uncreative and mechanical, with the assurance that even if it is not very exciting it will not be intolerably painful; and a life in which the increase in its fullness and creativeness brings a vast increase in delight, but also in pain and hurt."

Source: Reason and Emotion​

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What are the current habits that are hindering your future progress?

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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-10-2023

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Until next week,

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

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p.s. First date conversations...

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