3-2-1: On regrets, failing gloriously, and how to make good choices

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

I.

"Before you discover what you love: fewer commitments, more experiments.

After you discover what you love: fewer experiments, more commitments."

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​II.

"It's hard to save poor early decisions with good late decisions.

• It's hard to write a best-selling book if you chose an unpopular topic.
• It's hard to build a happy marriage if you married an unhappy person.
• It's hard to make money in real estate if you overpaid at the beginning.

Certainly, things can be improved by making good decisions along the way, but the effects of poor early decisions tend to linger."

III.

"One filter I use for making decisions: How much can I influence the outcome after the initial choice is made?

When I can do a lot to influence the outcome, I'm less worried about risk. Even if the choice appears risky on the surface, I can likely create a good outcome with effort.

When I can't do much to influence the outcome, I'm more risk averse. Even my best effort won't move the needle. Your ability to influence the outcome after a decision is made is a crucial thing to consider."

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I.

Martial artist and actor Bruce Lee on pushing yourself:

"Don't fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail."

Source: Striking Thoughts​

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​II.

Computer science professor Randy Pausch—who had recently received a terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis—shares some advice two months before his death:

"It is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not. I assure you I've done a lot of really stupid things, and none of them bother me. All the mistakes, and all the dopey things, and all the times I was embarrassed — they don't matter. What matters is that I can kind of look back and say: Pretty much any time I got the chance to do something cool I tried to grab for it — and that's where my solace comes from."

Source: Carnegie Mellon University commencement speech (2008)

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How can the work you're doing today accumulate and layer on top of what you did yesterday? Find ways to compound your efforts.

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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/october-5-2023

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Until next week,

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

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p.s. Happy birthday!​

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