3-2-1: The simple way to have a good day, why inspiration is unnecessary, playing small vs playing big

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

I.

"Who knows you is more important than who you know. Build a brand."

(Share this on Twitter)

​II.

"It is not worth it to be greedy over a single transaction. Even if you're not going to work with the person again. Even if you think word won't get out. Even if you think this is your one shot to make it. Reputation follows you everywhere."

(Share this on Twitter)

III.

"If you want a simple formula for having a good day, then get a workout done and do your most important task before lunch. Knock out those two things by noon and you really feel like you're ahead of the day."

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I.

Author and podcaster Glennon Doyle on the courage to be yourself:

"Your job, throughout your entire life, is to disappoint as many people as it takes to avoid disappointing yourself."

Source: Untamed​
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​II.

Painter and visual artist Chuck Close on inspiration:

"The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to do an awful lot of work.

All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case."

Source: Interview (March 2007)

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Imagine there is a small version of you and a big version.

When you are playing small, your behavior is timid, you feel less than, and you are often surrounded by people and projects that drain you.

When you are playing big, your behavior is confident, you feel motivated, and you tend to be investing in people and projects that energize you.

How can you spend more time playing the big version of yourself this year?

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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/february-15-2024

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Until next week,

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

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p.s. To be fair, it was a long car ride.