3-2-1: On the hidden costs of success, how to deal with challenges, and the joy of shared experiences

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

And now, here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...

I.

"Carry an ambitious question with you each day and keep looking for answers."

(Share this on Twitter)

​II.

"I'm not the best writer, but it is a strength. I might be a 90th percentile writer.

And I'm not the best marketer, but it is a strength. Again, maybe 90th percentile? I'm better than most, but if you pass 100 people on the street it won't be hard to find some people better than me.

What I have gradually learned is that it is not your strengths, but your combination of strengths that sets you apart. It is the fact that writing and marketing are mutually reinforcing—and that I enjoy both—that leads to great results.

How can you combine your strength? That's something I would encourage everyone to think about. You will find talented people in every area of life. It's the combinations that are rare."

III.

"When you choose the benefits of an action, you also choose the drawbacks.

If you want to be an author, you can't only choose the finished novel and book signings. You are also choosing months of lonely typing. If you want to be a bodybuilder, you can't only choose the fit body and attention. You are also choosing the boring meals and calorie counting.

You have to want the lifestyle, not just the outcomes. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense being jealous. The results of success are usually public and highly visible, but the process behind success is often private and hidden from view. It's easy to want the public rewards, but also have to want the hidden costs."

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I.

Poet Emily Dickinson on the value of small actions:

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."

Source: "If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking"

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​II.

The rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson on dealing with challenges:

"In every challenge or even tragedy, there is an opportunity. And if you train yourself to look for the opportunity, you will be able to take control of the situation and even turn it into a positive or if it can't be turned into something good, at least something good could come out of it."

Source: Likutei Sichot: The Collected Writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe​

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Instead of asking, "What would make me feel happy?" try asking, "What would make the group excited?"

Many of the best moments in life happen when the group is having fun. You feed off one another's energy. What can you do to laugh or gasp or scream or smile with others?

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https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/july-4-2024

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Until next week,

James Clear
​Atomic Habits, the #1 best-selling book
​Atoms, the official Atomic Habits app
​3-2-1 newsletter with 3 million subscribers

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p.s. What we have here is a witch...

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