3-2-1: The secret to creativity, how our challenges shape us, and the value of bad workouts

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

I.

"In many cases, what you hope to learn by reading books or listening to podcasts can only be learned by attempting what you fear. Some knowledge is only revealed through action."

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​II.

"Creativity is the focused combination of unlikely things. Your mind locks onto a certain element and then searches widely for something unexpected that fits with it. What can scuba diving teach you about agriculture? What can trees teach you about public speaking? There is always some connective tissue between disciplines. If you wish to be more creative, look for the connections between two previously unconnected things."

III.

"The bad workouts are the most important ones. It's easy to train when you feel good, but it's crucial to show up when you don't feel like it—even if you do less than you hope.

Going to the gym for 15 minutes might not improve your performance, but it reaffirms your identity. It's not always about what happens during the workout. It's about becoming the type of person who doesn't miss workouts."

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I.

Joan Didion reminds us that the little choices count and carry us toward our destiny:

"That was the year, my twenty-eighth, when I was discovering that not all of the promises would be kept, that some things are in fact irrevocable and that it had counted after all, every evasion and every procrastination, every mistake, every word, all of it."

Source: Slouching Towards Bethlehem, "Goodbye to All That" ​

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​II.

Haruki Murakami on how our challenges shape us:

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."

Source: Kafka on the Shore ​

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Thanks to Dylan O'Sullivan for putting both quotes on my radar.

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In many cases, the real talent is being obsessed with the thing. What are you willing to focus on so wholeheartedly that you are happy to ignore nearly everything else?

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https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/july-25-2024

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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. Sleep tight!

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