3-2-1: The power of one minute, how to discover something useful, and clinging to old truths

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

I.

"Compete externally and you compare.

Compete internally and you improve."

(Share this on Twitter)

​II.

"Two is twice as good as one, but one is infinitely better than zero.

• One minute of making sales calls is infinitely better than zero minutes.
• One minute of meditation is infinitely better than zero minutes.
• One minute of writing is infinitely better than zero minutes.

Sure, it might be ideal to spend an hour doing these things, but one minute gets you in the game. Now you're learning. Now you're improving. Now results are possible. One doesn't seem like much, but it's something real. At zero, you're still dreaming."

III.

"The secret is to do a few things for a long time.

The challenge is...

(1) You need to experiment and explore quite a bit to find the thing that is worth doubling down on. It may take a few years (or a decade) to find the project or relationship or cause that you want to commit to for a long time.

(2) New things are always coming up. Once you find something you want to do for a long time, you need the courage and discipline to say no to the shiny, new opportunities. After years of exploring and experimenting, it can be hard to flip the switch and remain focused.

You have to be willing to explore widely enough to find your thing, then willing to focus narrowly enough to make it something great."

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I.

Playwright Eugene Ionesco reveals how to discover something useful:

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question."

Source: Decouvertes (1970) ​
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​II.

Painter Vincent van Gogh on hope:

"Many people seem to think it foolish, even superstitious, to believe that the world could still change for the better. And it is true that in winter it is sometimes so bitingly cold that one is tempted to say, "What do I care if there is a summer; its warmth is no help to me now."

Yes, evil often seems to surpass good. But then, in spite of us, and without our permission, there comes at last an end to the bitter frosts. One morning the wind turns, and there is a thaw. And so I must still have hope."

Source: The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

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A thoughtful question from author Morgan Housel: "What was true a generation ago that no longer is, and who is clinging to that old truth?"

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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-10-2024

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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. When your printer threatens you.

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