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3-2-1: What to do when you feel stuck, the art of following up, and how to build something successful

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

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

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3 Ideas From Me

I.

"We are all connected. The way you choose to live ripples into the future. Your decisions today can be a blessing or a curse for your descendants. Strive to live in such a way that the world will gain from your time here."

​II.

"Winning isn't what makes you feel good. Growth makes you feel good.

Sometimes they are the same thing. When you achieve something for the first time, it's growth. You've reached a new level. The win feels satisfying. But when you do it for the tenth time (or the hundredth time), it can feel stale. You're still winning, but you're not necessarily growing.

The secret is not to worry about winning, but rather to focus on growing. And the most straightforward way to grow is to learn something. If you're ever feeling stuck, go learn something new. Read, write, think, learn, repeat.

When you're learning, you're growing."

III.

"The person who complains loudest will get attention, but at the expense of their reputation.

And yet, following up is an important life skill. If you want something done and you'd like it done soon, then you need to follow up.

The balance is in the delivery. Be pleasant and persistent when things matter to you. Always kind, but don't let it rest until it's done and done well."

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2 Quotes From Others

I.

Martin Lorentzon, cofounder of Spotify, reminds us that the way to build a successful company (and, in many ways, a successful life) is to focus on being useful:

"The value of a company is the sum of all problems solved."

Source: David Senra, Interview with Daniel Ek

​II.

French military commander and statesman, Napoleon Bonaparte, on reading each situation accurately and working with it:

"I had few really definite ideas, and the reason for this was that, instead of obstinately seeking to control circumstances, I obeyed them, and they forced me to change my mind all the time. Thus it happened that most of the time, to tell the truth, I had no definite plans but only projects."

Source: A conversation in 1816 as quoted in The Mind of Napoleon. Elsewhere, Napoleon was quoted as saying that people rise "by their adaptability to circumstances."

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1 Question For You

Spend less time dreaming and more time experimenting.

Doing the real thing will usually teach you more than dreaming about the perfect thing. What is one small way you can try out the real thing (even if only for five minutes or at a smaller scale)?

Want to share this issue of 3-2-1? Just copy and paste this link: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/september-10-2026

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Until next week,

James Clear ​​
​Author of Atomic Habits​
Cofounder of Authors Equity​

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p.s. My morning routine. ​​

What else am I working on?