James Clear

My top 10 tweets of the year A thread 👇

This idea is from today's edition of my 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter. Each one features⁠ 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others⁠, and 1 question for you to ponder⁠. You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

Unexpected forms of generosity: -Being early can be a form of generosity. You wait, so they don't have to. -Leaving something unsaid can be a form of generosity. You don't always need the last word. -Delivering your work on time can be a form of generosity. You make life easier for everyone downstream. -Not taking things personally can be a form of generosity. You give people the space to say things imperfectly.

Nobody is rooting for you to fail. Maybe you’ll succeed. Maybe you’ll fail. For the most part, nobody cares one way or the other. This is a good thing! The world is big and you are small, and that means you can chase your dreams with little worry for what people think.

A Monday morning question for you: What do I need to let go of this year to create space for what I really want?

This idea is from today's edition of my 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter.⁠ ⁠ Each one features⁠ 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others⁠, and 1 question for you to ponder⁠.⁠ ⁠ You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

You are not your grand plans. You are your daily patterns.

How to see opportunities others miss: 1) Study a totally different field, then return to the original problem. Apply insights from other domains. 2) Invert the problem. Try to achieve the opposite. 3) Find ways to engage with hyper-creative people. Their thinking will rub off.

A Monday morning question for you: In your professional life, who do you admire most? In your personal life, who do you admire most?

It only takes five minutes to break the cycle. Five minutes of exercise and you are back on the path. Five minutes of writing and the manuscript is moving forward again. Five minutes of conversation and the relationship is restored. It doesn't take much to feel good again.

This idea is from today's edition of my 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter. Each one features⁠ 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others⁠, and 1 question for you to ponder⁠. You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

Trust in yourself is not only built through successful repetitions, but also through failed ones. When you have worked through failures in the past, you fear them less in the future. You know you can bounce back. Successful repetitions build competence. Failed repetitions build resilience.

A Monday morning question for you: Is the situation actually complicated or is it really quite straightforward, but you're making it complicated because it requires a lot of courage to make the straightforward decision?

In the gym, if you experience no stimulus your muscles won't grow. If you step under 10,000 pounds your body will break. Life is similar. Too much challenge makes life hard, but so does too little.

This idea is from today's edition of my 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter. Each one features⁠ 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others⁠, and 1 question for you to ponder⁠. You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

If the path is crowded, differentiate. If the path is empty, validate.

Don't spend too much time around someone whose primary way of engaging with life is as a martyr. When suffering becomes your identity, you only see the hard parts of life.

Always ask, but never expect. Always ask for what you want. Many people are happy to help—if the request is direct and specific. In a surprising number of cases, something remarkable is possible if you have the courage to ask. Never expect people to say yes. Everyone is busy and balancing multiple priorities. Your request is not their responsibility. When you're told no, move on lightly and freely. The world is full of opportunity.

Ask yourself this question three times and try to refine and improve your answer each time: What do I really want?

It's remarkable how often the real problem is not what happened, but how it was communicated.

This idea is from today's edition of my 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter. Each one features⁠ 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others⁠, and 1 question for you to ponder⁠. You can see more of today's newsletter (and sign up to get it in your inbox) at jamesclear.com/3-2-1

Environment can multiply (or divide) your effort. Before you plant the garden, study the soil. After you plant the garden, tend the weeds. First, selection. Think carefully about the right person to marry or business to pursue or city to live in. Then, cultivation. Once you choose, care for it lovingly and nurture it into the best it can be.