After reading Atomic Habits from James Clear last year I subscribed to his “3-2-1” newsletter. It’s been a good read in my Thursday (or on most occasions Friday) routine, or should I say habit? 😀.

One of the most recent issues of the newsletter is titled “3-2-1: How to approach life, and how to succeed as a writer” and it starts as usual with 3 ideas from the author.

In this post I would like to expand a little on what struck me the most in the first idea they wrote in the aforementioned issue. The idea is:

It’s better to be alone than to spend time with toxic people.

It’s better to do nothing than to work on something that doesn’t matter.

It’s better to rest than to climb the wrong mountain.

This are three separated phrases that are connected with an underlying thought that is not always obvious for me. Let’s start analysing the phrases as standalone one to another.

It’s better to be alone than to spend time with toxic people.

Toxic people are the ruin of yourself. By don’t spending time with them, but instead concentrating on yourself you are better off in every way. But sometimes it’s not obvious to us where this toxic people are and admitting it can be a lot harder than everyone thinks.

It’s better to do nothing than to work on something that doesn’t matter.

Energy spent on work that doesn’t matter is energy that you are wasting. If you concentrate your energy on the work that really matters you are able to achieve more while feeling less drained.

It’s better to rest than to climb the wrong mountain.

This links to the previous point. Not only working on something that doesn’t matter is similar to wasting your time and energy, but it is a net loss of your energy. You can preserve the same energy and collect it, allowing you to retrieve and use it when it really counts.

Concentrate

The real power of these guidelines is when you compound them and apply it consistently. They can help you surface a dormant feeling on particular areas of your life, like work.

Are you dreading to go to work? -> Do you feel the people are a factor? ( Toxic people )

-> Am I doing busy work? ( Work that doesn’t matter )

-> Am I spending the time not doing what I think is the right thing? ( Wrong mountain )

It doesn’t always have to be so dramatic, it can also help you to course-correct some tiny aspect of your everyday living.