James Clear Quotes

"Obsession is the only way to get things done."

"Obsession is just another word for the kind of focus that makes people uncomfortable."

"If you treat life as a series of one-off transactions, you will always be starting from zero."

"Your habits are the iterations that define the game of your life and determine the final score."

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Build systems that handle the suck."

"The goal is not to retire, but to find work you want to do forever."

"Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them."

"Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations."

"The goal is not to be busy. The goal is to be productive and then go home."

"The most effective way to live is to simplify your habits and focus on the systems that matter."

"The secret to maximizing your output is maximizing your focus. The secret to maximizing your focus is minimizing your distractions."

"The biggest risk is the one you don't take. Small habits of courage lead to massive shifts in trajectory."

"Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure."

"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."

"Rome wasn't built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour."

"You do not need more time; you need more intensity in the time you already have."

"You don't need more time, you need more focus."

"Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way."

"Mental models are like tools in a toolbox. The more tools you have, the better equipped you are to fix the problem."

"Mental models are chunks of knowledge from various disciplines that can be used to explain how the world works."

"Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits."

"Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it."

"Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it."

"The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become."

"Standardize before you optimize."

"The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader."

"A habit must be established before it can be improved."

"Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold."

"Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy."

"The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity."

"When you can’t win by being better, you can win by being different."

"We often avoid taking action because we want the perfect plan. But the best way to learn is by doing."

"The secret to getting results that last is to never stop making improvements."