James Clear Quotes

Speed is important. Work fast and iterate. People rarely remember the first draft, but everyone remembers the final draft.

Speed is unimportant. People rarely remember how long it took you to do the job, but everyone remembers how well you did the job.

Suffering drives progress.- The source of all suffering is the desire for a change in state. This is also the source of all progress. The desire to change your state is what powers you to take action.
With craving, we are dissatisfied but driven. Without craving, we are satisfied but lack ambition.

When people say they don't want to change what they really mean is they don't have an incentive to change.

Change the incentives and the behavior follows suit.

Italy is known for tomatoes. Thailand for chilies. Germany for sauerkraut.

But tomatoes originated in Peru. Thailand imported chilies from Central America. Sauerkraut started in China.

Everything is a remix—and the world is better for it. Share what you know. Learn from others.

Highly focused people do not leave their options open. They select their priorities and are comfortable ignoring the rest. If you commit to nothing, you'll be distracted by everything.

You will never find one answer to what makes you happy. There are many answers, and they change based on your current state.

People need to relax, but if all you do is sit on the beach, it gets old. People find meaning in work, but if all you do is work, it gets exhausting. People benefit from exercise, but if all you do is exercise, it gets unhealthy.

Happiness will always be fleeting because your needs change over time. The question is: what do you need right now?

My personal rule is that it's a good idea to be patient as long as I'm in the mix.

If I'm taking action, putting in my reps, and trying things out, then I should remain patient and see what opportunities arise. But if I'm not taking action consistently, then I'm not practicing patience. I'm just waiting.

The person who experiences the consequences should make the decision.

When you tolerate an error, you rob yourself of learning.

When you ruminate on an error, you rob yourself of happiness.

Notice it, improve it, and move on from it.

Your reputation is your most important asset. It precedes you before you walk into the room and lingers long after the work is done.

In the long-run, prioritization beats efficiency.

If you love them more than the fight, end the fight. An apology loses its warmth if it waits too long. Do it now, before the years turn cold.

One sign you haven't done enough reading is if you find yourself agreeing with whatever book you read last. At first, it's easy to be swayed by any reasonable argument. Once you've read a lot, you can see that even the best arguments have limitations.

Your net productivity is the balance of the productive and unproductive forces in your life.

A great deal of time and energy is spent thinking about how to increase effort, but there is a lot to be gained by reducing friction.

A car will travel faster not only if you press the accelerator, but also if you remove the speed bumps.

We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige). One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group.