James Clear Quotes

In the modern world, it is easy to feel like a passenger: reacting to notifications, responding to demands, consuming whatever you happen to drive past on your screen.

But joy is found in being the driver. It's the act of looking at the raw material of your circumstances — your time, your energy, your relationships, your skills — and seeing what you can make from it.

It is the act of creating the life you want (in big and small ways) that makes you feel alive and imbues life with extra meaning. The fact that you can hold a vision in your mind and then, however imperfectly, bend reality a few degrees in that direction.

Prediction depends on events outside your control.

Creation depends on events within your control.

Don't guess about the future. Shape it.

Simple is nearly always better. But if it's going to be complicated, then make sure the problem is worth the complexity. A great deal of time is wasted creating complex solutions to relatively unimportant problems.

<em data-redactor-tag="em">“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.”<br/>—Charlie Munger

Doing a few sets of pushups each day is a simple idea.

Saving at least 10% of your income is a simple idea.

Sending Thank You notes is a simple idea.

…but most people don't take simple ideas seriously.

Life is short.

And if life is short, then moving quickly matters. Launch the product. Write the book. Ask the question. Take the chance.<br/>Be thoughtful, but get moving.

Our genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it.

The ultimate form of preparation is not planning for a specific scenario, but a mindset that can handle uncertainty.

Measure your success against others and you'll be unhappy when they win—and less likely to receive help from them due to your jealousy.

Measure your success against yourself and you can be happy when others win—and more likely to receive help from them thanks to your support.

Build small habits. Make big plans.

1) Keep your daily actions small. Strive to get 1% better every day.

2) Keep your daily mindset big. Think about how you can play a bigger game.

Start small, but never dream small.

In many cases, you'll find the only thing preventing you from learning is your ego.

No one enjoys feeling foolish, but attempting something new requires that you climb down from your perch and struggle as a beginner. You must ask questions that reveal your ignorance or attempt skills that make you look uncoordinated.

Learning demands the willingness to live in a brief state of discomfort. You must believe that looking like a fool for an hour will not ruin your reputation for life.

When nothing is working, explore and make a lot of small bets.

After something starts working, double down on what works best.

When that stops working, explore and make a lot of small bets again.

The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. In fact, the word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your “repeated beingness.

Wisdom is the echo of experience.

Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.

The best type of risks to take are ones where
(1) the worst outcome is manageable and
(2) the best outcome is life-changing.

Think: Asking someone on a date. Or, investing an amount of money you can afford to lose into a business with high upside.

Look for opportunities where it won't kill you if it goes poorly, but you'd be blown away if it goes well.