James Clear Quotes

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.

Your first attempt might not be very good, but nobody's early work is good. There will always be a gap between where you are and where you want to be. And the bridge between that gap is courage. The courage to look foolish in the beginning. The courage to show up again when your early work is criticized. The courage to look yourself in the mirror and say, “I realize I'm not good enough yet, but the only way to get better is to keep working on it.

A lack of self-awareness is poison. Reflection and review is the antidote.

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.
—Machiavelli

Mistakes of ambition:
-failing on a big goal
-creating something nobody wants

Mistakes of sloth:
-not attempting a big goal
-consuming instead of creating

Mistakes of ambition teach. Mistakes of sloth comfort.

You'll feel better once you get started.

Prime your environment to make the next action easy.

Be forgiving with your past self.
Be strict with your present self.
Be flexible with your future self.

Start now. Optimize later.

An imperfect start can always be improved, but obsessing over a perfect plan will never take you anywhere on its own.

In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé.

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.

Real wealth is not about money.

Real wealth is:
-not having to go to meetings
-not having to spend time with jerks
-not being locked into status games
-not feeling like you have to say "yes"
-not worrying about others claiming your time and energy

Real wealth is about freedom. Money can help achieve these things, but there are plenty of people who make lots of money yet aren't free.

Many problems are minor when you solve them right away, but grow into an enormous conflict when you let them linger.

As a rule of thumb, fix it now.

You can handle whatever you face.

Learning more will increase knowledge, but only attempting more will reduce fear. The more you try it, the less you will fear it.

The imperfect project you actually complete is worth more than the perfect project you never finish.