“For writers and artists, the ability to self-reinforce is more important than talent. What exactly is reinforcement? It’s when your coach or mentor tugs you aside and tells you how well you are doing, how proud of you they are, and how certain they are that ultimate success will be yours if you just stay who you are and keep doing what you’re doing. That’s reinforcement. Can you tell yourself that? Without a coach? Without a mentor? Can you be your own coach and mentor? That’s self-reinforcement. When we say, ‘Put your ass where your heart wants to be,’ we also mean keep it there. Self-reinforcement keeps us there. It keeps us committed over the long-haul.”
Steven Pressfield, Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be (Page 95)
“The moment you decide you want that life, really want it, then everything that exists in your head now, will eventually be a memory so vague and intangible it will hardly be there at all.”
Matt Haig, The Midnight Library (Page 39)
“The commitments you make determine who you can become… and the commitments you honor define who you are.”
Seth Godin, Graceful (Page 9)
“Do not live half a life
and do not die a half death.
If you choose silence,
then be silent.
When you speak,
do so until you are finished.
If you accept,
then express it bluntly.
Do not mask it.
If you refuse
then be clear about it
for an ambiguous refusal
is but a weak acceptance.
Do not accept half a solution
Do not believe half truths
Do not dream half a dream
Do not fantasize about half hopes.
Half the way will get
you nowhere.
You are a whole that exists
to live a life.
Not half a life.”
Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
“Commitment makes good things better and bad things worse. The more ‘all-in’ you are on a good relationship, the better it becomes. The more you commit to a toxic relationship, the deeper you get trapped. The more you invest yourself in fulfilling work, the more your effort fuels you. The harder you work on a bad project or in an unsatisfying role, the more of a grind it becomes.”
James Clear, Blog
“The most important battles must be fought anew each day. Exercising today does not render tomorrow’s workout unnecessary. Supporting your spouse today does not mean you can mail it in tomorrow. Learn to love the endless nature of things and life gets easier.”
James Clear, Blog
“Many good opportunities are ruined for the dream of slightly better ones. Would you have a more successful career if you had taken that other job or moved cities? Possibly. But your actual career will definitely suffer if you don’t commit to doing it to the best of your ability. Would you be 10% happier in a different relationship? Maybe. Maybe not. But you’ll definitely be unhappy in the one you have if you spend all day thinking about what else is out there. The surefire way to end up worse off is to agonize over unchosen options and fail to make the most of the one you selected. Every minute spent yearning for your unlived lives is a moment you can’t invest in the one you actually have. Choices matter, but so does your level of commitment.”
James Clear, Blog
“There are two kinds of faithfulness in love: one is based on forever finding new things to love in the loved one; the other is based on our pride in being faithful.”
François La Rochefoucauld, via Sunbeams (Page 158)
“In order to achieve victory, one must dedicate every second and every resource into preparation and training. LeBron James doesn’t take a summer break—he uses it to work on other aspects of his game. The U.S. military trains its soldiers day and night when not at war, in preparation for when they have to go to war; when they do go to war, they fight until it’s over. The same is true for us. We can’t do this life thing halfheartedly.”
Ryan Holiday, via The Daily Stoic (Page 265)
“Anything that must yet be done, virtue can do with courage and promptness. For anyone would call it a sign of foolishness for one to undertake a task with a lazy and begrudging spirit, or to push the body in one direction and the mind in another, to be torn apart by wildly divergent impulses.”
Seneca, via The Daily Stoic (Page 259)
“You can usually accomplish more by giving something your full effort for a few years rather than giving it a lukewarm effort for fifty years. Pick a priority for this season of your life and do it to the best of your ability.”
James Clear, Blog
“Just because you’ve begun down one path doesn’t mean you’re committed to it forever, especially if that path turns out to be flawed or impeded. At that same time, this is not an excuse to be flighty or incessantly noncommittal. It takes courage to decide to do things differently and to make a change, as well as discipline and awareness to know that the notion of ‘Oh, but this looks even better’ is a temptation that cannot be endlessly indulged either.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 172)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quote on Making Committed Decisions and How “Luke Warm” Isn’t Good Enough
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness… the moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred… boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sunbeams (Page 29)
Beyond the Quote (Day 401)
The problem with staying in an uncommitted place is that it splits your mental resources. One avenue focuses on opportunity while the other focuses on risks. One avenue on possibility while the other focuses on failure. One focuses on reasons for “yes” while the other focuses on reasons for “no.” This is no way to succeed—in anything. It’s a “luke-warm” approach to achieving goals when what’s needed is heat—passion, boldness, enthusiasm! What’s needed is a full commitment of mental resources.
Read More »Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quote on Making Committed Decisions and How “Luke Warm” Isn’t Good EnoughSimone Biles Quote on Work Ethic and How Greatness Requires More Of You
“Everything I do is in the gym so I’m always in gym clothes.”
Simone Biles
Beyond the Quote (Day 370)
Gymnasts perform some of the most incredible feats humanly possible. The ability to hold an iron cross; to twist multiple times through the air as they leap from a high bar to a low bar; to flip multiple times on floor routines and to watch them stick insane landings—they truly are some of the most impressive athletes in the world. And you better believe that every flip, twist, and landing is hard earned—never given.
Read More »Simone Biles Quote on Work Ethic and How Greatness Requires More Of YouCharlie Munger Quote on Ideas and Why You Should Start Taking Them Seriously
“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.”
Charlie Munger
Beyond the Quote (224/365)
Reading 20 pages from a book every day is a simple idea. Writing in your journal before bed every night is a simple idea. Going for a walk every morning is a simple idea. Stopping eating after 8pm every night is a simple idea. Reaching out to and connecting with at least one friend every day is a simple idea. People have these types of ideas all of the time. The problem isn’t the ideas or even the simplicity of the ideas (although “complicated” can certainly be a problem). The problem is the taking of the ideas seriously.
Read More »Charlie Munger Quote on Ideas and Why You Should Start Taking Them SeriouslyMark Manson Quote on Experiences and How To Find The Ideal Balance Between Breadth and Depth
“Yes, breadth of experience is likely necessary and desirable when you’re young—after all, you have to go out there and discover what seems worth investing yourself in. But depth is where the gold is buried. And you have to stay committed to something and go deep to dig it up. That’s true in relationships, in a career, in building a great lifestyle—in everything.”
Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Beyond the Quote (163/365)
With every major category in life—relationships, career, lifestyle—we must choose how to optimally invest our time. With time being our most precious resource, this is no easy task. How much time should we spend with our family versus our friends? With our current friends versus new friends? On our career versus our vacations? On tasks related to our career versus tasks that might expand our career options? On consuming things produced versus producing things to be consumed? On acquiring more versus minimizing and using less? What Manson points to above, however, is a fundamental insight that can help guide you in this effort.
Read More »Mark Manson Quote on Experiences and How To Find The Ideal Balance Between Breadth and DepthAnne Lamott Quote on Unplugging and the Reality of Burnout
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… Including you.”
Anne Lamott
Beyond the Quote (114/365)
Following through on a commitment is something that you can choose to do or choose not to do. Burning out is something that happens—it’s not something that you can choose against. When there’s no more gas in the car, you can’t choose to magically have more gas with the snap of your fingers—you need a gas station for that. When there’s no more battery juice left in your phone, you can’t choose to boost your battery life with positive thinking—you need a charging cable for that. When there’s no more energy left inside you—mental, physical, or emotional—you can’t demand more energy to appear through even the most disciplined thinking—you need rest, recover, and self-care for that.
Read More »Anne Lamott Quote on Unplugging and the Reality of BurnoutSeth Godin Quote on Making The Decision To Excel
“The universal truth is beyond question – the only people who excel are those who have decided to do so.” ~ Seth Godin
Beyond the Quote (36/365)
Excelling is optional. And so is the opposite. The path of least resistance is the path most people decide to follow. Why wouldn’t that be the case? Naturally, we are lazy creatures. We’re wired to conserve energy—both by expending less (moving less) and storing more (fat on your body)—so that we don’t starve to death if we can’t get more food. These were critical adaptations that were made over the course of our existence as humans that kept us alive during harsh periods of existence.
Read More »Seth Godin Quote on Making The Decision To Excel