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Leo Babauta Quote on Not Making Exceptions—Ever

    “Exceptions lead to more exceptions. It’s really easy to justify not doing [a] new habit (or doing an old habit you’re trying to quit) by saying, ‘Just one time won’t hurt.’ Except that it will, because now you think it’s OK to make exceptions. And now you don’t really trust yourself to stick to your promise to yourself. It’s much more effective to not make exceptions — catch yourself if you’re thinking about it and trying to justify it, and remember your motivations. When I quit smoking, I told myself Not One Puff Ever (NOPE).”

    Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

    Beyond the Quote (Day 6)

    The habit changes that I have had the most success with incorporating into my lifestyle have been the ones that I have been the most strict with myself about.  When I started drinking coffee black, I told myself No Cream or Sugar Ever.  When I cut out donuts from my diet, I told myself Not One Bite Ever.  When I stopped drinking alcohol, I told myself Not One Sip Ever.  When I committed to going vegan, I told myself No Meat or Dairy Ever.  Like Babauta, I made sure there were no exceptions or ‘gray-areas’ to these habit changes—and while that might sound harsh and intense, I actually feel like it made the habit change process easier.

    Read More »Leo Babauta Quote on Not Making Exceptions—Ever

    Proverb About Small Steps Versus Giant Leaps and Having An ‘All-Or-Something’ Mindset

      “It is better to make many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

      Proverb

      Beyond the Quote (Day 3)

      When it comes to following through with new goals or resolutions, don’t be an all-or-nothing; be an all-or-something.  An all-or-nothing is the type of person who is either all-in or all-out.  Either everything they planned is unfolding perfectly and is being executed flawlessly, or it’s not and they place blame, come up with excuses, and quit.

      Read More »Proverb About Small Steps Versus Giant Leaps and Having An ‘All-Or-Something’ Mindset

        “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.” ~ F.M. Alexander, James Clear Blog

          “Habits deliver numerous benefits, but the downside is that they can lock us into our previous patterns of thinking and acting—even when the world is shifting around us.  Everything is impermanent.  Life is constantly changing, so you need to periodically check in to see if your old habits and beliefs are still serving you.  A lack of self-awareness is poison.  Reflection and review is the antidote.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

            “I can guarantee that if you manage to start a habit and keep sticking to it, there will be days when you feel like quitting.  When you start a business, there will be days when you don’t feel like showing up.  When you’re at the gym, there will be sets that you don’t feel like finishing.  When it’s time to write, there will be days that you don’t feel like typing.  But stepping up when it’s annoying or painful or draining to do so, that’s what makes the difference between a professional and an amateur.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

              Atomic Habits [Book]

              Atomic Habits by James Clear
              By: James Clear

              Book Overview: No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.  If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

              Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

              44 Quotes ➜
              Buy Now ➜

                “Missing one workout happens, but I’m not going to miss two in a row.  Maybe I’ll eat an entire pizza, but I’ll follow it up with a healthy meal.  I can’t be perfect, but I can avoid a second lapse.  As soon as one streak ends, I get started on the next one.  The first mistake is never the one that ruins you.  It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows.  Missing once is an accident.  Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                  “In a sense, every habit is just an obstacle to getting what you really want.  Dieting is an obstacle to getting fit.  Meditation is an obstacle to feeling calm.  Journaling is an obstacle to thinking clearly.  You don’t actually want the habit itself.  What you really want is the outcome the habit delivers.  The greater the obstacle—that is, the more difficult the habit—the more friction there is between you and your desired end state.  This is why it is crucial to make your habits so easy that you’ll do them even when you don’t feel like it.  If you can make your good habits more convenient, you’ll be more likely to follow through on them.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                    “Conventional wisdom holds that motivation is the key to habit change.  Maybe if you really wanted it, you’d actually do it.  But the truth is, our real motivation is to be lazy and do what is convenient.  Energy is precious, and the brain is wired to conserve it whenever possible.  It is human nature to follow the Law of Least Effort, which states that when deciding between two similar options, people will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                      “There is nothing magical about time passing with regard to habit formation.  It doesn’t matter if it’s been twenty-one days or thirty days or three hundred days.  What matters is the rate at which you perform the behavior.  You could do something twice in thirty days, or two hundred times.  It’s the frequency that makes the difference.  Your current habits have been internalized over the course of hundreds, if not thousands, of repetitions.  New habits require the same level of frequency.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                        “Nothing sustains motivation better than belonging to the tribe.  It transforms a personal quest into a shared one.  Previously, you were on your own.  Your identity was singular.  You are a reader.  You are a musician.  You are an athlete.  When you join a book club or a band or a cycling group, your identity becomes linked to those around you.  Growth and change is no longer an individual pursuit.  We are readers.  We are musicians.  We are cyclists.  The shared identity begins to reinforce your personal identity.  This is why remaining part of a group after achieving a goal is crucial to maintaining your habits.  It’s friendship and community that embed a new identity and help behaviors last over the long run.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                          “One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.  New habits seem achievable when you see others doing them every day.  If you are surrounded by fit people, you’re more likely to consider working out to be a common habit.  If you’re surrounded by jazz lovers, you’re more likely to believe it’s reasonable to play jazz every day.  Your culture sets your expectation for what is ‘normal.’  Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have yourself.  You’ll rise together.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                            “You can break a habit, but you’re unlikely to forget it.  Once the mental grooves of habit have been carved into your brain, they are nearly impossible to remove entirely—even if they go unused for quite a while.  And that means that simply resisting temptation is an ineffective strategy.  It is hard to maintain a Zen attitude in a life filled with interruptions.  It takes too much energy.  In the short-run, you can choose to overpower temptation.  In the long-run, we become a product of the environment that we live in.  To put it bluntly, I have never seen someone consistently stick to positive habits in a negative environment.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                              “Habits thrive under predictable circumstances.  Focus comes automatically when you are sitting at your work desk.  Relaxation is easier when you are in a space designed for that purpose.  Sleep comes quickly when it is the only thing that happens in your bedroom.  If you want behaviors that are stable and predictable, you need an environment that is stable and predictable.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                                “Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.  It is not always obvious when and where to take action.  Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                                  “Habits do not restrict freedom.  They create it.  In fact, the people who don’t have their habits handled are often the ones with the least amount of freedom.  Without good financial habits, you will always be struggling for the next dollar.  Without good health habits, you will always seem to be short on energy.  Without good learning habits, you will always feel like you’re behind the curve.  If you’re always being forced to make decisions about simple tasks—when should I work out, where do I go to write, when do I pay the bills—then you have less time for freedom.  It’s only by making the fundamentals of life easier that you can create the mental space needed for free thinking and creativity.”

                                  James Clear, Atomic Habits

                                    “We change bit by bit, day by day, habit by habit.  We are continually undergoing microevolutions of the self.  Each habit is like a suggestion: ‘Hey, maybe this is who I am.’  If you finish a book, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes reading.  If you go to the gym, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes to exercise.  If you practice playing the guitar, perhaps you are the type of person who likes music.  Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.  No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                                      “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity.  It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this.  It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.  The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it.  If you’re proud of how your hair looks, you’ll develop all sorts of habits to care for and maintain it.  If you’re proud of the size of your biceps, you’ll make sure you never skip an upper-body workout.  If you’re proud of the scarves you knit, you’ll be more likely to spend hours knitting each week.  Once your pride gets involved, you’ll fight tooth and nail to maintain your habits.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                                        “All big things come from small beginnings.  The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision  but as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger.  Roots entrench themselves and branches grow.  The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us.  And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits