The following are quotes from the “Atomic Habits” audio book (by James Clear):
“Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.”
“Getting 1% better every day counts a lot in the long-run.”
“Success is the product of daily habits, not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”
“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits.”
“You get what you repeat.”
“The goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers.”
“It is the Systems.”
“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are the processes that lead to those results.”
“Goals are good for setting a direction. Systems are best for making progress.”
“System of continuous small improvements.”
“You’re left chasing the same outcome because you never changed the system behind it. You treated a symptom without addressing the cause.”
“Achieving a goal only changes your life for the moment. That’s the counter-intuitive thing about improvement. We think we need to change the results, but the results are not the problem.”
“What we really need to change are the systems that caused those results.”
“When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it? This is why many people find themselves reverting to their old habits after accomplishing a goal.”
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.”
“It is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
“We try to change the wrong thing.”
“We try to change our habits in the wrong way.”
There are 3 levels at which change can occur:
- Changing your outcomes – results
- Changing your process –habits and systems
- Changing your identity –beliefs and assumptions
“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 entirely different to say “I’m the type of person who is this.”
“True behavior change is identity change. ”
“Improvements are only temporary, until they become part of who you are.”
“The goal is not to read a book. The goal is to become a reader. The goal is not to run a marathon. The goal is to become a runner. The goal is not to learn an instrument. The goal is to become a musician.”
“The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior.”
“The process of building habits is actually the process of becoming yourself.”
“We change bit-by-bit, day-by-day.”
“Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become.”
“If you keep casting the same votes you’ve always cast, you’re going to keep getting the same results you always have.”
“If nothing changes, nothing is going to change.”
“Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.”
