"Mastery is not only about getting better at your craft, but also about finding ways to eliminate the obstacles, distractions, and other annoyances that prevent you from working on your craft.
Top performers find ways to spend as much time as possible on what matters and as little time as possible on what doesn't. It is not someone else's responsibility to create the conditions for success.
You have to actively work to eliminate the things that don't matter from your workload. If you haven't figured out how to do that, you haven't mastered your craft."
- James Clear
"Anytime in my life when I have managed to go from a vision to a reality, the vision has not been a plan it has been a practice.
In other words, what matters is not having a vision, but rather making a habit of returning to and revising the vision. For the big things in my life, I'm always coming back to them week after week—sometimes day after day. As new information arrives, the vision gets updated. The dream becomes more crystallized over time. It's a habit of thinking about where you want to go with an ever-increasing degree of clarity.
You do not need a vision, you need the practice of envisioning."
- James Clear
"Focus is how you knit the hours of the day together. With focus, the day becomes a beautiful tapestry. Without focus, you end up holding a bundle of loose string."
- James Clear
"I split problems into two groups: muddy puddles and leaky ceilings.
Some problems are like muddy puddles. The way to clear a muddy puddle is to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the muddier it becomes. Many of the problems I dream up when I'm overthinking or worrying or ruminating fall into this category. Is life really falling apart or am I just in a sour mood? Is this as hard as I'm making it or do I just need to go workout? Drink some water. Go for a walk. Get some sleep. Go do something else and give the puddle time to turn clear.
Other problems are like a leaky ceiling. Ignore a small leak and it will always widen. Relationship tension that goes unaddressed. Overspending that becomes a habit. One missed workout drifting into months of inactivity. Some problems multiply when left unattended. You need to intervene now.
Are you dealing with a leak or a puddle?"
- James Clear
"My friend, who sometimes shares his writing with me, once said my feedback always falls into three categories:
1. Make it shorter.
2. Make it more appealing.
3. How could it apply to more people?"
- James Clear
"How to clarify a concept you can't articulate:
1. Change mediums. Draw it. Photograph it. Sing it.
2. Change levels. Explain what is one level up (bigger picture) or one level down (finer details).
3. Change fields. What would this concept look like in different fields?"
- James Clear
"Flexibility alone is not a great strategy, but the lack of it can ruin one."
- James Clear
"The beginner chases the right answers.
The master chases the right questions."
- James Clear
"The simplest way to clarify your thinking is to write a full page about whatever you are dealing with and then delete everything except the 1-2 sentences that explain it best."
- James Clear
"I can't control the other person's behavior, but I can control my response. Their actions may be rude or unacceptable, but I still want my response to be measured and thoughtful. Even if they aren't doing what is right, I still want to make sure I'm doing what is right."
- James Clear
"In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering.
In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? Scale it down. Don't have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day.
Adaptability is the way of consistency."
- James Clear
"Don't sacrifice peace of mind for a piece of luxury."
- James Clear
"Do things for your own satisfaction. Consider praise from others to be a bonus. If you don't work for their validation in the first place, you won't need it to feel satisfied once it's done."
- James Clear
"It is not worth it to be greedy over a single transaction. Even if you're not going to work with the person again. Even if you think word won't get out. Even if you think this is your one shot to make it. Reputation follows you everywhere."
- James Clear
"If you want a simple formula for having a good day, then get a workout done and do your most important task before lunch. Knock out those two things by noon and you really feel like you're ahead of the day."
- James Clear
"Who knows you is more important than who you know. Build a brand."
- James Clear
"Always ask, but never expect.
Always ask for what you want. Many people are happy to help—if the request is direct and specific. In a surprising number of cases, something remarkable is possible if you have the courage to ask.
Never expect people to say yes. Everyone is busy and balancing multiple priorities. Your request is not their responsibility. When you're told no, move on lightly and freely. The world is full of opportunity."
- James Clear
"I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos.
Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.
Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won’t be quick and you might feel foolish for awhile. That said, don’t be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn’t work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else.
A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you’ll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully."
- James Clear
"Pay attention to how readily people talk themselves out of things—and be wary of adopting the same narrative. People will often try to convince you their limiting beliefs should become your own. They do not. Find your own ceiling."
- James Clear
"Frankly, the most valuable items in our house might be a squat rack, a bench, and a set of weights. I thought I was purchasing gym equipment, but I was actually buying peace of mind."
- James Clear
"The obvious way to buy back your time is to pay someone to do something for you. Pay the mechanic to change your oil or a dry cleaner to press your suit.
The less obvious way to buy back your time is to say no. Passing on a promotion might "buy" you more time with family. Declining the dinner invite might "pay" for the time you need to exercise. We buy back our time not only with the money we spend, but also with the opportunities we decline.
The more clearly you know how you want to spend your days, the easier it becomes to say no to the requests that steal your hours."
- James Clear
"The wedding is an event, love is a practice.
The graduation is an event, education is a practice.
The race is an event, fitness is a practice.
The heart, mind, and body are endless pursuits."
- James Clear
"The days can be easy if the years are consistent. You can write a book or get in shape or code a piece of software in 30 minutes per day. But the key is you can't miss a bunch of days."
- James Clear
"Save more money than you think you need. Life is unexpected and your future tastes will likely be more expensive. Not worrying about money tomorrow is worth more than whatever you could buy today."
- James Clear
"Don't worry about being the most interesting person in the room, just try to be the most interested person in the room.
-The interested person asks about others and leaves a good impression because people like talking about themselves.
-The interested person is genuinely curious about someone's craft and learns a lot about how things work.
-The interested person engages with more people and—because opportunities come through people—is more likely to catch a lucky break.
In general, the interested person learns more and tends to be well-liked. And in the long run, it's hard to keep down someone who is well-learned and well-liked."
- James Clear
"A simple filter for managing your time: You're not focused enough unless you're mourning some of the things you're saying no to."
- James Clear
"New goals don't deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process, not an outcome. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better habits, not chasing better results."
- James Clear
"The amateur does not know what to do.
The master knows what not to do."
- James Clear
"Of all the ways you could be spending your precious time and attention, it is very unlikely that you are currently spending it in the optimal way. The only path I know for figuring out a better way to spend your life is to sit and think. You simply have to carve out some time to think carefully about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what you’re really trying to achieve. Nobody stumbles into a well lived life. It has to be cultivated. Reflection and review are critical."
- James Clear
"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."
- James Clear
"It is not too late to do what you want to do—if you stop waiting for the time to be right"
- James Clear
"You probably don't want maximum effectiveness.
For example, the most effective way to make money likely requires a lifestyle you don't want to live. Instead, you want the most effective path that fits your desired lifestyle.
How do you want to spend your days? Start there, then optimize."
- James Clear
"Consistency enlarges ability."
- James Clear
"You won't always get what you strive for, but you will definitely get what you settle for. You won't magically outperform your standards."
- James Clear
"Be ruthless about what you ignore. Time, energy, and resources are so precious. You have to be ferocious about cutting your priorities—more than you realize and certainly more than is comfortable.
You can only deeply commit to a few things. One or two? Maybe three?
Every pretty good, sorta nice, kinda fun thing you abandon is like shedding a weighted vest that lets you move at top speed. You were so busy focusing on how much you could carry, you never realized you could run this fast."
- James Clear
"At some point, you will have to learn to let go.
There is an endless list of obligations and expectations, desires and ambitions, and worries and fears that will always be ready to insert themselves between you and the feeling of peace.
If you never learn to let them go, there will never be enough."
- James Clear
"You have to live with your mistakes, but you don't have to compound them.
To follow up an error with a foolish reaction is to lose twice. Given the reality of where you are right now, what is the best next action?
A wise response may not erase a dumb mistake, but it can redeem it."
- James Clear
"Forget about peak performance. Would your results improve if you simply focused on being reliable in the normal moments?
Show up when it's easy to skip. Do the fundamentals and do them well. And so on.
Before you make it complicated, remember there are always simple improvements waiting to be made."
- James Clear
"Exerting more effort doesn't help if you're on the wrong trajectory.
- Working harder on the wrong thing just wastes more time.
- Learning more from a biased source will lead you further from the truth.
- Doubling down on a toxic relationship only sets you up for more headaches.
Before you try harder, make sure you are walking a path that leads where you want to go."
- James Clear
"For each headache you face, ask yourself, "Is this mostly real or mostly imagined?" Solve the real problems, release the imaginary ones."
- James Clear
"Don't overlook the basics. Don't ignore the foundation. How long can a tree remain standing without the roots?"
- James Clear
"When you tolerate an error, you rob yourself of learning.
When you ruminate on an error, you rob yourself of happiness.
Notice it, improve it, and move on from it."
- James Clear
"Simplify. What can be done in three steps should never be done in four. Each link in the chain is a potential breaking point. Fewer links means fewer chances of failure."
- James Clear
"In many cases, what you want to “buy” isn’t being “sold.”
-the best homes usually aren’t for sale
-the best employees usually aren’t looking
People tend to hold onto the great things in life. They are almost never easily available. If you want to get them, you need enough courage to ask and enough salesmanship to convince them."
- James Clear
"Your relationships will rarely be healthier than your self-esteem."
- James Clear
"Before you discover what you love: fewer commitments, more experiments.
After you discover what you love: fewer experiments, more commitments."
- James Clear
"It's hard to save poor early decisions with good late decisions.
It's hard to write a best-selling book if you chose an unpopular topic.
It's hard to build a happy marriage if you married an unhappy person.
It's hard to make money in real estate if you overpaid at the beginning.
Certainly, things can be improved by making good decisions along the way, but the effects of poor early decisions tend to linger."
- James Clear
"Arguably the most important skill is controlling your attention. This goes beyond merely avoiding distractions. The deeper skill is finding the highest and best use for your time, given what is important to you. More than anything else, controlling your attention is about being able to figure out what you should be working on and identifying what truly moves the needle."
- James Clear
"When you're doing something hard, focus on the fun part.
Many people make a subtle mistake, which is they emphasize how difficult it is to do something. They tell themselves writing is hard or running is hard or math is hard. And so on. The dominant thought in their mind is that this is hard to do.
And it is true these things (and many others in life) can be challenging.
Meanwhile, people who thrive in a given area are often emphasizing a completely different aspect of the experience. They are thinking about how it feels good to move their body rather than telling themselves exercise is hard. Or, perhaps, they aren't really thinking much at all. They may slip into a trance during their run, a meditative rhythm.
But what they are almost certainly not doing is repeating a mental story about how hard it is to do the thing. Their dominant thought is about some element of the experience they enjoy. They are working hard, but with the fun part in mind. "
- James Clear
"The odds increase, the more you try."
- James Clear