"But we each must cultivate the habits that work for us. Some people do better when they start small; others when they start big. Some people need to be held accountable; some defy accountability. Some thrive when they give themselves an occasional break from their good habits; others when they never break the chain. No wonder habit formation is so hard."
"The most important thing is to know ourselves, and to choose the strategies that work for us."
"It’s simple to change habits, but it’s not easy."
"What we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while."
"Focus on actions, not outcomes."
"By giving something up, we may gain."
"Things often get harder before they get easier."
"Self-control is a crucial aspect of our lives. People with better selfcontrol (or self-regulation, selfdiscipline, or willpower) are happier and healthier."
"When possible, the brain makes a behavior into a habit, which saves effort and therefore gives us more capacity to deal with complex, novel, or urgent matters."
"When we change our habits, we change our lives. We can use decision making to choose the habits we want to form, we can use willpower to get the habit started; then—and this is the best part—we can allow the extraordinary power of habit to take over. We take our hands off the wheel of decision, our foot off the gas of willpower, and rely on the cruise control of habits."
"For a happy life, it’s important to cultivate an atmosphere of growth—the sense that we’re learning new things, getting stronger, forging new relationships, making things better, helping other people."
"Habits have a tremendous role to play in creating an atmosphere of growth, because they help us make consistent, reliable progress."
"Perfection may be an impossible goal, but habits help us to do better."
"Many people have better success adopting a habit when they start with modest, manageable steps. A series of minor but real accomplishments gives people the confidence to continue."
"There’s no magic formula—not for ourselves, and not for the people around us. We won’t make ourselves more creative and productive by copying other people’s habits, even the habits of geniuses; we must know our own nature, and what habits serve us best."
"Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and strengthens it. I write every day, even just a sentence, to keep my habit of daily writing strong."
Quotes of wisdom by Gretchen Rubin
Better
Than Before
