25 BEST Quotes From Atomic Habits By James Clear
Last Updated on January 4, 2023
Atomic Habits, written by James Clear, is a self-help book that focuses on the power of small, incremental changes in our daily habits to bring about significant improvements in our lives.
The book introduces the concept of “atomic habits,” which are habits that are so small and incremental that they are almost unnoticeable, but when compounded over time, they can lead to dramatic results.
In this article, we will be exploring a selection of quotes from Atomic Habits that highlight the key ideas and principles from the book.
These quotes will provide insight into how small habits can have a big impact, as well as offer practical tips and strategies for building and maintaining good habits.
Happy Reading!
Atomic Habits Quotes By James Clear
1. “Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.”
Atomic Habits
This quote from the Atomic Habits suggests that every decision you make, and every action you take, shapes the kind of person you are becoming.
James Clear suggests that you have agency and that you have the power to shape your own character through your choices and behaviors.
2. “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.”
Atomic Habits
Every decision and action you take shapes and defines who they are and the type of person they wish to become.
It is not one single event or action that completely transforms a person’s beliefs and identity, but rather a series of actions and decisions that accumulate over time.
3. “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”
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4. “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
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5. “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
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6. “When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.”
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7. “If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.”
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8. “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”
Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits explains that, just like compound interest can quickly add up over time, so can small, consistent habits contribute to significant improvements in one’s life. These habits, when consistently practiced, can compound and lead to significant progress and growth over time.
9. “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.”
Atomic Habits, James Clear
10. “The task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
Atomic Habits, James Clear
11. “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
Atomic Habits
12. “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.”
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13. “Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.
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14. “No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
Atomic Habits
One single experience or event will not completely change your beliefs or perception of yourself.
However, as you have more and more experiences or events that align with a certain belief or identity, the evidence for that belief or identity becomes stronger.
15. “Good habits can make rational sense, but if they conflict with your identity, you will fail to put them into action.”
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16. “If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
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17. “Your actions reveal how badly you want something. If you keep saying something is a priority but you never act on it, then you don’t really want it. It’s time to have an honest conversation with yourself. Your actions reveal your true motivations.”
Atomic Habits
What I have personally understood by this quotes from the book is that, your actions speak louder than words and reveal your true desires and motivations. It may be necessary to have an honest conversation with yourself about what you truly want and why you are not taking action towards it.
18. “We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action.”
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19. “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.”
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20. “We imitate the habits of three groups in particular: The close. The many. The powerful.”
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People often imitate the habits of those who are close to them (such as friends and family), those who are numerous (such as popular celebrities or people in their community), and those who are powerful (such as politicians or successful businesspeople).
The idea is that these three groups can influence our behavior and habits because we look up to them or want to fit in with them.
It’s common for people to adopt the habits and behaviors of those around them, especially when they are trying to learn or adapt to new situations.
21. “The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom. We get bored with habits because they stop delighting us. The outcome becomes expected. And as our habits become ordinary, we start derailing our progress to seek novelty.”
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22. “Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement.”
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23. “True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement.”
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24. “A habit is a routine or behaviour that is performed regularly and, in many cases, automatically.”
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25. “We often seem to dismiss small changes because they don’t seem to matter very much in the moment.”
Atomic Habits, James Clear
BONUS James Clear Quotes From Atomic Habits
“Habits matter because they help you become the person you wish to be.”
“Identity is the north star of habit change.”
“Quite literally, you become your habits.”
“Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.”
“Habits are mental shortcuts learnt from experience.”
“What you crave is not the habit itself but the change in state it delivers.”
“Building habits in the present allows you to do more of what you want in the future.”
“You’re exploring, exploring, exploring and then BAM! You get a reward.”
“It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.”
“Each habit is like a suggestion, ‘Hey maybe this is who I am.’”
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