“You are richer than 93 percent of people. Not in money, but in time. Over 108 billion people have lived throughout history. 93 percent of them are dead. You have what every king and queen, every pharaoh and ruler, every CEO and celebrity of the past would give all their wealth and power for: Today.”
James Clear
“Relationships are usually the most important thing. If you want to achieve more, there is some relationship that can unlock better results. If you want to make a meaningful contribution, helping others is a great way to do it. If you simply want to be a little happier, life is often more fun when shared with someone. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, relationships are probably the key to getting there. Take this idea seriously and spend a little time thinking about which relationships you need to build or invest in.”
James Clear
“There are many elements of living a good life, but the first and most foundational is to love yourself and enjoy spending time with yourself. Go do things on your own so you learn to trust your mind and view it as a welcome companion. If someone declared, ‘Tomorrow you must spend the day alone’ the hope is that you would reply, ‘That sounds like a good day!’ The person who is at ease within finds every other space larger and more enjoyable.”
James Clear
“Be forgiving with your past self. What’s done is done. Take the lessons with you and release the guilt. Be strict with your present self. Win the moment in front of you right now. Be flexible with your future self. There are many paths to success. You don’t need life to be a certain way to live well.”
James Clear
“Each person carries an invisible backpack full of unfinished tasks. These things can weigh on you, especially the ones that you feel like you should do but know you probably won’t make time for. There are two ways to lighten the load: finish the task or let it go. Give yourself permission to stop worrying about the things you’re never going to do. What’s weighing down your backpack that needs to be released?”
James Clear
“One way to stand out is to look for pockets of low competition. Wake up early—less traffic, fewer people. Go deeper or narrower in your field—less noise, more space. People are drawn to where it is crowded. Look for the quiet spaces inside your areas of interest. Excellence often hides at the edges.”
James Clear
“The usual story is that people with ‘good genes’ are those with incredible athleticism or remarkable intelligence, but sometimes I wonder if the greatest genetic edge goes to the people with whatever genes encourage the desire to compete, the ability to stay focused, and the enjoyment of practice.”
James Clear
“It’s easy to assume that getting rich in money will also mean you are rich in time, but it is often the case that when you earn more money, you end up with less time and more responsibilities. Being rich is nice, but what you really want to optimize for is (1) an income that exceeds your spending by a healthy margin and (2) a lifestyle that is free from rushing.”
James Clear
“There are two ways to live a longer life: 1) Biologically. Extend the timeline between your birth and your death. 2) Psychologically. Fit more lives into whatever time you are given. Make each decade rich with experiences and perhaps you can live a handful of lives before you are done.”
James Clear
“You are better equipped to deal with stress when you are moving. When you feel tense or frustrated or worried, it is difficult to think your way into feeling better. The more you think about the situation, the larger it becomes in your mind. Trying to think your way out of it often leads to a spiral of overthinking and rumination. The first step is not to think something different, but to do something different. It doesn’t matter what. Stretch on the floor, go for a walk, work on a project. Get out of your mind and move your body.”
James Clear
“Two simple rules: (1) You get better at what you practice. (2) Everything is practice. Look around and you may be surprised by what people are “practicing” each day. If you consider each moment a repetition, what are most people training for all day long? Many people are practicing getting mad on social media. Others are practicing the fine art of noticing how they have been wronged. Still more have mastered the craft of making plans (but never following through). But, of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. What are you practicing?”
James Clear
“Two is twice as good as one, but one is infinitely better than zero.
- One minute of making sales calls is infinitely better than zero minutes.
- One minute of meditation is infinitely better than zero minutes.
- One minute of writing is infinitely better than zero minutes.
Sure, it might be ideal to spend an hour doing these things, but one minute gets you in the game. Now you’re learning. Now you’re improving. Now results are possible. One doesn’t seem like much, but it’s something real. At zero, you’re still dreaming.”
James Clear