Quotes: Michael Kimmelman

"Contrary to the myth that artists are eccentrics, leaping from one peak of inspiration to another, [Philip] Pearlstein exemplifies the greater truth that most artists live as they work: incrementally, day by day, in the same way that they build up a canvas or chisel a sculpture. They are creatures of habit. The dancer Twyla Tharp wakes up every morning at five-thirty and takes a cab to the gym –– a trite ritual, but as she has written, "a lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves into that environment, they begin their creative day." ... Novelty in creative endeavours usually arises from routine –– you have to be familiar with something before you know what is  novel." 

–– Michael Kimmelman (b. 1958), American critic and journalist 

Source: Michael Kimmelman. The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa. New York: Penguin Press, 2005; p. 150-151.

via Commonplace Book 2006-2009, 2007, p. 116. 

Quotes: Darren Hardy

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."

–– Darren Hardy (b. 1971), American author and publisher 

Quotes: Val McDermid

"Would everyone simply return to their old habits once the pandemic was over, or would they have learned what Karen already knew –– that walking the city was its own reward? Time for thought, time to spy on the lives of others, time to discover new routes and expand the mental map."

–– Val McDermid (b. 1955), Scottish author 

Source: Val McDermid. Past Lying: A Karen Pirie novel. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023; p. 442. 

via: Commonplace Book 2024, p. 16.

Quotes: Leo Tolstoy

"Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins." 

–– Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), Russian writer 

Source: Nitch, Instagram, October 14, 2024 

via: Sketchbook N 14, 2024, p. 33.

Quotes: William James

"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits."

–– William James (1842-1910), American psychologist and philosopher 

via: Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 11. 

Quotes: Gary Marcus

"A lot of learning is about breaking bad habits." 

–– Gary Marcus (b. 1970), American psychologist, cognitive scientist, author 

Source: Gary Marcus. Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning. New York: Penguin Press, 2012; p. 74. 

via: Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 3.

Quotes: author unknown

"In theory, consistency sounds like discipline and determination –– strong and unwavering. But in practice, consistency is about being adaptable. When time is tight, shrink the task. When energy is low, do the simpler version. It's not about being rigid; it's about finding ways to keep showing up, no matter what. Your habits don't have to be fixed –– they should evolve with your day. The key is not in doing the same thing over and over again, but in never stopping, even when life gets in the way. Each step forward, no matter how small, keeps you on track. Adaptability isn't the opposite of consistency; it's the art of staying the course, no matter the obstacles." 

–– author unknown 

Source: Serene Stoics, Instagram, September 29, 2024. 

via: Sketchbook N 14, 2024, p. 28-29.

Quotes: Oliver Burkeman

"The psychology professor Robert Boice spent his career studying the writing habits of his fellow academics, reaching the conclusion that the most productive and successful among them generally made writing a smaller part of their daily routine than the others, so that it was much more feasible to keep going with it day after day. They cultivated the patience to tolerate the fact that they probably wouldn't be producing very much on any individual day, with the result that they produced much more over the long term. They wrote in daily sessions –– sometimes as short as ten minutes, and never longer than four hours –– and they religiously took weekends off." 

–– Oliver Burkeman (b. 1975), British author and journalist 

Source: Oliver Burkeman. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. New York: Allen Lane/Penguin Random House, 2021, p.181. 

via: Commonplace Book, 2022, 2024, p. 140.

Quotes: Mary Oliver

"The patterns of our lives reveal us. Our habits measure us."

–– Mary Oliver (1935-2019), American poet 

Quotes: Margaret Thatcher

"Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits for they become your character. And watch your character for it becomes your destiny." 

–– Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013), British stateswoman and former British Prime Minister (1979-1990) 

via: Sketchbook 28, 2015, p. 45.

Quotes: Aristotle

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." 

–– Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), Greek philosopher