About this quote

Character is not something you are born with or suddenly acquire. It is built in the small, boring choices you make every single day. If you want to be a disciplined person, you must actually do the hard work of resisting temptation right now. Do you think you can simply think your way into becoming better? You have to build the muscle of self-control through daily repetition.

When to use it

• A runner trying to build stamina for a marathon. Instead of just reading about training, she forces herself to put on her shoes and run in the cold rain every morning.
• A person aiming to stop impulsive spending. He deletes his saved credit card details from online shops to force himself to think before every purchase.
• A student trying to stop procrastinating on a major thesis. She closes all browser tabs except her research document and sets a timer for two hours of focused work.
• A father wanting to be more patient with his children. He practices taking three slow breaths before reacting when his kids spill milk on the carpet.