"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you're keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls — family, health, friends, integrity — are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered."

- James Patterson, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

"Studies show that bright lines—non-negotiable rules—reduce decision fatigue and strengthen willpower. When the choice is already made, you can focus your energy where it matters most—on taking consistent action."

- Brian Johnson, Areté

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“You can always get more money, but you can never get more time.”

- From Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

“When you plan your week, ask yourself whether your Values are represented on your calendar.”

- From Time Management Essentials by Anna Dearmon Kornick

“If it’s important enough, I’ll make the time. If not, I’ll make an excuse.”

- From Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

“To live a life of virtue, match up your thoughts, words, and deeds.”

- Epictetus

“One of the strange things about human beings is that they value only that which has a price.”

- From Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“When you pay attention to something you don’t especially value, it’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re paying with your life.”

- From Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

“Does your calendar reflect your values? To be the person you want to be, you have to make time to live your values.”

- Nir Eyal

“Control what you can, cope with what you can’t, and concentrate on what really matters in your life.”

- Craig Ballantyne

“The good thing about principles is that they make life easy. I have heard it said that when someone bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made.”

- From The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

“Compare what you say you want against what you actually do. Do they match? If not, it’s time to change and figure out what really matters. Once you do, line up your priority with the actions you need to achieve it, and then embrace the pain, pay the price, and earn the prize.”

- From The Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

“Your core values are your internal compass, your guiding beacon, your personal GPS. They act as the filter through which you run all of life’s demands, requests, and temptations, making sure they are leading you toward your intended destination. Getting your core values defined and properly calibrated is one of the most important steps in redirecting your life toward your grandest vision. If you haven’t already clearly defined your values, you may find yourself making choices that conflict with what you want. Defining your core values also helps make life simpler and more efficient. Decision-making is also easier when you are certain of your core values. When faced with a choice, ask yourself, ‘Does this align with my core values?’ If it does, do it. If not, don’t, and don’t look back. All fretting and indecisions are eliminated.”

- From The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

“We need to realize that the direction of our lives is controlled by the magnetic pull of our values. They are the force in front of us, consistently leading us to make decisions that create the direction and ultimate destination of our lives.”

- From Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

“Your success starts in the morning. Plan your day. Get up early. Work on your number one priority in life before anything else. Add more structure to your day and you will have more freedom in your life for your family, friends, and hobbies.”

- From The Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

“Busy is a decision. We do the things we want to do, period. If we say we are too busy, it is shorthand for “not important enough”. It means you would rather be doing something else that you consider more important. You don’t find the time to do something; you make the time to do things. Make the time to do the things you want to do and then do them.”

- Debbie Millman

“Success requires us to do the first things first. Choose to use your time wisely. Figure out what really matters to you and then use the rest of the steps to build habits that allow you to focus your time on it.”

- From The Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

“Ultimately, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally, you become your habits.”

- From Atomic Habits by James Clear

“You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set in stone. You have a choice in every moment. You can choose the identity you want to reinforce today with habits you choose today.”

- From Atomic Habits by James Clear