---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Change might not be fast and it isn't…"
description: "\"Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.\" — Charles Duhigg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png"
---

#  Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But…

![“Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” quote by Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png)

> “Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.”

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Habits can be altered with consistent effort over time, even if change is slow or difficult.

**In simple terms:** Habit change needs time and effort.

Key Takeaway

Invest steady effort to reshape habits.

Themes

habit formation self‑improvement patience

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- personal development
- fitness routines
- learning new skills
- breaking addictions

Key Concepts

behavioral psychology neuroplasticity

Questions to Reflect On

- What small habit will you start reshaping now?
- How can you stay patient during slow progress?

A Different Perspective

Change may be gradual and setbacks can occur.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time And Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-effort/)

## Related quotes

> [It cannot but be injurious to the human mind never to be called into effort: the habit of receiving pleasure without any exertion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/it-cannot-but-be-injurious-to-the-human-mind-never-to-be-called-into/)

[Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/)

> [Concentration of effort and the habit of working with a definite chief aim are two of the essential factors in success, which are always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frost/concentration-of-effort-and-the-habit-of-working-with-a-definite/)

[David Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frost/)

> [Rules are, like an ashtray-in-progress, meant to be thrown, poked and reshaped to suit yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-genn/rules-are-like-an-ashtray-in-progress-meant-to-be-thrown-poked-and/)

[Sara Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-genn/)

> [“ My Spirit reshaped amongst the millions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cooke/my-spirit-reshaped-amongst-the-millions/)

Alan Cooke

> [“Having reshaped my words with an intensity of feeling I had not known before, I could not understand why others were not overcome with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/having-reshaped-my-words-with-an-intensity-of-feeling-i-had-not-known/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [“Time had twisted the stream’s contour, reshaped the profile of the trees and obscured the old paths. The very lie of the land appeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-caldecott/time-had-twisted-the-stream-s-contour-reshaped-the-profile-of-the/)

[Andrew Caldecott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-caldecott/)

> [Thriller' reshaped sound. It reshaped everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/thriller-reshaped-sound-it-reshaped-everything/)

[Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/)

> [“Life is like butter - when things cool down it can be reshaped”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/life-is-like-butter-when-things-cool-down-it-can-be-reshaped/)

Alan Sheinwald

> [“They were here from the beginning. They have reshaped our lives, run us from our homes. They were always here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nad-ge-richards/they-were-here-from-the-beginning-they-have-reshaped-our-lives-run-us/)

[Nadège Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nad-ge-richards/)

> [“As life speeds up &amp; the political becomes ever more personal democracy continues to foster change as fast as the movement of tectonic plates”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/as-life-speeds-up-the-political-becomes-ever-more-personal-democracy/)

[Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/)

> [In a world in which technology is changing at such a fast pace, where demand conditions change very fast, we need to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/in-a-world-in-which-technology-is-changing-at-such-a-fast-pace-where/)

[Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/)

> [In 3 words I can sum up what I've learned so far: About Life: It goes on. About Love: It doesn't last. About People:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-3-words-i-can-sum-up-what-i-ve-learned-so-far-about-life-it-goes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [She Was First And I Though She Was Going To Be My Last But Things Change Fast...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul/she-was-first-and-i-though-she-was-going-to-be-my-last-but-things/)

[Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul/)

> [“Having been born in 1939 and come to consciousness during World War II, I knew that established orders could vanish overnight. Change could also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/having-been-born-in-1939-and-come-to-consciousness-during-world-war/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Things change so fast, you can't use 1971 ethics on someone born in 1971.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-slick/things-change-so-fast-you-can-t-use-1971-ethics-on-someone-born-in/)

[Grace Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-slick/)

## More by Charles Duhigg

> [“If you want to stop smoking, ask yourself, do you do it because you love nicotine, or because it provides a burst of stimulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/if-you-want-to-stop-smoking-ask-yourself-do-you-do-it-because-you/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“What matters are five key norms,” he told the audience. Teams need to believe that their work is important. Teams need to feel their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/what-matters-are-five-key-norms-he-told-the-audience-teams-need-to/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [America has always had an apocalyptic strain. Yet it also seems to believe that if, or when, The End comes, it will still come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-has-always-had-an-apocalyptic-strain-yet-it-also-seems-to/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [Bromates are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, but officials are required to test for them only when water leaves a treatment plant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/bromates-are-regulated-by-the-safe-drinking-water-act-but-officials/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/habits-scientists-say-emerge-because-the-brain-is-constantly-looking/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [Between calculated risk and reckless decision-making lies the dividing line between profit and loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/between-calculated-risk-and-reckless-decision-making-lies-the/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [Older Americans are perfect telemarketing customers, analysts say, because they are often at home, rely on delivery services, and are lonely for the companionship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/older-americans-are-perfect-telemarketing-customers-analysts-say/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/all-our-life-so-far-as-it-has-definite-form-is-but-a-mass-of-habits/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“Someday soon, say predictive analytics experts, it will be possible for companies to know our tastes and predict our habits better than we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/someday-soon-say-predictive-analytics-experts-it-will-be-possible-for/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“I love Paul O'Neill, but you could not pay me enough to work for him again" one official told me. "the man has never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/i-love-paul-o-neill-but-you-could-not-pay-me-enough-to-work-for-him/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“THE FRAMEWORK: • Identify the routine • Experiment with rewards • Isolate the cue • Have a plan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/the-framework-identify-the-routine-experiment-with-rewards-isolate/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [Barium, which is commonly found in power plant waste and scrubber wastewater, has been linked to heart problems and diseases in other organs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/barium-which-is-commonly-found-in-power-plant-waste-and-scrubber/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [A movement starts because of the social habits of friendship and the strong ties between close acquaintances. It grows because of the habits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/a-movement-starts-because-of-the-social-habits-of-friendship-and-the/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [“In some sense, he said, a community was a giant collection of habits occurring among thousands of people that, depending on how they’re influenced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/in-some-sense-he-said-a-community-was-a-giant-collection-of-habits/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

[Explore all 293 Charles Duhigg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Duhigg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-always-easy-but-with-time-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-always-easy-but-with-time-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/125/charles-duhigg-1088_change_change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-al_2453411.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” — Charles Duhigg",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charles Duhigg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Change might not be fast and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-always-easy-but-with-time-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/change-might-not-be-fast-and-it-isn-t-always-easy-but-with-time-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
