--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Keeping a habit, in the smallest way…" description: "\"Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and strengthens it. I write every day, even if it's just a sentence, to keep my habit of daily writing s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/gretchen-rubin-867_daily_keeping-a-habit-in-the-smallest-way-prot_1227004.png" --- # Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and… ![“Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and strengthens it. I write every day, even if it's just a sentence, to keep my habit of daily writing strong.” quote by Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/gretchen-rubin-867_daily_keeping-a-habit-in-the-smallest-way-prot_1227004.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/gretchen-rubin-867_daily_keeping-a-habit-in-the-smallest-way-prot_1227004.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/gretchen-rubin-867_daily_keeping-a-habit-in-the-smallest-way-prot_1227004.png) > “Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and strengthens it. I write every day, even if it's just a sentence, to keep my habit of daily writing strong.” [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates consistent, small daily habits to strengthen and preserve larger goals, using writing as an example. **In simple terms:** Small daily habits protect bigger goals. Key Takeaway Write daily, even briefly, to keep habit strong. Themes habit formation consistency productivity Mood inspirational practical Type self‑help When to use this quote - daily journaling - blogging - creative writing - skill development Key Concepts behavioral science writing practice Questions to Reflect On - What small habit can you start today? - How will you keep it meaningful? A Different Perspective May become mechanical without reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Step by step, you make your way forward. That’s why practices such as daily writing exercises or keeping a daily blog can be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/step-by-step-you-make-your-way-forward-that-s-why-practices-such-as/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“Consistency is important in keeping a habit going. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t even let the good be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-sockey/consistency-is-important-in-keeping-a-habit-going-don-t-let-the/) Daria Sockey > [Character cannot be summoned at the moment of crisis if it has been squandered by years of compromise and rationalization. The only testing ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-coats/character-cannot-be-summoned-at-the-moment-of-crisis-if-it-has-been/) [Dan Coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-coats/) > [Habit is the daily battleground of character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-coats/habit-is-the-daily-battleground-of-character/) [Dan Coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-coats/) > [“According to research, it takes three hundred instances of positive reinforcement to turn a new habit into an unconscious practice—that’s almost a year of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/according-to-research-it-takes-three-hundred-instances-of-positive/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [“The point I'm trying to make is that by recording my progress every day, I had the data I needed to start optimizing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-aaron/the-point-i-m-trying-to-make-is-that-by-recording-my-progress-every/) [Rachel Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-aaron/) > [The ideal view for daily writing, hour for hour, is the blank brick wall of a cold-storage warehouse. Failing this, a stretch of sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-ferber/the-ideal-view-for-daily-writing-hour-for-hour-is-the-blank-brick/) [Edna Ferber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-ferber/) > [The daily writing practice is something I used to hear batted around a lot in writing workshops - which is probably why I dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-abu-jaber/the-daily-writing-practice-is-something-i-used-to-hear-batted-around/) [Diana Abu-Jaber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-abu-jaber/) > [“Jonathan Safran Foer’s 10 Rules for Writing: 1.Tragedies make great literature; unfathomable catastrophes (the Holocaust, 9/11) are even better – try to construct your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/jonathan-safran-foer-s-10-rules-for-writing-1-tragedies-make-great/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [When my career started on daytime soaps, those characters usually didn't have much depth to them. The main goal was to memorize my lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-navedo/when-my-career-started-on-daytime-soaps-those-characters-usually-didn/) [Andrea Navedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-navedo/) > [Women have been writing strong women characters for a long time - hello, Maxine Hong Kingston! - it's just taken mainstream comics a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/women-have-been-writing-strong-women-characters-for-a-long-time-hello/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [“Character development is vital when writing a strong story. Weak characters make for weak stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beem-weeks/character-development-is-vital-when-writing-a-strong-story-weak/) Beem Weeks > [“I prefer to be on the side of losers, the misunderstood or lonely people rather than writing about the strong and powerful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-ria-a/i-prefer-to-be-on-the-side-of-losers-the-misunderstood-or-lonely/) Núria Añó > [I like writing strong women, because as a straight male, there's nothing more attractive to me than a strong girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baruchel/i-like-writing-strong-women-because-as-a-straight-male-there-s/) [Jay Baruchel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baruchel/) > [I think if you are truly convinced of why you're writing something, if it's a strong enough dream of yours to share this vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-drake/i-think-if-you-are-truly-convinced-of-why-you-re-writing-something-if/) Diane Drake ## More by Gretchen Rubin > [“Second Splendid Truth One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/second-splendid-truth-one-of-the-best-ways-to-make-yourself-happy-is/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/knowing-what-you-admire-in-others-is-a-wonderful-mirror-into-your/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Being taken for granted is an unpleasant but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are and the less you complain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/being-taken-for-granted-is-an-unpleasant-but-sincere-form-of-praise/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“one Secret of Adulthood is “Never start a sentence with the words ‘No offense’”? “And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-secret-of-adulthood-is-never-start-a-sentence-with-the-words-no/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [One of the findings that really interests me is that, although we think we ACT because of the way we FEEL, we often FEEL…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-of-the-findings-that-really-interests-me-is-that-although-we/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [We all want to get along well with other people, and one way to do this is to help people feel good about themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/we-all-want-to-get-along-well-with-other-people-and-one-way-to-do/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/during-my-study-of-happiness-i-noticed-something-that-surprised-me-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [There is a preppy wabi-sabi to soft, faded khakis and cotton shirts, but it's not nice to be surrounded by things that are worn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-is-a-preppy-wabi-sabi-to-soft-faded-khakis-and-cotton-shirts/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“There are times in the lives of most of us,” observed William Edward Hartpole Lecky, “when we would have given all the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/there-are-times-in-the-lives-of-most-of-us-observed-william-edward/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“I started thinking more about music. I thought I'd accepted the fact that, as part of "Being Gretchen," I didn't really like music, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-started-thinking-more-about-music-i-thought-i-d-accepted-the-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [If you've had something for more than six months, and it's still not repaired, it's clutter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/if-you-ve-had-something-for-more-than-six-months-and-it-s-still-not/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn't be overlooked. The things I do every day take on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/the-pleasure-of-doing-the-same-thing-in-the-same-way-every-day/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Although we often assume that feelings inspire actions, in fact, actions also inspire feelings. By pushing myself to act happier, I make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/although-we-often-assume-that-feelings-inspire-actions-in-fact/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [I love finding - or inventing - ways to categorize people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-love-finding-or-inventing-ways-to-categorize-people/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“After someone's death, how strange to see the value drain away from his or her possessions; useful objects such as clothes, or dish towels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/after-someone-s-death-how-strange-to-see-the-value-drain-away-from/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) [Explore all 346 Gretchen Rubin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) ## More Daily quotes > [“Start the daily practice of joyful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/start-the-daily-practice-of-joyful-living/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I don't have to deal with the issues of the daily news cycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/i-don-t-have-to-deal-with-the-issues-of-the-daily-news-cycle/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [In daily or everyday life, I am so impressed with tiny details, like when I look up at a street lamp falling on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makoto-shinkai/in-daily-or-everyday-life-i-am-so-impressed-with-tiny-details-like/) [Makoto Shinkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/makoto-shinkai/) > [I want to show that drama doesn't lie only in blood and destroyed buildings but in daily life, in ordinary human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmila-zbanic/i-want-to-show-that-drama-doesn-t-lie-only-in-blood-and-destroyed/) [Jasmila Zbanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmila-zbanic/) > [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I found by daily experience, the more I did, the more I might do for God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-whitefield/i-found-by-daily-experience-the-more-i-did-the-more-i-might-do-for-god/) [George Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-whitefield/) > [Daily, I visualize the smart-ass troll who lives deep in my subconscious, and I pelt him with rainbows and unicorns. I fight a battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/daily-i-visualize-the-smart-ass-troll-who-lives-deep-in-my/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/a-small-daily-task-if-it-be-really-daily-will-beat-the-labours-of-a/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Most restaurant people work much harder physically, on a daily basis, than most entertainers. Though most people in entertainment complain more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rosenthal/most-restaurant-people-work-much-harder-physically-on-a-daily-basis/) [Philip Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rosenthal/) > [I organize all my footage by the date it was shot, and then arrange everything in a timeline once I begin a project. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilson/i-organize-all-my-footage-by-the-date-it-was-shot-and-then-arrange/) [John Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilson/) > [Sibi Malayali sir saw a picture of me in a Malayalam daily and felt I was suited for a role in his movie 'Ishtam.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navya-nair/sibi-malayali-sir-saw-a-picture-of-me-in-a-malayalam-daily-and-felt-i/) [Navya Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navya-nair/) > [As the former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I dealt on a daily basis with China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hagerty/as-the-former-u-s-ambassador-to-japan-i-dealt-on-a-daily-basis-with/) [Bill Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hagerty/) > [There are many females in my life I couldn't function on a daily basis without who I've purposely put there that work with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/there-are-many-females-in-my-life-i-couldn-t-function-on-a-daily/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [The gym is somewhere you can go to just forget for an hour what you do for a living, what you are doing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/the-gym-is-somewhere-you-can-go-to-just-forget-for-an-hour-what-you/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) Browse all 1,563 Daily quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Keeping a habit, in the smallest way, protects and strengthens it. 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