--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and…" description: "\"Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and it's hard to just jump in and be good at something difficult right off the bat... The only reliable way to succe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/john-gruber-22664_artist_almost-nothing-worthwhile-is-easy-and-it_2599879.jpg" --- # Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and it's hard to just… ![“Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and it's hard to just jump in and be good at something difficult right off the bat... The only reliable way to succeed at anything is to actually do it, repeatedly, with concentrated effort. True for individuals, and true for organizations. Athletes, artists…” quote by John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/john-gruber-22664_artist_almost-nothing-worthwhile-is-easy-and-it_2599879.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/john-gruber-22664_artist_almost-nothing-worthwhile-is-easy-and-it_2599879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/john-gruber-22664_artist_almost-nothing-worthwhile-is-easy-and-it_2599879.jpg) > “Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and it's hard to just jump in and be good at something difficult right off the bat... The only reliable way to succeed at anything is to actually do it, repeatedly, with concentrated effort. True for individuals, and true for organizations. Athletes, artists, businesses.” [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Consistent, focused effort beats talent shortcuts for success. **In simple terms:** Practice beats talent shortcuts. Key Takeaway Commit to regular practice. Themes productivity effort skill development Mood determined optimistic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - daily writing - training drills - team sprints Key Concepts habit formation performance Questions to Reflect On - How to maintain motivation? - What routines work best? A Different Perspective Consistency can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/) ## Related quotes > [By deciding to succeed and actually trying to make your dreams come true, you are already successful. Your effort and continued dedication distinguish you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-klatt/by-deciding-to-succeed-and-actually-trying-to-make-your-dreams-come/) Daniel Klatt > [Nothing Worthwhile Is Easy. Your Ability To Overcome Unfavorable Situations Will Provide You With Time To Demonstrate Your True Strength And Determination For Success.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/nothing-worthwhile-is-easy-your-ability-to-overcome-unfavorable/) Pacifiersucker > [Nothing that's really worthwhile should be easy, Belgarion. If it's easy, we don't value it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/nothing-that-s-really-worthwhile-should-be-easy-belgarion-if-it-s/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [Nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/nothing-that-is-worthwhile-is-ever-easy/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Persevere. Nothing worthwhile is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/persevere-nothing-worthwhile-is-easy/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“If he had ever tried anything, then he no doubt would have succeeded, paved a road that few could follow. But effort is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-noffke/if-he-had-ever-tried-anything-then-he-no-doubt-would-have-succeeded/) [Sarah Noffke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-noffke/) > [To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals - this alone is worth the struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/to-have-striven-to-have-made-the-effort-to-have-been-true-to-certain/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [We should all make an effort to show our true friends in life just how grateful that we are for them by showing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/we-should-all-make-an-effort-to-show-our-true-friends-in-life-just/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Nothing worthwhile is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-worthwhile-is-easy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing worthwhile was ever easy in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-worthwhile-was-ever-easy-in-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As much as part of me wishes things could be easier, there's a deeper part of me that knows that nothing worthwhile is easy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyell-gold/as-much-as-part-of-me-wishes-things-could-be-easier-there-s-a-deeper/) [Kyell Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyell-gold/) > [Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-that-s-worthwhile-is-ever-easy-remember-that/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Nothing that's really worthwhile should be easy, Belgarion. If it's easy, we don't value it... --Eriond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/nothing-that-s-really-worthwhile-should-be-easy-belgarion-if-it-s-2/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [Some folks call tennis a rich people's sport or a white person's game. I guess I started too early because I just thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/some-folks-call-tennis-a-rich-people-s-sport-or-a-white-person-s-game/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ichiro-suzuki/some-people-enjoy-taking-a-light-stroll-in-the-morning-and-that-gives/) [Ichiro Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ichiro-suzuki/) ## More by John Gruber > [I went to Drexel University, majored in computer science. Drexel has a great program - they call it co-op - but its, like, mandatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/i-went-to-drexel-university-majored-in-computer-science-drexel-has-a/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [Strapping a computer display to your face is not the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/strapping-a-computer-display-to-your-face-is-not-the-answer/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [I've always said my audience is just me. It's somebody out there who's exactly like me and just isn't writing Daring Fireball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/i-ve-always-said-my-audience-is-just-me-it-s-somebody-out-there-who-s/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [The quality of any creative endeavor tends to approach the level of taste of whoever is in charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/the-quality-of-any-creative-endeavor-tends-to-approach-the-level-of/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [I think Apple Watch might be a tougher sell to current watch wearers than non-watch wearers. Non-watch wearers have an open wrist, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/i-think-apple-watch-might-be-a-tougher-sell-to-current-watch-wearers/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [The iPhone is not and never was a phone. It is a pocket-sized computer that obviates the phone. The iPhone is to cell phones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/the-iphone-is-not-and-never-was-a-phone-it-is-a-pocket-sized-computer/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [Car accidents kill so many of us; we're not going to give up cars, so it seems like we ought to make them harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/car-accidents-kill-so-many-of-us-we-re-not-going-to-give-up-cars-so/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [You have to keep plugging away. We are all growing. There is no shortcut. You have to put time into it to build an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/you-have-to-keep-plugging-away-we-are-all-growing-there-is-no/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [There are a lot of people I dislike in the world. I mean, a lot. I don't follow any of them on Twitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/there-are-a-lot-of-people-i-dislike-in-the-world-i-mean-a-lot-i-don-t/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [The only people who don’t love apps are pundits who don’t understand that apps aren’t really in opposition to the open Internet. They’re just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/the-only-people-who-don-t-love-apps-are-pundits-who-don-t-understand/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [People are willing to trade money for something that they can touch, not ones and zereos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/people-are-willing-to-trade-money-for-something-that-they-can-touch/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [Simply making decisions, one after another, can be a form of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/simply-making-decisions-one-after-another-can-be-a-form-of-art/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > ['The cloud' is effectively an augmentation of our brains' memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/the-cloud-is-effectively-an-augmentation-of-our-brains-memories/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [It sounds to me like the OLED iPhone is a phone which Apple can't make 40 million of per quarter, at least not today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/it-sounds-to-me-like-the-oled-iphone-is-a-phone-which-apple-can-t/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) > [There are two types of people in the world: those who wear a watch and those who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gruber/there-are-two-types-of-people-in-the-world-those-who-wear-a-watch-and/) [John Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) [Explore all 27 John Gruber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gruber/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Almost nothing worthwhile is easy, and it's hard to just jump in and be good at something difficult right off the bat... The only reliable way to succeed at anything is to actually do it, repeatedly, with concentrated effort. True for individuals, and true for organizations. 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