--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To change a habit, make a conscious…" description: "\"To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.\" — Maxwell Maltz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png" --- # To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out… ![“To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.” quote by Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png) > “To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.” [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing habits requires deliberate decision and consistent action of the new behavior. **In simple terms:** Decide, then act to form new habits. Key Takeaway Take intentional steps to rewire behavior. Themes habit formation mindfulness behavior change self-discipline Mood motivational strategic Type self-help instructional When to use this quote - exercise routines - diet changes - study habits - workflows Key Concepts psychology neuroscience Questions to Reflect On - What decision will you make today? - How will you reinforce the new behavior? A Different Perspective Old habits can resurface under stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-habit-555061/) [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Conscious decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-decision/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habit Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit-make-811097/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [New Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-behavior-379495/) ## Related quotes > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Today you may not be familiar with the happiness habit. But like any new behavior, happiness can be learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/today-you-may-not-be-familiar-with-the-happiness-habit-but-like-any/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [“Refactoring, as formally defined, does not add new behavior, it improves existing structure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/refactoring-as-formally-defined-does-not-add-new-behavior-it-improves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Now that you have discovered the duck, you can elicit new behavior from your application without changing any existing code;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-that-you-have-discovered-the-duck-you-can-elicit-new-behavior/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being myself includes taking risks with myself, taking risks on new behavior, trying new ways of 'being myself', so that I can see who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/being-myself-includes-taking-risks-with-myself-taking-risks-on-new/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Change, not habit, is what gets most of us down; habit is the stabilizer of human society, change accounts for its progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/change-not-habit-is-what-gets-most-of-us-down-habit-is-the-stabilizer/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [“2. The piggyback: Add a new behavior onto an existing habit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/2-the-piggyback-add-a-new-behavior-onto-an-existing-habit/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [If you're going to change a habit, you must BE the treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/if-you-re-going-to-change-a-habit-you-must-be-the-treatment/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Rather, to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/rather-to-change-a-habit-you-must-keep-the-old-cue-and-deliver-the/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Change of habit cannot alter Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/change-of-habit-cannot-alter-nature/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [A fixed habit is supported by old, well-worn pathways in the brain. When you make conscious choices to change a habit, you create new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/a-fixed-habit-is-supported-by-old-well-worn-pathways-in-the-brain/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Through constant familiarity, we can definitely establish new behavior patterns, using our tendency to form habits to our advantage. If we make a steady…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/through-constant-familiarity-we-can-definitely-establish-new-behavior/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Sometimes, counter-intuitively, it's easier to make a major change than a minor change. When a habit is changing very gradually, we may lose interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/sometimes-counter-intuitively-it-s-easier-to-make-a-major-change-than/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“You need to pay attention to the situation, the new behavior, or the memory that you want to repeat or remember.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-arden/you-need-to-pay-attention-to-the-situation-the-new-behavior-or-the/) [John B. Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-arden/) > [Repeating a new behavior is what makes change stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/repeating-a-new-behavior-is-what-makes-change-stick/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) ## More by Maxwell Maltz > [This Creative Mechanism within you is impersonal. It will work automatically and impersonally to achieve goals of success and happiness, or unhappiness and failure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/this-creative-mechanism-within-you-is-impersonal-it-will-work/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Your automatic guidance system cannot guide you when you're stalled, “standing still”.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/your-automatic-guidance-system-cannot-guide-you-when-you-re-stalled/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [You can do only one thing at a time. I simply tackle one problem and concentrate all efforts on what I am doing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/you-can-do-only-one-thing-at-a-time-i-simply-tackle-one-problem-and/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Within you, whoever you may be, regardless of how big a failure you may think yourself to be, is the ability and the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/within-you-whoever-you-may-be-regardless-of-how-big-a-failure-you-may/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Successful people are able to rise above crises by relaxing no matter what the external situation. Their belief in themselves, the strength of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/successful-people-are-able-to-rise-above-crises-by-relaxing-no-matter/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Functionally, a man is somewhat like a bicycle. A bicycle maintains its poise and equilibrium only so long as it's moving forward towards something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/functionally-a-man-is-somewhat-like-a-bicycle-a-bicycle-maintains-its/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Faith, courage, optimism, looking forward, bring us new life and more life. Futility, frustration, living in the past are not only characteristic of 'old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/faith-courage-optimism-looking-forward-bring-us-new-life-and-more/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/if-you-make-friends-with-yourself-you-will-never-be-alone/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Prescription: Get yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/people-who-say-that-life-is-not-worthwhile-are-really-saying-that/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Take the trouble to stop and think of the other person's feelings, his viewpoints, his desires and needs. Think more of what the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/take-the-trouble-to-stop-and-think-of-the-other-person-s-feelings-his/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Your present negative beliefs were formed by thought PLUS feelings. Generate enough emotion, or deep feeling and your new thoughts and ideas will cancel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/your-present-negative-beliefs-were-formed-by-thought-plus-feelings/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [The greatest miracle you can hope for is self-acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/the-greatest-miracle-you-can-hope-for-is-self-acceptance/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [Get yourself a goal worth working for. Better still, get yourself a project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/get-yourself-a-goal-worth-working-for-better-still-get-yourself-a/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [For imagination sets the goal picture which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of will, as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/for-imagination-sets-the-goal-picture-which-our-automatic-mechanism/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [If you wait until circumstances justify your thinking pleasant thoughts, you are likely to wait forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/if-you-wait-until-circumstances-justify-your-thinking-pleasant/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) [Explore all 130 Maxwell Maltz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maxwell Maltz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decision-then-act-out-the-new/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behavior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decision-then-act-out-the-new/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/maxwell-maltz-3463_behavior_to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decis_2424068.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.” — Maxwell Maltz", "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": "Maxwell Maltz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To change a habit, make a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decision-then-act-out-the-new/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/to-change-a-habit-make-a-conscious-decision-then-act-out-the-new/#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 } } ] } ```