--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you can't stop what you're doing…" description: "\"When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to improve it, you will never stop what you are doing.\" — Mike Hawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg" --- # When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to… ![“When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to improve it, you will never stop what you are doing.” quote by Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg) > “When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to improve it, you will never stop what you are doing.” [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Continuous improvement requires deliberate pauses; without them, habits persist unchanged. **In simple terms:** Improvement needs breaks; otherwise habits stay the same. Key Takeaway Pause to reflect and refine. Themes self-improvement habits reflection Mood motivational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - workplace - personal projects - skill development Key Concepts mindfulness continuous learning Questions to Reflect On - What habit would you pause to improve? - How can you schedule regular reflection? A Different Perspective Sustaining existing patterns can be comfortable, hindering change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-long/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) [Improve Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve-stop-5979973/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-improve-5979972/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Never stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-stop/) [Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop/) [Stop Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-doing/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [“doing this for a long time, honey. I’d be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/doing-this-for-a-long-time-honey-i-d-be/) [John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/) > [I do yoga; have been doing it for a long time now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konkona-sen-sharma/i-do-yoga-have-been-doing-it-for-a-long-time-now/) [Konkona Sen Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konkona-sen-sharma/) > [Touring and putting out records is fun and cool, but I've been doing it for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/touring-and-putting-out-records-is-fun-and-cool-but-i-ve-been-doing/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [You've just got to keep doing what you're doing as long as you're doing it with the right intent, which I believe in 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-poole/you-ve-just-got-to-keep-doing-what-you-re-doing-as-long-as-you-re/) [Jordan Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-poole/) > [Boxing is a hard sport, I've been doing it for a long time since the age of 10.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-degale/boxing-is-a-hard-sport-i-ve-been-doing-it-for-a-long-time-since-the/) [James DeGale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-degale/) > [I get asked sometimes 'What's the highlight of my career?' because I've been doing it for so long, and I always have a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/i-get-asked-sometimes-what-s-the-highlight-of-my-career-because-i-ve/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [I do a lot of corporate consulting work. I've been doing it a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/i-do-a-lot-of-corporate-consulting-work-i-ve-been-doing-it-a-long-time/) [Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/) > [I'm young, but I've been doing this a long time... There's obviously a lot of hard work that goes into it. It's a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/i-m-young-but-i-ve-been-doing-this-a-long-time-there-s-obviously-a/) [Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/) > [I never have reservations about doing anything as long as I'm being paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-baker/i-never-have-reservations-about-doing-anything-as-long-as-i-m-being/) [Colin Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-baker/) > [A career is something that you train for and prepare for and plan on doing for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/a-career-is-something-that-you-train-for-and-prepare-for-and-plan-on/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [If what they say is right we're none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevil-shute/if-what-they-say-is-right-we-re-none-of-us-going-to-have-time-to-do/) [Nevil Shute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevil-shute/) > [I can't believe I've been doing it so long. In the last three or four years, I've slowed down. I'm doing only the roles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-bisset/i-can-t-believe-i-ve-been-doing-it-so-long-in-the-last-three-or-four/) [Jacqueline Bisset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-bisset/) > [Hey, I've been doing what I do for a long time, my friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goulet/hey-i-ve-been-doing-what-i-do-for-a-long-time-my-friend/) [Robert Goulet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goulet/) > [A winner fulfills his contract with the world and with himself. That is, he sets out to do something, says that he is committed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-berne/a-winner-fulfills-his-contract-with-the-world-and-with-himself-that/) [Eric Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-berne/) > [I live for comedy. I've been doing it for such a long time. Comedy is hard in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-justice/i-live-for-comedy-i-ve-been-doing-it-for-such-a-long-time-comedy-is/) [Victoria Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-justice/) ## More by Mike Hawkins > [If you choose not to pursue your dreams, you'll still be a part of a dream - only it will be someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/if-you-choose-not-to-pursue-your-dreams-you-ll-still-be-a-part-of-a/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) > [Change is unavoidable. You change either to stay ahead or to catch up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/change-is-unavoidable-you-change-either-to-stay-ahead-or-to-catch-up/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) > [Goals seem impossible only when you are not heading toward them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/goals-seem-impossible-only-when-you-are-not-heading-toward-them/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) > [The effort required by your endeavor now is not as hard as dealing with your regret later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/the-effort-required-by-your-endeavor-now-is-not-as-hard-as-dealing/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) > [Your desired behavior must become just as much a habit as your undesired behavior was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/your-desired-behavior-must-become-just-as-much-a-habit-as-your/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) > [You don't get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/you-don-t-get-results-by-focusing-on-results-you-get-results-by/) [Mike Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) [Explore all 7 Mike Hawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to improve it, you will never stop what you are doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Hawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-long-enough-to-improve-it-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-long-enough-to-improve-it-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/585/mike-hawkins-49982_doing_when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-lo_1582339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you can't stop what you're doing long enough to improve it, you will never stop what you are doing.” — Mike Hawkins", "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": "Mike Hawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you can't stop what you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-long-enough-to-improve-it-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hawkins/when-you-can-t-stop-what-you-re-doing-long-enough-to-improve-it-you/#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 } } ] } ```