--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For good or ill, your habits will make or…" description: "\"For good or ill, your habits will make or break you.\" — Steve Pavlina" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/steve-pavlina-3958_break_for-good-or-ill-your-habits-will-make-or_765831.png" --- # For good or ill, your habits will make or break you. ![“For good or ill, your habits will make or break you.” quote by Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/steve-pavlina-3958_break_for-good-or-ill-your-habits-will-make-or_765831.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/steve-pavlina-3958_break_for-good-or-ill-your-habits-will-make-or_765831.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/steve-pavlina-3958_break_for-good-or-ill-your-habits-will-make-or_765831.png) > “For good or ill, your habits will make or break you.” [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Habits shape outcomes, positively or negatively. **In simple terms:** Habits determine success Key Takeaway Cultivate good habits, break bad ones Themes self-improvement behavior discipline Mood motivational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - daily routines - goal setting Key Concepts habit formation self-control Questions to Reflect On - Which habits most affect your life? - How to maintain new habits? A Different Perspective Habits alone aren't sufficient without context ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Habits Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-make-404473/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Ill Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill-habits-5930084/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Make Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-break-611637/) [Make or break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-or-break/) ## Related quotes > [Nutrition can make or break you on race day. It's not something you leave to chance. If you don't plan for it you're almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-price/nutrition-can-make-or-break-you-on-race-day-it-s-not-something-you/) [Sean Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-price/) > [It's good to believe in yourself, but there are people out there who can make or break you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/it-s-good-to-believe-in-yourself-but-there-are-people-out-there-who/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Leaders don't rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/leaders-don-t-rise-to-the-pinnacle-of-success-without-developing-the/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“Keystone habits make tough choices—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/keystone-habits-make-tough-choices/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/depending-on-what-they-are-our-habits-will-either-make-us-or-break-us/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) > [We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-first-make-our-habits-and-then-our-habits-make-us/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virtually everything we do in life is a matter of habit. Habits make us who we are. Why not change your habits to better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/virtually-everything-we-do-in-life-is-a-matter-of-habit-habits-make/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [“For the first thirty years of your life you make your habits. For the last thirty years of your life, your habits make you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-korb/for-the-first-thirty-years-of-your-life-you-make-your-habits-for-the/) [Alex Korb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-korb/) > [Get punctual, bring energy and creativity to your work, and stay with a project until it's completed (and then double-check the results). These habits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/get-punctual-bring-energy-and-creativity-to-your-work-and-stay-with-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The key to forming good habits is to make them part of your 'rituals.' I have a morning ritual, afternoon ritual, and Sunday ritual.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/the-key-to-forming-good-habits-is-to-make-them-part-of-your-rituals-i/) [Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/) > [“We first make our habits, then our habits make us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-first-make-our-habits-then-our-habits-make-us/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [In the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-first-30-years-of-your-life-you-make-your-habits-for-the-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [First we make our habits, then our habits make us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-c-noble/first-we-make-our-habits-then-our-habits-make-us/) [Charles C Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-c-noble/) > [We first make our habits, and then our habits make us download youtube videos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fady/we-first-make-our-habits-and-then-our-habits-make-us-download-youtube/) [Fady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fady/) > [I don't like to get too caught up in habits because too much structure can stifle creativity. But there are a few habits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-paliwal/i-don-t-like-to-get-too-caught-up-in-habits-because-too-much/) [Dinesh Paliwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-paliwal/) ## More by Steve Pavlina > [Your values are your current estimations of truth. They represent your answer to the question of how to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/your-values-are-your-current-estimations-of-truth-they-represent-your/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Using passion as your only fuel will no more assure you of success than being in love will ensure a successful long-term relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/using-passion-as-your-only-fuel-will-no-more-assure-you-of-success/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [When you discipline yourself to do what is hard, you gain access to a realm of results that are denied everyone else. The willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/when-you-discipline-yourself-to-do-what-is-hard-you-gain-access-to-a/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [A man doesn't require the approval of others. He's willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/a-man-doesn-t-require-the-approval-of-others-he-s-willing-to-follow/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... 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Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the ones everyone agrees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Security is worthless if you have to sacrifice growth to get it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/security-is-worthless-if-you-have-to-sacrifice-growth-to-get-it/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [I believe we can proactively choose to believe whatever we want instead of merely letting our beliefs coalesce as reactions to events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/i-believe-we-can-proactively-choose-to-believe-whatever-we-want/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Pour the bulk of your time into action, not deciding. The state of indecision is a major time waster. Don't spend more than 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/pour-the-bulk-of-your-time-into-action-not-deciding-the-state-of/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Treat your business relationships like friendships (or potential friendships). Formality puts up walls, and walls don't foster good business relationships. No one is loyal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/treat-your-business-relationships-like-friendships-or-potential/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Side effect of overemphasizing the importance of personal security in your life is that it can cause you to live reactively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/side-effect-of-overemphasizing-the-importance-of-personal-security-in/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [You can move beyond the ego's perspective and see reality from the perspective of a higher consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/you-can-move-beyond-the-ego-s-perspective-and-see-reality-from-the/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find its something youre tremendously passionate about](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/passion-and-purpose-go-hand-in-hand-when-you-discover-your-purpose/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) [Explore all 116 Steve Pavlina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. 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No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. 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