---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find that even small changes sometimes…"
description: "\"I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a mental rut.\" — Tom Perrotta"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png"
---

#  I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a…

![“I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a mental rut.” quote by Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png)

> “I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a mental rut.”

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Minor adjustments can shift mental states, helping escape stagnation.

**In simple terms:** Small changes lift mood.

Key Takeaway

Implement tiny habit tweaks.

Themes

self‑improvement mental health habit formation

Mood

hopeful practical

Type

self‑help motivational

When to use this quote

- daily routines
- mindfulness practice
- creative brainstorming
- stress relief

Key Concepts

behavioral economics psychology of change

Questions to Reflect On

- What tiny habit could you start?
- How do you measure mental shift?

A Different Perspective

Changes may be insufficient alone.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Small changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-changes/)

## Related quotes

> [The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-path-of-least-resistance-and-least-trouble-is-a-mental-rut-2/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-path-of-least-resistance-and-least-trouble-is-a-mental-rut/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [Making small changes every week over a few months will result in huge changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-woodward/making-small-changes-every-week-over-a-few-months-will-result-in-huge/)

[Ella Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-woodward/)

> [Small changes done now would preserve Social Security at full benefit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-roosevelt/small-changes-done-now-would-preserve-social-security-at-full-benefit/)

[James Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-roosevelt/)

> [Packing lunches and going over menus is a great way to make small changes in the way your kids eat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-samuelsson/packing-lunches-and-going-over-menus-is-a-great-way-to-make-small/)

[Marcus Samuelsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-samuelsson/)

> [Small changes lead to big ones. But big changes - trying to become a different person overnight - usually lead to defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/small-changes-lead-to-big-ones-but-big-changes-trying-to-become-a/)

[Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/)

> [Our efforts for inclusive growth are holistic and not piecemeal; well planned and not knee jerk reactions; not for small changes but for quantum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/our-efforts-for-inclusive-growth-are-holistic-and-not-piecemeal-well/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [“When we have a tightly-coupled architecture, small changes can result in large scale failures. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/when-we-have-a-tightly-coupled-architecture-small-changes-can-result/)

[Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/)

> [Don't take for granted how much of an impact making small changes can have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-bowman/don-t-take-for-granted-how-much-of-an-impact-making-small-changes-can/)

[Edith Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-bowman/)

> [Theres a lot of small changes you can make in your life that will have a positive impact even if giving up meat isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/theres-a-lot-of-small-changes-you-can-make-in-your-life-that-will/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-every-u-s-citizen-ate-just-one-meal-a-week-any-meal-composed-of/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“Large progress is made by small changes.” -- Cahilar”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faye-hollidaye/large-progress-is-made-by-small-changes-cahilar/)

Faye Hollidaye

> [cross that person off your invitation list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/cross-that-person-off-your-invitation-list/)

[John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/)

> [One of the things that's kind of persistent is that I am the model on the cover of Tom Waits' album, Small Change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-peterson/one-of-the-things-that-s-kind-of-persistent-is-that-i-am-the-model-on/)

[Cassandra Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-peterson/)

> [There's always a momentum in how users do stuff. Making small changes can have huge knock-on effects for whole companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-stamos/there-s-always-a-momentum-in-how-users-do-stuff-making-small-changes/)

[Alex Stamos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-stamos/)

## More by Tom Perrotta

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“As far as I could tell, he earned his hundred thousand a year by wandering the hallway with a Styrofoam cup of coffee, smiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/as-far-as-i-could-tell-he-earned-his-hundred-thousand-a-year-by/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“thinking how good it was to be free, away from the baby and from Tom, too, the two people who couldn’t help reminding her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/thinking-how-good-it-was-to-be-free-away-from-the-baby-and-from-tom/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [It's like the human race has been programmed for misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/it-s-like-the-human-race-has-been-programmed-for-misery/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“She took care of evyone with the same no-nonsense air of friendliness and good cheer that made her seem so paradoxically wholesome, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/she-took-care-of-evyone-with-the-same-no-nonsense-air-of-friendliness/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [Back then, when everybody thought the world would last forever, nobody had time for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/back-then-when-everybody-thought-the-world-would-last-forever-nobody/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“Stan and Rudy are grown men. It's too late to shape their minds, to teach them values and a sense of compassion. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/stan-and-rudy-are-grown-men-it-s-too-late-to-shape-their-minds-to/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I write about kids growing up, I write a lot about schools and parents, and all of my experiences with those things have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-write-about-kids-growing-up-i-write-a-lot-about-schools-and-parents/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [You could say that this book is ripped from the headlines, but that wouldn't be fair. Bret Anthony Johnston's riveting novel picks up where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/you-could-say-that-this-book-is-ripped-from-the-headlines-but-that/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [The interesting part about the writing process is that you can never see all the way to the end, not if something is happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/the-interesting-part-about-the-writing-process-is-that-you-can-never/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“Something had happened to him ove the past couple of years, something to do with being home with Aaron, sinking into the rhythm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/something-had-happened-to-him-ove-the-past-couple-of-years-something/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“They were good listeners, worldly yet easily shocked, hungry for details, curious and nonjudgmental at the same time, always happy to give advice, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/they-were-good-listeners-worldly-yet-easily-shocked-hungry-for/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I read 'The Great Gatsby' in high school and was hypnotized by the beauty of the sentences and moved by the story about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-read-the-great-gatsby-in-high-school-and-was-hypnotized-by-the/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I no longer believe that just about everything is funny, if viewed from the proper angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-no-longer-believe-that-just-about-everything-is-funny-if-viewed/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [“us, Will had invited his camp counselor buddy, Dylan, and Dylan had brought along his roommate, this annoying kid named Sanjay. I mean, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/us-will-had-invited-his-camp-counselor-buddy-dylan-and-dylan-had/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

[Explore all 141 Tom Perrotta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a mental rut.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Perrotta"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes-jog-you-out-of-a-mental-rut/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes-jog-you-out-of-a-mental-rut/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/129/tom-perrotta-3008_change_i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes_914285.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I find that even small changes sometimes jog you out of a mental rut.” — Tom Perrotta",
                "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": "Tom Perrotta",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I find that even small changes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes-jog-you-out-of-a-mental-rut/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-find-that-even-small-changes-sometimes-jog-you-out-of-a-mental-rut/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```