The most powerful motivating quotes are the ones that connect well to our current situation. This means that we are looking for a trigger that fits in with what we are currently doing. If we are trying to finish reading a book, a quote that is meant to help motivate you to set up a business will not be useful. That same quote could be very relevant a month later, when you are working on setting up your business. Quotes work best when they link up with what you are doing, and this is because the real motivator is already present in your desires.
The Quotes You Lean Towards Say Something About You
If you lean towards sports quotes that are meant to motivate, it is likely due to the fact that you are an athletic individual that understands the connections made to sports concepts. Nike’s “Just do it” might remind you of a time when you weren’t sure if you should pass in basketball, and then chose to drive in through the center to take a higher percentage shot. None of that was present in the quote, but you added it all in, and that whole mental image/video plays when you hear that quote.
Examining the types of quotes that you normally agree with or seek more of will tell you what your passion is, and part of the process to actualizing it.
You Might Not Need A Motivating Quote
If a quote is meant to trigger the release of energy you have been holding inside, there is the likelihood that you can cause that energy to come alive by triggering it on your own. If you find yourself seeking a certain type of motivational quote, first see if you can create one on your own. First, you will find that you are able to make a quote you can later tell people you made, and second, the quote you create will probably be the initial jump-off point you need.
External Motivators Are To Be Used Minimally
When you do head off to look for a motivating quote(or song or video), keep in mind that these are to be used sparingly, as the main source of motivation should be your intrinsic desire to do something. You can only do something you don’t enjoy for so long before you start to do it poorly or think of a way to quit. Giving someone a million dollars a day to do something they don’t enjoy may work for a long time, but even with such a sum of money, at a certain point, the person will put his own value of life above the monetary sum, as infinite wealth is negligible without the capacity to enjoy it. When you’ve got the internal motivation in place, results and rewards follow along with little effort.
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July 6, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I like the idea of creating your own quotes. After all, quotes are highly subjective, and the same quote may mean something completely different to me than it does to you. And you’re right, the idea of a quote is to spark some kinetic energy and create action.
It is true that the best motivation comes from within, but we often get ourselves tangled in the intentions and expectations of ourselves and others. When a quote resonates deeply with you, it is a clue that your subconscious is trying to tell you something. It is saying, “Yes! This is what my values are. Right there! You’ve forgotten them, but here they are again!”
Trey: Hello to you. Making our own quotes only makes sense, as they will be more customized. Also, you can then tell people your quote, and the fact that it is your own quote.
That is a good call about the quote pointing out values like that. The quote talks to us like you are saying, and so we look at it at various times in order to hear the message again. We usually avoid using quotes from people we don’t agree with, and avoid quotes that discuss something we are not involved with. I will create a quote to end this comment.
“Create the tools that you need in order to progress further.”
Armen,
Awesome blog post, I am a big fan of quotes myself. I’ve never looked at quotes from this perspective before, you are absolutely right about the effective correlation between a person’s current state and subject nature of a quote. Thank you for the valuable perspective, I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Luis Rosario
Director of Communications
MorningCoach.com