Motivation is a tricky thing. That’s because motivation is both universal and individual. This dichotomy makes it difficult to find the right motivation for any one person; different humans are motivated in different ways. Money, one of the most common motives out there, has been proven to be a rather shallow motivator. Although money motivation is real, motivation that stems from someone’s own mind is more powerful. Discovering your potential and reaching your goals both depend on the ability to tap into your own pool of self-motivation and put one foot in front of the other.
Those who make history—the legends we look up to for decades and centuries to come—don’t make their mark in history and in our hearts without motivation. It isn’t always about natural talent or being destined for greatness. More often, it’s about being more motivated than everyone else.
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“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”
– Michael Jordan
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Quotes about consistency
When it comes to finding success with anything in life or reaching any type of personal goal, consistency is going to be absolutely essential. Putting in the time and effort on a regular basis is a lot more important than people may consider. There’s a saying out there about luck being the intersection of preparation and opportunity; in this context, consistency is the preparation.
Many talents, skills, practices and habits can be learned. However, work ethic, someone’s own personal drive to show up day in and day out, can’t necessarily be taught.
Consistency is often how people end up getting noticed. It’s much more common for someone who is continually putting in time and networking within the right communities to be discovered or noticed than it is for a one-hit-wonder to find continued success over a long period of time.
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“I’m really grateful for all those years that I struggled. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad it all worked out and I’m not struggling anymore, but I learned a lot in those harder years. Not just about the industry and how to play ‘the game’ of it all, but about myself. About how to love. About how to fail. Those years made me who I am today, that’s for sure.”
– Ryan Rottman, Co-founder and CEO, OSDB Sports
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“Even the young team members we bring on board have been doing what they’ve been doing for years on end already. While we love bringing in highly capable professionals, we look at work ethic and drive more than we do pure talent. I don’t care how good you are at what you do, if you’re a jerk to work with you can find employment elsewhere.”
– Jayme Muller, Brand Manager, RTA Outdoor Living
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Quotes about self-forgiveness
Hardly anyone reaches their goal on the first try. Failure is almost a necessary element in success. There are lessons that we can learn in moments of failure that would otherwise be completely and totally lost on us. This is why so many successful figures talk about the times that they failed and what they learned—and how they grew, evolved and eventually pivoted.
That being said, there is a lot of emotion that can boil up to the surface in the face of failure. It’s not an easy thing, but it can be extremely helpful for long-term growth. Learning how to forgive yourself in the wake of failure, without drowning in the emotional turmoil is essential to rising above and reaching your goals.
Learning to accept ourselves as we are is a really important piece of finding success, especially when it comes to continual success that lasts well into the future. This is also why it can be so integral to surround ourselves with supportive and talented communities who can lift us up and make us better.
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“I was ready to quit. Honest to god, I thought I’d wasted 5 years of my life. I was about ready to get a job in a call sales center and just accept that the world of entrepreneurship wasn’t for me. Then I ran into this older man, he was actually my bartender. After bringing me my drink he looked at me for a second, not even two, and said, ‘don’t be so hard on yourself.’ He went about his business and didn’t say much else, but that one line. That’s why I’m here today.”
– Jorge Vivar, Creative Director, Mode
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“Yeah, I mean, my title would make you think I’m in charge around here, but none of this would be possible without my stellar team. They don’t get nearly enough credit. Every time I’ve started to worry about everything crashing down; my team has been there for me. They’re absolutely awesome.”
– Rym Selmi, Founder, MiiRO
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Quotes about mental resilience
When it comes to finding success and reaching our goals, it is often a test of mental endurance. Learning from failure, taking risks that may not pan out, disappointing expectations, hitting setbacks, falling off track and so many other obstacles can and will pop up in our lives. Finding the mental wherewithal to overcome these obstacles can be the difference between reaching your goals and not.
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“I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to give up, but something inside of me just wouldn’t. I even talked about it, I said it out loud all the time; but then I’d wake up the next morning and get right back to it. I’m sure glad I stuck to it.”
– Sara Alshamsi, Chief Operating Officer, Big Heart Toys
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“No matter what you’re doing in life, if you think about it like a chess match, I guarantee you’ll start to see better results. It’s all about strategy and mentality. Trust me, start thinking about chess.”
– Victor Mathieux, Co-founder and CEO, Miracle Brand
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Quotes about finding inspiration
There is no motivation without inspiration. This is an important concept to internalize for individuals striving to reach their goals and leaders trying to help them. Understanding inspiration and motivation is helpful in connecting with your inner self and starting on a path that will lead you to fulfillment.
Musicians, artists and other creatives all discuss the importance of inspiration in their work, and how the art of those before them impacts their own careers. Finding the right inspiration can turn an everyday person into a world-class artist.
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“My whole life changed the day I learned what I actually wanted to do. Before then, I was just sort of floundering through my weeks, not really living or paying attention. It was like someone turned on the lights in my mind, and suddenly I was the most motivated person in the room.”
– Lydia Boychuk, VP of Marketing, More Labs
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“You have to learn what speaks to you, y’know? Whether it’s music, paintings, sculptures, live theater, tv, street art, or close-up magic, it doesn’t matter. As long as it hits you in the heart and makes you feel alive. That’s what you need to be successful. Inspiration to live.”
– Ryan Azimi, Director of International Development, ETIAS
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Quotes about being unique
One of the common themes among the people who make history is that they often stand out in a crowd. They’re trailblazers—unique individuals who don’t see eye-to-eye with the status quo and are often labeled as outcasts by their generation. However, it is their individual way of thinking that leads them to achieve such greatness.
Sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective to change the entire landscape of an industry.
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“Oh yeah, I was considered a weirdo all the way through college. A little after too, even. Then I started to make some progress with my ‘outlandish’ ideas, and suddenly y’know, I had all these people from high school looking me up. I couldn’t help but chuckle. All that stuff that made me weird is what made me successful too.”
– Michael Fischer, Founder, Elite HRT
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“There’s no doubt about it, if I hadn’t had so much time to learn about myself back then, I wouldn’t have had the time to start thinking about all the ways we could improve what’s already here.”
– Adelle Archer, CEO and Co-founder, Eterneva
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Motivation is an extremely personal thing. Finding the right motivation and inspiration that speaks to you and keeps you putting in the time and effort is what will ensure that you reach your goals, no matter what.
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“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
– Babe Ruth
