Why I don’t like motivational quotes.

A quote copied from Brainyquotes.com or SUCCESS.com or some other cliched named site which makes it all the more captivating because I am too lazy or unintelligent enough to write something original of my own. After all, this is easier and requires less brainpower than coming up with something of my own. Besides they are great click bates for the masses. That would be you. Sorry to be so blunt, but I’m afraid it’s true.

A couple of feel great drugs which makes you feel you can achieve anything, merely by reading those stupid quotes.

Motivational Quotes.

These quotes fuel a raging beast inside me. But this doesn’t change the fact that I bought a 6 month gym pack on new year’s eve and struggled to went there for a week.

Here I am scrolling through my social media bullshit, reading bullshit quotes about how I can change my bullshit life and turn it to a let’s say a little less bullshit life. All these leads to some dopamine in my brain which makes me feel good about myself for a minute. I feel so good that I plan how I will live my life from now own. A different morning routine. No social media. Go to gym everyday. Read more books. Educate myself.

And the next day I proceed to do the same old stuff as I did before.

Reading some BS post on medium like “How to stay motivated and achieve my dreams?” by some random dude followed by thousands. Reading it irrespective of knowing it doesn’t change shit.

Every Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Quora etc, every trendy office, every magazine, every form of public communication seems compelled to include as many motivational images and messages as possible. But do these have any effect on people? Or are they just one step up from wallpaper?

Real work or real artistry doesn’t happen by reading quotes on social media. It happens when you actually do the work (which requires social media to be turned off).

Note: I’m not even looking at motivational quotes on social while I write this, otherwise I wouldn’t have the focus to write — but I sure would be inspired to write an article about this… one day.

I have been in the gym for two month, that’s the most I have ever done, considering I have only applied for gym two times including this one. The first time(which lasted for a week)the food stall outside my institute seemed more fascinating than the gym itself. But I want to go to gym everyday, I have made it a habit. Now, if i don’t go to a gym for a day, my whole day messes up, the day just doesn’t feel right. By noticing this and some previous similar scenarios I have recognized that if we want to try something new or leverage something, we have to ingrain it in our days.

Putting this to use, I have started courses on Edx and started learning a coding language too and have been doing it everyday.

I have observed in my seventeen years of life and mainly by reading James Clear( thumbs up to you)and Josh Spector (Cheers!)emails that if you want to incorporate something new in your life, You have to start little by little. A little pre-work ritual that will help you do the entire work with ease.

For example,

• If you want to start gym, put on your training shoes. So easy.
• If you want to write a book, Pick up a book and a pen.
• If you want to start making connections, talk to the first person you see. So easy yet so satisfying.

The most important part of any any task is starting. If you can’t get motivated in the beginning, then you’ll find that motivation often comes after starting.

Why I don’t like motivational quotes. was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.