Do Motivational Quotes Work?
Yes, to a certain degree
Every person has their own set of problems. Problems vary in size and their effect on the person handling it varies too.
We have our way of solving challenges that come through our lives, and a few of us get a bit of help from motivational quotes. Some even have vision boards to cover long-term goals.
But have you ever wondered if motivational quotes work?
I did — today. I enjoy the slight motivational push I get every time I read several quotes from the web. Most of the time, they give me a nudge. And that’s it.
I have my motivational line written on my refrigerator door. I wrote it on the day I lost my job — September 14, 2020.
Why on the refrigerator door? It’s because I have a magnetic whiteboard there where I can write the scooping schedule of the cat litter box. I’m a cat-mom of two. And household chores are meant to be shared.
Let’s bring your attention to the motivational quote. I wrote: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for”.
Okay, it’s not a good idea to end a sentence with a preposition. It’s a motivational quote — not a dissertation paper.
Besides, I copied the statement from the web.
The placement of the quote has been useful to me. Before I open the fridge, I always see the question. And sometimes I answer it this way: ‘Okay, leave the Häagen-Dazs Macadamia Nut Brittle for tomorrow and take that bowl of strawberries’.
The line serves as my self-help coach in a way. Reading it makes me stop and think. It sounds pretentious and profound. But yes, I do stop and think.
I decided to develop a habit of writing three weeks ago because I enjoy doing it and I love it.
Today I read the statement. And yes, you guessed it — I stopped and thought: ‘Do motivational quotes work’?
Like the usual millennial, I searched Ecosia. I use Ecosia because I support their cause. The question went in, and the search results came out.
Several articles were on the list but let me show you a couple of them. One feature is written by Amy Morin and another from Stefan Palios.
Amy Morin is a psychotherapist. In her article, she mentioned vision boards do more harm than good. She expressed that focusing on the goal instead of paying attention to the means of achieving that goal increases your chances of failure.
She has a point. Motivation on paper defeats its purpose of inspiring you if you don’t follow the necessary steps to reach your life goals.
If we lived in a fantasy world, then perhaps these goals will emerge with the swish of a magic wand. Why don’t we add a little hand choreography along with incantation to give it a final touch?
Reality check.
Stefan Palios, on the other hand, explained a case for, and against, motivational quotes in his article. He cited three uses for motivational quotes. They are:
- To inspire action
- To offer a view into the possibility
- To show a different perspective
These cases detail my experience with motivational quotes. As I mentioned earlier, they give me a nudge. Often, it begins with the nudge and ends with procrastination.
Back to Stefan, he added three cases against motivational quotes. And they are:
- They are useless and dull
- They are annoying
- They offer no context
Overused statements can be annoying and dull. Frequent exposure to the same quote creates a lower emotional impact on the person exposed to it.
For example, I’ve seen the quote “Too blessed to be stressed” more times than I can blink in one minute. Now, my initial reaction is ‘No, not again’ whenever I see the line on a random day.
Are they useless? Not if they give me a needed nudge. Perhaps, useless when it’s not the quote I’m looking for as encouragement. We skim until we find the line we think we need.
Do quotes offer context?
Stefan gives the perfect example in his article mentioning the famous slogan/motivational quote “Just do it”.
There can be plenty of interpretations for ‘it’. Hopefully ‘it’ doesn’t point to any misdeed. You don’t want to say ‘Just do it’ to someone who plans to rob a bank. Nope.
Shall we go back to the headline? Do motivational quotes work? I said yes, to a certain degree.
I’m here because I love to write, and my goal is to be a good writer one year from now. Maybe it doesn’t sound highly ambitious for some. But the craft is hard. You’re aware of that.
Yes, writing is hard. But when we want to be better, we strive to make time and practice it.
The financial benefit is the icing on the cake. My current job status isn’t the reason why I write every day. Let’s say I’d rather save the two dollars earned.
Besides, I paid the subscription fee to be a member. I’m here to read every day too. It’s a fair price for unlimited access to millions of articles for one year.
I’m sorry I digressed.
Today was one of those days where I needed the motivation to write. I welcome it as part of the journey because even the professionals have those days.
But the quote on my refrigerator did what it does to me every day. I read it, stopped, and thought. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
I don’t have a vision board. But I know my goal.
A few seconds ago, I mentioned I want to be a good writer. My future self will thank me if I take the steps necessary to reach that place.
A daily writing habit is necessary to reach that goal. Professionals advise us to write every day. Not publish daily, although it helps for consistent visibility.
This is the reason why I say yes, to a certain degree. Motivational quotes work, but you have to do your part.
The motivational quote written on my refrigerator door encouraged me to write this. And that tells me it worked. Yes, to a certain degree.
Now I’m curious, do motivational quotes work for you?