Although it’s difficult, it’s often the work you’re avoiding that’s most necessary. Today’s quotes are centered around the importance of taking action. If you missed the last part, and want some more motivation, here’s Day 3. I want to emphasize how important progress is, no matter how small. So long as you’re constantly moving forward, you’re moving in the right direction. Here are some of my favorite quotes around this:
1. “Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation… even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind” – Leonardo da Vinci
A poetic way of saying that movement is what keeps the world lively. If this is the way of nature, then it applies to us as well. If you want to keep your mind sharp and active, you need to keep it engaged in different activities.
You’ve probably heard the saying before, but it’s true: “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. This applies to anything that you learn. It’s the process of constantly seeking to learn and experience new things that keeps your mind in a healthy condition.
If you’re looking for an easy goal, then try to aim for learning at least one new thing every single day. If you stay consistent with this, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you know, even after only a year. It doesn’t matter what it’s about, the intention is to just never stay stagnant.
Find something that’s interesting to you and start immersing yourself in all the little details. Building a habit of continually learning, especially about topics that intrigue you, can be a great way to start finding a sense of direction for your life. I don’t think it’s possible to feel a sense of purpose when you have nothing that you’re aiming for in life.
2. “While we are postponing, life speeds by” – Seneca
You have to remember that life continues on, even if you choose not to do anything with it. While you’re stuck overthinking what you want to do with your life, and why it’s scary to pursue it, life is still going to move on without you. The reminder of this scares me enough to redirect my actions towards things more important, and I hope it can do the same for you.
Procrastination accomplishes nothing, and I can’t tell you a time I’ve ever felt a sense of gratification from continuing to push off the things that I know I should be doing. It’s such a strange concept that we often know exactly what we need to do, we stress about the fact that we’re not doing it, yet we still refuse to do it.
We’re so caught up in trying to aim for perfection that we miss the bigger idea. It isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being the person that can show up everyday. We’re going to make mistakes, and these are actually the perfect opportunities to learn how to do better. We can’t let the fear of failing be the one thing that keeps us from taking action on our goals.
Even if you don’t know what the next right move is, I’m sure you have some idea of the direction you’d like to take your life. Pick what you think is best and start making progress at it. Your goal may shift as time goes on, but with your newfound experience, you can make a more informed decision on how to direct your future course.
In short: No more postponement. We might as well make the most out of what we can, while we have the time available to us.
3. “Excellence withers without an adversary” – Seneca
I included this one to remind you that you’re going to encounter challenges when pursuing any of your goals. It’s important to remember that this is what allows for personal growth, because we continually push ourselves past our perceived limits and start to realize what we’re capable of.
It’s the uphill battles that make life interesting though, so don’t be discouraged by it. How interesting would a movie be if the main character got everything they ever wanted without any kind of friction? It’s the fight against these challenges that make the end accomplishment so rewarding.
Of course it’s going to be difficult, but you can’t let this stop you. Face each challenge head on, and seek to learn from all of them. We often delay pursuing our dreams because we’re afraid of how difficult the path may be to get there; remember, you are going to grow so much as a person by overcoming your mental blocks and meeting difficulties with open arms.
Understand it’s almost guaranteed that you will meet setbacks, so don’t get frustrated when they arrive. There’s a huge difference between reluctantly facing challenges versus bearing them head on. You’ll also learn how to problem solve, which is a very helpful life skill anyway. Look for what you can gain from the hardship.
4. “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” – Socrates
This one emphasizes the importance of building yourself up physically. Just starting any workout routine will put you ahead of the majority of the general population. It’s certainly not easy, mentally or physically, to be pushing yourself every day, but the payoff is huge.
You’ll feel great about yourself after a good workout, and you’ll carry that energy into the rest of your day, whatever you’re doing. Plus, life is easier when you’ve built your body up to be strong and capable. There’s a whole list of benefits that come from working out, it’s not just about trying to look good.
You should value your body and your health, and staying active is such a critical part of this. By staying consistent with a workout routine, you’re also building discipline, which has far reaching benefits for your life as well. You’re not going to feel like training everyday, but it’s about stacking the wins for just showing up.
Of course, check with your doctor before starting any workout routine, but I’ve always found great benefit from safely pushing the limits of what my body is capable of.
5. “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being” – Plato
This principle can be applied both mentally and physically. Like the earlier quote from Leonardo da Vinci, lack of activity takes away the liveliness of the mind. When you have no ambition, no direction, and no pursuit, what is there to give your mind that vitality? And how do you expect your body to have strength if you never put it to use?
Your life isn’t going to magically get better without any effort on your part. Even though there are obstacles you’ll face in any endeavor, it’s those setbacks that make the eventual success feel so rewarding. Aiming for any goal is a great way to keep your mind and body engaged.
Reiterating the point from the earlier quote from Socrates, taking care of your body is equally important as taking care of your mind. In personal experience, consistently challenging both my mind and my body has led to an immense amount of self confidence.
By taking on new challenges, you teach yourself to problem solve, and you learn to be more self reliant. By building a history of problems you’ve overcome, you begin to tell yourself that you’re a competent and capable person; this mindset can work wonders for you in the future. Set a goal for yourself and watch how good you feel as you commit and work towards it.
Conclusion:
To clarify, I’m not trying to underplay the importance of rest too. I’m not saying you need to be working on something every hour of your waking life, but you should be finding the things in your life that give you a sense of purpose, that are also fun and exciting to strive for.
At the very least, I’m sure you know what direction you’d like to start taking your life. You may not know exactly what your end goal is yet, but you probably know small changes you can make that would make you feel better about yourself. Stay consistent with your actions and you’ll find that you’re a completely different person in a few weeks/months/years.
Test your limits and feel free to surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish.