Quotes About Motivation

I've noticed that some people are serial goal setters, rather than habit formers.

Obligers may find it difficult to form a habit, because often we undertake habits for our own benefit, and Obligers do things more easily for others than for themselves. For them, the key is external accountability.

People are more likely to make progress on goals that are broken into concrete, measurable actions, with some kind of structured accountability and positive reinforcement.

A study of workers in various industries showed that their job satisfaction was less tied to their salaries than to how their salaries compared to their coworkers' salaries. People understand the significance of this principle: in one study, a majority of people chose to earn $50,000 where others earned $25,000, rather than earn $100,000 where others earned $250,000.

Each day gave me a new opportunity to push the task off until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'd feel like dealing with it. "Start now," I finally thought. "Just take the first step." I started with the smallest possible step

Maintain a big stack. I find that I read much more when I have a pile waiting for me. Right now, I have to admit, my stack is so big that it's a bit alarming, but I'll get it down to a more reasonable size before too long.

When we try to form a new habit, we set an expectation for ourselves. Therefore, it's crucial to understand how we respond to expectations.

Progress, not perfection, is the goal. I'm a gold-star junkie

We all know the secret of dieting - eat better, eat less, exercise more - it's the application that's challenging.

the Strategy of Pairing, I couple two activities, one that I need or want to do, and one that I don't particularly want to do, to get myself to accomplish them both. It's not a reward, it's not a treat, it's just a pairing.

Tomorrow Loophole: As part of my investigation of First Steps, I'd identified "tomorrow logic." Now doesn't matter, because we're going to follow good habits tomorrow.

To craft a sign that works for all Four Tendencies we should provide information, consequences, and choice.

In their thought-provoking book Focus, researchers Tory Higgins and Heidi Grant Halvorson argue that people lean toward being "promotion-focused" or "prevention-focused" in their aims.

An Obliger boss explained Obliger fits perfectly with my organization's mission-driven and team-centered culture.

Happiness is a critical factor for work, and work is a critical factor for happiness.

Then I wonder if some people need a coach more than a therapist," I said, thinking of Obligers.

Because of their focus on justification, Questioners wake up each day and think, What needs to get done today and why?

when we consider the Four Tendencies, we're better able to understand other people.

I remember talking to a friend whose parents had been very involved in the civil rights movement. "They always said," he told me, "that you have to do that kind of work for yourself. If you do it for other people, you end up wanting them to acknowledge it and to be grateful and to give you credit. If you do it for yourself, you don't expect other people to react in a particular way.

It's easy to assume that we "should" undertake a particular clutter-clearing task. When we're very clear about why we're doing it, it's easier to use our time and energy productively—and also to recognize success.

A promotion-focused person recycles in order to make the environment cleaner; a prevention-focused person recycles in order to avoid getting a fine. Different arguments resonate with different people, and it's helpful to frame a habit in the way that suits each individual.

The driving didn't make me happier, but successfully taking steps to conquer my fear made me very happy.

when we give more to ourselves, we can ask more of ourselves.

For people who want to eat and drink more healthfully, keeping a food journal can be extremely effective. For instance, one study showed that dieters who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost twice as much weight as people who did so once a week or not at all. Although keeping a food journal sounds straightforward, I braced myself for a challenge when I decided to try it. No one ever mentions how hard it is to keep a food journal, but I'd already tried and failed three times.