Motivational Posters

“Recognizing the influence of my subconscious mind over my power of will, I shall take care to submit to it a clear and definite picture of my major purpose in life and all minor purposes leading to my major purpose, and I shall keep this picture constantly before my subconscious mind by repeating it daily.” —Bruce Lee

What a champ. That’s direct from the first month of my Bruce Lee habits calendar. This calendar is so freaking good. Everyone should have one.

I used to think “motivational” stuff like this was a bit naff. This attitude stems from the repeated misuse and abuse of mission statements, to the point where it’s cliché for them to be empty. It’s pretty standard to read something like “at Nestlé, we believe that research can help us make better food so that people live a better life.” (ref.), while they go around killing babies. When you can’t tell satire from the real thing, you know you have a problem.

Choosing a poster for an entire organisation is really hard to get right (though some are starting to get it). Choosing one for yourself however is totally effective.

A Slogan For Me

When I was training Parkour and living by myself a few years back, I decided to do a one month trial of putting up inspiring slogans even if I thought they were a bit lame. I had “Strong Body, Strong Mind” as my desktop wallpaper, and I also wrote it on paper plates that I attached to cupboard handles. Didn’t even need Blu-tack. (That was pretty ghetto, and I got some weird looks when I had people around for dinner and forgot to take them down.)

This is the type of slogan that can sound empty, but for me personally it encapsulates a mindset and approach that is far deeper than the words themselves.

It felt strange. I was quite self-concious to begin with, even embarrassed. As with anything though, by the end of the month it felt natural, and for bonus points: it actually worked. It gives your mind something to focus on when it is becoming bored or restless, and it if doesn’t immediately inspire you to do something useful, it’s at least better than worrying about whether Gilligan and the Skipper will escape the island next episode. That was not only a great month for training, but being aligned behind a focus does wonders for your happiness too.

It doesn’t matter how cliché your slogan or blackletter font is, on an individual level you know the personal context. You cannot capture everything in three words and a picture, but if it gets you in the right mindset your actions will follow.

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