I was watching Rocky 6 the other night and felt strangely motivated and in the mood to do work, even after a few beers. I think that was because of the many words of wisdom imparted to the viewer throughout the film. I do think that Sylvester Stallone is a motivational genius - and not only someone who has single handedly taken on whole armies and systematically destroyed them.
After watching the film, I had an idea. Realising that most of us (well probably all of us) have vast quantities of work and battle our motivation demons daily, I thought that it might be a good idea to start a thread where we can both impart and receive words of motivational wisdom. Unfortunately, I can't afford my own motivational trainer and I doubt Mr Motivator of GMTV fame would be willing to help me if I asked him. Anyway, I can't complete my PhD by doing squats and sit ups.

So, here are my motivational words of wisdom:

"It's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward" Rocky 6

"The best way out is always through" Robert Frost

"For God's sake, stop picking your nose and just get on with it!" Walminskipeasucker

"It's not the winning but the race. It's not the quarry but the chase" - a mate told me that one years ago.

It would be truly very good if we could try and come up with some of our own motivational sayings, based on our life experiences and doing our own PhDs. If anyone should be struggling with motivational problems at a particular time, they can just post their problems on this thread and we can try and help by providing them with words of motivation.

(up)

A supervisor in the bush is worth two in an office.

Hi Wally, another coolly interactive thread. I find paying your own fees is highly motivational, as is being very, very poor and knowing that the sooner the PhD is finished the sooner full-time work and pay will be possible.

Aside from that: Saturday Night Fever makes me feel motivated in most aspects of life.

I also find 'just doing it' quite effective.

If you're going through hell

..........................................best keep going.

My favourites come mainly from David Brent (the Office):

Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.

A problem shared is a problem halved, so is your problem really yours or just half of someone else’s?

I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just some b*****d with a torch, bringing me more work.

There may be no 'I' in team, but there's a 'ME' if you look hard enough.

Never do today that which will become someone else’s responsibility tomorrow.

they're not exactly motivational but they make me smile. also they remind me of my shiftless supervisor :-)

Haha! (up)

I know what it takes to get to the top - Linford Christie.

Edit - Well fxxking tell me then Linford! Don't keep me in suspense!:-s

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i know what you mean about rocky. when i was revising for my viva. whenever i would get really stressed out and panic i would go for a run and listen to rocky soundtrack songs lol. nothing like listening to eye of the tiger whilst running and thinking, i can do it!! i can study for my viva and beat the viva. lol ! it was my little thing haha.

thanks for the quotes!

i love the one from rocky 6.

my favourite is "dont let the b*stards get you down" which really helped me when i was having problems with my sup.

and "one day plus another has an accumulative effect".

i love this thread idea! (up)

I just remembered this one from my totally stressed out days with old, rubbish supervisor:

You Can Do It by Ice Cube

[Ms. Toi]
You can do it put your back into it
[Ice Cube]
I can do it put your ass into it
[Ms. Toi]
You can do it put your back into it
[Ice Cube]
I can do it put your ass into it
[Ms. Toi]
Put your back into it
[Ice Cube]
Put your ass into it

There you go. Not originally intended as a motivating mantra for PhD rsearch, but I found it very effective; especially with the elctronic dum stuff going on in the background.

How did I forget this gem of a motivational song!!! Amazing, total 90s nostalgia trip!
8-)

I haven't read anything by Robert Collier, but I have one of his quotes on my wall: "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out". Says it nicely for me.

"You can do eeeet"... Rob Schneider in The Waterboy (as well as other Adam Sandsler films)

In moments of tension, I often get the following floating through my head...
"The higher you build your barrier, the taller I become"

It rarely goes beyond that phrase but that whole song is fantastically full of hope, I think.
My other fave is what I used when revising for my GCSEs: Reach for the Stars by SClub7!