You know, “Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going” is one of those simple truths that hits you harder the more experience you have. It perfectly captures the journey from that initial spark to lasting, sustainable progress. It’s the difference between wanting change and actually building it into your life.
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Meaning
It’s a simple but powerful two-part formula: motivation is the ignition, but habit is the engine that actually drives you to your destination.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. We’ve all felt that surge of motivation, right? That “New Year, New Me” energy. It’s fantastic. It gets you to buy the running shoes, sign up for the gym, clear out the junk food. But here’s the thing I’ve seen time and again—motivation is a fickle fuel. It burns hot and fast. It’s unreliable.
Habit, on the other hand, is your autopilot. It’s what takes over when the motivation has inevitably faded. When it’s raining, and you’re tired, and the couch is calling your name, it’s not motivation that will get you out the door. It’s the habit you’ve built. That’s the real work. Motivation is the match, habit is the campfire you learn to tend.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Personal Development (697) |
| Topics | discipline (252), habits (85), motivation (113) |
| Literary Style | direct (414), simple (291) |
| Emotion / Mood | lively (108), uplifting (157) |
| Overall Quote Score | 75 (124) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes from Marc Perry’s 2011 fitness guide, “Built Lean,” which was published in the United States. You might sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific phrasing is Perry’s. He nailed it in the context of physical transformation.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Marc Perry (57) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Built Lean: The Bodybuilding Guide for Men and Women Who Want to Lose Fat and Build Muscle (57) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Marc D. Perry studies how hip hop and performance shape Black identity, citizenship, and everyday life in the Caribbean and the Americas. An associate professor and author of Negro Soy Yo: Hip Hop and Raced Citizenship in Neoliberal Cuba, he engages anthropology and African American studies to analyze culture, politics, and belonging. The Marc Perry book list emphasizes ethnography and critical theory, and his teaching, writing, and public talks translate complex scholarship into accessible insights about race and culture.
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2019; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781097511885; Last edition: 2019; Number of pages: 240 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 2: Building Sustainable Habits, page 26 / 240 |