Yann Martel Quotes

I always train my weaknesses and work on my shortcomings - in the gym and outside the gym. Ha!

Usually a feeling of disappointment follows the book, because what I hoped to write is not what I actually accomplished. However, it becomes a motivation to write the next book.

I like to push myself, you know.

One of the things Mother said to me, 'You want this, you're going to practice.' And I know how to practice.

I wasn't good at football when I was young but I made myself get good at football because of my mentality.

Push yourself every single day to continue to work at yourself. And I feel like that's the reason why I made it.

Boxing gave me a path in life. Because of boxing, I learned what I'm capable of achieving if I put my mind to it and how hard work can and will pay off in the end. It gave me confidence and taught me to face fear straight on and dig down deep when times get tough.

I just really work hard on myself every day.

I used to be very lazy in my teens. I didn't practise enough but I was OK when I started really getting into snooker.

I don't procrastinate because I love the English language and the process of storytelling, and I'm always curious to see what will come to me next. If you procrastinate a lot, you might be one who loves having written, but doesn't so much like writing.

I think it is important to know when to be hard on yourself and when to let things go, but always keep going.

Writing is grunt work - you need to have self-motivation, perseverance, and faith... talent is the smallest part of it.

Remember that all success is based on long-term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way.

I'm inspired on a daily basis by my personal goals. I make it a habit to write down what it is that I want to accomplish. And I check that list. I keep myself accountable. My kids inspire me, of course. My ambition inspires me. I want to win at everything that I do in life. I understand that it takes hard work to reach my goals and I'm prepared to do it. My confidence comes from preparation. So I spend a lot of my time preparing.

The one human quality that must be developed is self discipline for success. The will power to force yourself to do what you know you should do when you should do it, whether you like it or not, whether you feel like it or not. Success is tons of discipline.

The road to success is through commitment.

From the very start of my career, it was clear to me that achievement was built on discipline.

Sacrifice. Work. Self-discipline. I teach these things, and my boys don't forget them when they leave.

The biggest pitfall to avoid is not writing. Not writing is really, really easy to do, especially if you're a young writer. The hope that elves will come in the night and finish it for you, is a very common one to have. That is my main recommendation - you have to write, and you have to finish what you write and beyond that, it's all detail.

Get up every day and try a little harder than the day before.

Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much. Success is measured by what we have done to prepare for competition.

Success is not handed to you. You must work hard for it and you must never dishonor what you’ve achieved.

Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.

I had one of my best years in 1991; I was 31. I made a renewed effort to work harder. I got better at my diet. I paid attention to how much sleep I got. I was always someone of routine. I became more strict.

In my second year in Los Angeles, when I was eighteen, I wasn't getting any bookings, so I stopped going out, stopped partying. It was a matter of getting to the work. I had to focus.