How can I use this quote to feel motivated about a project I keep avoiding?

Journal to uncover your “sea”—the deeper reason you care. In Stoic, start an entry titled “My Sea.” Write: 1) What future would feel vast and meaningful if this project succeeds? 2) Who benefits, including my future self? 3) Three sensory details of that future (what I see/hear/feel). Close with a one‑sentence “Sea Statement” (e.g., “I’m building this to free up evenings for my family”). Re-read that statement before working. This shifts focus from duties to desire, which can naturally lift motivation.

I get stuck planning every step and lose energy. How do I journal to shift from micromanaging to vision?

Try the “Zoom Out, Then In” page. First, Zoom Out: write a paragraph about the horizon you yearn for—why this matters beyond checklists. Name the values it serves (growth, service, creativity). Then Zoom In: list one tiny step that expresses that value today (e.g., “Draft the first messy paragraph to serve clarity”). End with a 1–10 “pull toward the sea” rating. If it’s under 6, rewrite the vision to be more vivid or more personally meaningful. In Stoic, revisit this brief sequence each morning to anchor action in vision, not just tasks.

When I’m anxious about failure, how can I apply this quote in my journaling without spiraling into overthinking?

Use a two-column entry: Left—“Storms”; Right—“Sea.” In Storms, list the anxieties in short, factual lines (no analysis). In Sea, answer: 1) What do I yearn for that’s bigger than this fear? 2) What quality in me does this journey strengthen (patience, courage, focus)? 3) One compassionate reminder I can carry today. Finish with a “compass action” that takes 5–10 minutes and points toward the Sea (not perfect, just directional). In the Stoic app, keep this template handy so you can ground yourself quickly when anxiety rises.

QUOTE

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

Published on

Nov 20, 2023

Written by

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Journal in Stoic

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More quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

QUOTE

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

QUOTE

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

QUOTE

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

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