This Quote from Muhammad Ali Is Your Gameplan for Achieving Goals

Adrian S. Potter
4 min readOct 29

Conceive it. Believe it. Achieve it.

Photo by Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash

The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.

In the arena of life, amidst its trials and tribulations, you will often grapple with the relentless pursuit of ambitions that always feel just slightly out of reach.

A promotion you have chased for years. A novel you struggle to finish. A weight loss goal that eludes you. An addiction you strain to completely bury.

The path to paydirt is rarely smooth, and the road ahead remains obscured by doubts, setbacks, and the inherent weight of your shaken confidence.

Yet, in moments of doubt and darkness, you can recite these immortal words of Muhammad Ali for guidance, inspiration, and strength:

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it!”

Muhammad Ali, the legendary badass boxer who transcended the boundaries of his sport, was not only known for his remarkable physical prowess but also for his unwavering self-belief and stubborn spirit.

Ali exuded confidence — which made him a certified quote factory and de facto self-help maven. Let’s break down one of my favorite statements of his to see how it can map your success.

“If my mind can conceive it,…”

The genesis of any great accomplishment starts inside the mind.

It is within the tilled field of your thoughts that the seeds of possibility get sown. The concept of achievement, no matter how grand or humble, takes root first as an idea, a dream, a vision that germinates in the fertile soil of your imagination.

Photo by Roman Skrypnyk on Unsplash

“…and my heart can believe it,…”

Once your dream has sprouted, it is your heart that nurtures it.

Belief is the fuel that propels you forward when your journey becomes arduous.

Adrian S. Potter

Antisocial Extrovert · Writer and Poet, Engineer, Consultant, Public Speaker · Writing about self-improvement, gratitude, and creativity · www.adrianspotter.com