The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the dream job of many young people in India. Getting into the prestigious IAS is an arduous journey that requires tremendous hard work, perseverance and the ability to keep going despite numerous failures and setbacks along the way.
When the path seems difficult, motivation can often start to lag. A dose of inspiration is what aspirants need to lift their spirits and keep chasing their goals with gusto. In such times, a few words that ignite the inner fire and reignite the drive to succeed can make all the difference.
Here are 15 of the most inspirational quotes for IAS aspirants to help boost their morale when they need it the most. These have been uttered by famous visionaries, leaders and thinkers over time. Alongside each quote is an explanation of its meaning and what aspirants can learn from it.
Helpful Tips for IAS Aspirants
Before diving into the quotes, here are some helpful tips for IAS aspirants:
- Have a clear strategy and create a realistic timeline for various stages – preliminary, main and interview
- Consistency is key – study with discipline every single day
- Practise answering previous years’ question papers within the allotted time
- Read newspapers and magazines daily – focus on current affairs, governance, policies, etc
- Maintain robust health – eat healthy food and exercise regularly
- Join test series to assess preparedness and identify weak areas
- Write mock essays, answers regularly to improve articulation
- Seek guidance from mentors – those who have cleared IAS previously
Best Inspirational Quotes for IAS Aspirants
1. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama
Meaning: We have to be the driving force to make the change we aspire for instead of waiting for other people or circumstances to cause change. As an IAS aspirant aiming to create change in society, the driving force must come from within.
2. “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” ― H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Meaning: Instead of worrying about the uncertainties of the future, give 100% to whatever you are doing in the present moment. Consistent effort in the present to prepare for IAS is the best thing you can do.
3. “Either I will find a way, or I will make one.” ― Philip Sidney
Meaning: Where there is strong will and firm determination to achieve something, you will either find an existing way to make it happen or discover your own route. For IAS aspirants, obstacles and hardships are guaranteed but making the achievement possible is in their hands.
4. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ― Confucius
Meaning: The IAS preparation journey is long with many ups and downs. Progress could feel excruciatingly slow some days but do not stop or give up. As long as you persevere relentlessly towards your goal, you will eventually get there. The mantra is to keep going.
5. “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ― Thomas Edison
Meaning: Failures and setbacks are part of the deal in a challenging journey like IAS preparation. But see them as learning experiences that show what strategies do not work so you can try more techniques that may work instead of giving up. There can be more than one way to correctly answer a question.
6. “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” ― Napoleon Hill
Meaning: Hard work alone is not enough, one has to persist. Only when an IAS aspirant persists and does not quit despite all odds does the dividend of all the effort put in fully manifest. The ability to hang in there when you feel like throwing in the towel is what ultimately makes winners.
7. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” ― Jim Rohn
Meaning: Be disciplined and firmly in control of your schedule and activities everyday. Do not let external circumstances dictate how you spend your day. For IAS aspirants, it is crucial to have powerful self-discipline in order to utilise all the preparation time optimally everyday.
8. “Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there.” ― Zig Ziglar
Meaning: High motivation is what fuels IAS aspirants to start off enthusiastically. But motivation fluctuates with external events and moods. It is discipline through regular habits that ultimately becomes the vehicle to accomplish this challenging goal.
9. “Work until your idols become your rivals.” ― A.D. Posey
Meaning: Idolising established IAS officers can give you inspiration initially. But true achievement will come only when you put in so much effort through hard work and excellence that you reach the level of competing with people you previously idolised.
10. “Either I will find a way, or I will make one”. ― Philip Sidney
Meaning: Where there’s a strong will, there’s always a way. If existing options do not work, don’t lose hope and instead figure out alternative routes. IAS preparation will be ridden with roadblocks but the key is to persist until you carve out your own path.
11. “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” ― Aristotle
Meaning: Success does not happen by fluke. It requires clearly envisaging the intended target, diligently applying efforts towards it, smartly executing plans through the best possible choices. For IAS too, Excellence comes from carefully choosing the best from many strategic options at each step.
12. “The distance between dreams and reality gets shorter if you really stick to working hard.” ― Yusuf A. Leenes
Meaning: A seemingly impossible and distant dream can inch closer when consistent effort is applied without giving up across days, weeks and years. For IAS aspirants, entry appears difficult initially but seems achievable when unwavering diligence is maintained.
13. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going” ― Jim Ryun
Meaning: Bursts of motivation are helpful initially but discipline through habitual hard work daily is what sustains an IAS aspirant for the long haul. Making a schedule and habitually following it separates the achievers from those who only daydream.
14. “Desire, vision, and focus move your imagination to the achievement of your goals.” ― Stedman Graham
Meaning: The combination of strongly wanting the IAS goal, having a clear strategy of the route and relentlessly concentrating all energies towards it ultimately fuels success in this challenging journey.
15. “Either I will find a way, or I will make one.” – Philip Sidney
Meaning: Where there’s a strong will, there’s always a way. For IAS preparation filled with roadblocks, persist by either finding existing pathways or carving out your own unique route. But never quit!
Conclusion
The inspirational quotes shared above contain precious advice from iconic figures and thinkers that IAS aspirants would do well to imbibe. Having the right mindset with self-belief, perseverance, resolute focus, daily discipline and the ability to continue in the face of challenges or failures while keeping your eyes firmly on the final vision of becoming an IAS officer will go a long way.
