Success doesnโt come easy โ even the most dedicated entrepreneur sometimes finds it tough to stay on track. Itโs hard for businesses to keep their employees motivated all the time. I even find myself struggling with motivation on days when challenges feel insurmountable.
When Iโm experiencing a rut, I look for sources of inspiration. Thatโs where motivational quotes come in. A good quote can remind me of why I love my role and the goals I want to achieve.
To keep your eyes on the prize, I gathered the 100+ top motivational quotes that can keep you going. Post these quotes on your office desk, send them in morning emails to your employees, or use them in your messaging system. Letโs dive in.
Table of Contents
- Short Quotes About Hard Work
- Inspirational Quotes About Working Hard
- Encouraging Quotes
- Motivational Quotes About Hard Work
- Deep Quotes About Success
- Quotes About Perseverance and Hard Work
- Positive Quotes About Working Hard
- Hard Work Pays Off Quotes
- Funny Motivational Quotes
- Team Quotes on Hard Work
Short Quotes About Hard Work
Sometimes, I want bite-sized bits of information. I donโt want to read a novel (or even a paragraph) for that dose of inspiration. If youโre in a rush, check out my favorite short quotes about hard work.
You can write these quotes on your desk or use them as a daily motivation for your entrepreneurship journey. When it comes to a mantra, the shorter, the sweeter.
1. โHard work beats talent when talent doesnโt work hard.โ โ Tim Notke, Basketball Coach
2. โSuccess is often achieved by those who donโt know that failure is inevitable.โ โ Coco Chanel, Fashion Designer
3. โDo the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.โ โ Maya Angelou, American Poet and Civil Rights Activist
4. โIf your teacher, coach, or mentor believes you can do something, youโre more likely to do it.โ โ Gwen Moran, FastCompany
5. โSuccess is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.โ โ Pele, Brazilian Soccer Player
6. โPeople who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.โ โ George Bernard Shaw, Playwright
7. โI do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near.โ โ Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister
8. โYou can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you’re doing. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself.โ โ Alan Alda, Actor
9. โI am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.โ โ Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the U.S.
10. โHard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some donโt turn up at all.โ โ Sam Ewing, Author
Inspirational Quotes About Working Hard
Every day has its highlights, but I usually feel a slump on Wednesday. When Iโm feeling down during the mid-week, I use these quotes to find inspiration. I find it helpful to learn from the most successful personโs wisdom.
These quotes are also the perfect way to motivate your employees at the start of the month or when they have bigger goals. Try passing them along to your teams on Slack or via email.
1. โWhatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.โ โ Susan L. Taylor, Journalist
2. โSometimes, you have to give up. Sometimes, knowing when to give up, when to try something else, is genius. Giving up doesnโt mean stopping. Donโt ever stop.โ โ Phil Knight, Co-Founder of Nike
3. โIf I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.โ โ Isaac Newton, Mathematician, Physicist, and Author
4. โThe only thing standing between you and outrageous success is continuous progress.โ โ Dan Waldschmidt, Business Strategist
5. โIโm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.โ โ Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father
6. โIf you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.โ โ Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple Inc.
7. โSetting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.โ โ Tony Robbins, American Author and Speaker
8. โOn any given Monday, I am one sale closer and one idea away from being a millionaire.โ โ Larry D. Turner, United States Army Lieutenant Colonel
9. โTalent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.โ โ Stephen King, Author
10. โImpossible is just an opinion.โ โ Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist
11. โHard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.โ โ Malcolm Gladwell, Journalist, Speaker, and Author
Encouraging Quotes
Not every professional endeavor results in a big win. Trust me, Iโve had my fair share of missteps that have taught me valuable lessons. In these challenging moments, I always need a bit of additional encouragement.
A little celebration also helps me want to keep going after achieving a big milestone. Iโm reminded why I want to keep going and how driven I am to achieve my goals.
Encouragement is vital for everyone. These encouraging quotes will inspire you to keep going and never give up.
1. โHe who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.โ โ Muhammad Ali, Boxer and Activist
2. โThere are no traffic jams on the extra mile.โ โ Zig Ziglar, Author
3. โAll our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.โ โ Walt Disney, Entrepreneur
4. โThe greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.โ โ Epicurus, Greek Philosopher
5. โYou are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort, and money into training.โ โ Tom Hopkins, Author
6. โThere will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.โ โ Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer
7. โI can say the willingness to get dirty has always defined us as a nation, and it’s a hallmark of hard work and a hallmark of fun, and dirt is not the enemy.โ โ Mike Rowe, Television Host
8. โItโs hard to beat a person who never gives up.โ โ Babe Ruth, Baseball Player
9. โDo or do not. There is no try.โ โ Yoda, Jedi Master
Motivational Quotes About Hard Work
While everyone needs rest and breaks, hard work is essential to achieve lofty goals. When Iโm looking to push through or need some extra motivation, I turn to these quotes to help get me through. Sometimes, I set them as my phone background, so I have a little reminder in my pocket.
1. โDoing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.โ โ Oprah Winfrey, TV Host
2. โIโve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. Iโve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, Iโve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. Iโve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.โ โ Michael Jordan, Basketball Player
3. โThere is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it, for whatever success I have attained has been the result of much hard work and many sleepless nights.โ โ Madam C.J. Walker, Entrepreneur and Activist
4. โIf something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.โ โ Elon Musk, Entrepreneur
5. โThe fight is won or lost far away from witnesses โ behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.โ โ Muhammad Ali, Boxer and Activist
6. โIf we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.โ โ Josh Billings, Humorist
7. โWe need to accept that we wonโt always make the right decisions, that weโll screw up royally sometimes โ understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, itโs part of success.โ โ Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of The Huffington Post
8. โObstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you.โ โ Jeffrey Gitomer, Author
9. โLife is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.โ โ Charles R. Swindoll, Author
10. โOur greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.โ โ Thomas Edison, Inventor
11. โStart where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.โ โ Arthur Ashe, Tennis Player
Deep Quotes About Hard Work and Success
We all know that working hard reaps rewards, but sometimes, I want to get a little more philosophical. These quotes go beyond the surface to get into the nitty-gritty of how to achieve success. I use these quotes to remind myself how hard work leads to big wins.
1. โNever be limited by other peopleโs limited imaginations.โ โ Dr. Mae Jemison, Engineer
2. โMost of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.โ โ Dale Carnegie, Writer
3. โYouโre not obligated to win. Youโre obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.โ โ Marian Wright Edelman, Civil Rights Activist
4. โSuccess isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.โ โ Dwayne โThe Rockโ Johnson, Actor
5.โThe harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.โ โ Thomas Paine, Political Philosopher
6. โSuccess is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.โ โ Winston S. Churchill, Politician
7. โWhen you do more than youโre paid for, eventually youโll be paid for more than you do.โ โ Zig Ziglar, Author
8. โThe only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.โ โ Vidal Sassoon, Businessman
9. โIf a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, `Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.โ โ Martin Luther King, Activist
10. โDevelop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.โ โ Dale Carnegie, Writer
11. โThere are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.โ โ Colin Powell, Politician
12. โIf you start thinking you are good at something, that’s often the day you stop trying to be better and open the back door for someone to come after you. That’s why we always aim higher. We never feel like we’re done.โ โ Drew Houston, Entrepreneur
13. โSuccess is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.โ โ Booker T. Washington, Activist
Quotes About Perseverance and Hard Work
Business has ups and downs. Trust me, Iโve seen them throughout my career. Perseverance is how I make it through โ whether initiatives are hitting their goals or lagging behind. These are my favorite quotes about perseverance and hard work that I turn to when the going gets tough.
1. โHe who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.โ โ Nietzsche, Philosopher
2. โPerseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.โ โ Walter Elliot, Linguist
3. โA bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.โ โ Helen Keller, Activist
4. โIf people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all.โ โ Michelangelo, Artist
5. โSuccess is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.โ โ Robert Collier, Author
6. โIt’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.โ โ Albert Einstein, Inventor
7. โAs I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.โ โ Dr. Steve Maraboli, Author
8. โNever confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.โ โ F. Scott Fitzgerald, Author
9. โIf youโre in a job that you hate, donโt be scared of seeking out something that might be riskier. Anything can turn into something with passion and hard work.โ โ Whitney Wolfe Herd, Entrepreneur
10. โDonโt run before you can crawl. Itโs a very hard business, full of many, many extremely creative, talented people who work hard and still fail. If you have the basic building blocks behind you, you’re much more likely to do well.โ โ Anna Wintour, Fashion Editor
11. โItโs so freeing, itโs beautiful in a way, to have a great failure, thereโs nowhere to go but up.โ โ David Lynch, Director
12. โIf you are patient…and wait long enough…Nothing will happen.โ โ Jim Davis, Cartoonist
13. โWithout labor, nothing prospers.โ โ Sophocles, Philosopher
14. โGreat companies are built in the office, with hard work put in by a team.โ โ Emily Chang, Journalist
15. โIf you love your work, youโll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you โ like a fever. โ โ Sam Walton, Business Person
16. โThe only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.โ โ Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor
17. โGreat things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.โ โ Kobe Bryant, Basketball Player
Positive Quotes About Working Hard
To keep the trail of hard work going, you need to have a positive mindset and attitude consistently. Use these positive quotes for your employees through the middle of the month to keep their morale up.
Beyond that, I love that these quotes have a positive spin. I find that my favorite pearls of wisdom leave me feeling better than before.
1. โI donโt believe in failure. Itโs not failure if you enjoyed the process.โ โ Oprah Winfrey, TV Personality
2. โIt is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesnโt matter who gets the credit.โ โ Harry S. Truman, U.S. President
3. โThe only one who can tell you โyou canโt winโ is you, and you donโt have to listen.โ โ Jessica Ennis, Athlete
4. โYou may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.โ โ Richelle E. Goodrich, Author
5. โDonโt judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.โ โ Robert Louis Stevenson, Writer
6. โHappiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.โ โ Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President
7. โYou canโt use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.โ โ Maya Angelou, Poet and Activist
8. โThere is always light. If only weโre brave enough to see it. If only weโre brave enough to be it.โ โ Amanda Gorman, Poet and Activist
9. โWe must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.โ โ Joseph Campbell, Writer
10. โA diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job.โ โ Michael Larsen, Mathematician
Hard Work Pays Off Quotes
On busy days, itโs important to remember that thereโs a light at the end of the tunnel. Hard work always pays off! I use these quotes to inspire my team (and myself!) to keep moving forward.
1. โChop your own wood, and it will warm you twice.โ โ Henry Ford, Inventor
2. โWork hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.โ โ Conan OโBrien, Comedian
3. โThe hard work definitely paid off, and hard work always does.โ โ Gabby Douglas, Gymnast
4. โI strongly believe if you work hard, whatever you want, it will come to you.โ โ Beyoncรฉ Knowles-Carter, Musician
5. โBe sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.โ โ Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President
6. โConfidence and hard work is the best medicine to kill the disease called failure. It will make you a successful person.โ โ Abdul Kalam, Indian President
7. โNobody who ever gave his best regretted it.โ โ George Halas, Football Coach
8. โThere will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.โ โ Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer
9. Luck is not chance, itโs toil; fortuneโs expensive smile is earned.โ โ Emily Dickinson, Poet
10. Happiness is the real sense of fulfillment that comes from hard work.โ โ Joseph Barbara, Mobster
Funny Motivational Quotes
Why so serious? Sometimes, I need a laugh to lighten the mood. Thatโs where funny, motivational quotes come in. I use these quotes when I need a giggle or want to bring a smile to my colleagueโs face.
1. โPeople say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.โ โ Winnie the Pooh, Fictional Character
2. โHard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?โ โ Edgar Bergen, Comedian
3. โI always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.โ โ Lily Tomlin, Comedian
4. “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.โ โ Betty Reese, Reese Witherspoon’s Mother
5. โBe a positive energy trampoline โ absorb what you need and rebound more back.โ โ Dave Carolan, Soccer Coach
6. โPeople often say that motivation doesnโt last. Well, neither does bathing โthatโs why we recommend it daily.โ โ Zig Ziglar, Author
7. โMany of lifeโs failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.โ โ Thomas Edison, Inventor
8. โA diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure.โ โ Henry Kissinger, Diplomat
Team Quotes on Hard Work
Things are better when we work together! I love the people I work with, and teamwork makes all the difference when collaborating on tough projects. We can increase productivity, job satisfaction, and even each person’s performance. These team quotes will inspire you to achieve success and stay together.
1. โAlone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.โ โ Helen Keller, Activist
2. โTeamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.โ โ Andrew Carnegie, Philanthropist
3. โI invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition.โ โ Jean-Francois Cope, Politician
4. โTeamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.โ โ Patrick Lencioni, Author
5. โThe best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.โ โ James Cash Penney, Entrepreneur
6. โIndividual commitment to a group effort โ that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.โ โ Vince Lombardi, Football Coach
7. โThe way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they donโt play together, the club wonโt be worth a dime.โ โ Babe Ruth, Baseball Player
8. โTalent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.โ โ Michael Jordan, Basketball Player
Start Achieving Your Goals Now
Success doesnโt come easy, but itโll be so much sweeter when it comes. In the future, your own story of overcoming obstacles might encourage other entrepreneurs. Your hard-fought wisdom will benefit someone else.