Motivation is the drive to accomplish a task or achieve a goal. It’s the essential spark that fuels ideas big and small and keeps you moving toward your dreams. Goals and dreams aren’t made of motivation alone. You need to turn that drive into hard work to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself.

 

Motivational quotes can offer inspiration and help you gather and focus your motivation every day. Reading the perfect motivational quote can feel like having a cheering section pop up just when you need it most. Words of inspiration from influential figures can inspire you to start a new project, give your team a pep talk, overcome adversity, or take better care of yourself. 

 

Motivational quotes can be serious, spiritual, sentimental, sweet, or simply hilarious.

 

Here are some of our favorite motivational quotes that can help you seize the day, no matter what your goals may be. 

Table of Contents:

1. Motivation to Start Something New
2. Motivation to Keep Going
3. Monday Motivation
4. Motivation to Try Again
5. Short Motivational Quotes
6. Funny Motivational Quotes
7. Motivational Quotes for Women

Motivation to Start Something New

The hardest part of starting a new project can be taking the first step. Part of that comes from the uncertainty of starting something from scratch. You can’t always be sure whether you’ll see a reward from your work, and there is always the pesky fear of failure. The drive to do something simply because you feel a passionate desire to do it is called intrinsic motivation.

 

Still, working on something you care about can be deeply rewarding. These quotes can help motivate you to try something new.

1. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” — Steve Jobs
   
   
2. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney
   
   
3. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
   
   
4. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity.” — Amelia Earhart
   
   
5. “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” — Lucille Ball
   
   
6. “The two most important days in your life are the day you’re born, and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain
   
   
7. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffett
   
   
8. “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” — Pablo Picasso
   
   
9. “Live out of your imagination, not your history.” — Stephen Covey
   
   
10. “Nature has given us all the pieces required to achieve exceptional wellness and health, but has left it to us to put these pieces together.” — Diane McLaren
    
    
11. “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson
    
    
12. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” — Steve Jobs

 

Motivation to Keep Going

Sticking with something when the outcome is uncertain, the work is difficult, or the process feels intimidating can be one of the hardest things to do. In those moments, you may need to dig deep to find the motivation to keep moving toward your goals.

 

These quotes about the value of persistence can help you find the motivation you need to take the next steps.

1. "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily." — Zig Ziglar.
   
   
2. “Make Friday a day to celebrate work well done, knowing you can be proud of what you accomplished.” — Byron Pulsifer
3. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan
4. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth
5. “The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of, not the circumstances.” — Unknown
6. “If something is important enough, even if the odds are stacked against you, you should still do it.” — Elon Musk
7. “The hard days are what make you stronger.” — Aly Raisman
8. “Work hard for what you want because it won’t come to you without a fight.” — Leah LaBelle
9. “The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” — Oprah Winfrey
10. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing.” — Pelé

 

Monday Motivation

Gathering energy for the week is a universal Monday task. Whether you are heading into the office, onto the playing field, or to class, these quotes can help you make the most of your Monday.

 

1. “This should be the spirit every Monday. Know that something good will always happen.” — Gabriel García Márquez
   
   
2. “So, Monday. We meet again. We will never be friends, but maybe we can move past our mutual enmity toward a more positive partnership.” — Julio-Alexi Genao
   
   
3. “When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day.” — Ella Woodward
   
   
4. “Mondays are the start of the workweek, which offers new beginnings 52 times a year.” — David Dweck
   
   
5. “Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week.” — Germany Kent
   
   
6. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” — Muhammad Ali
   
   
7. “What starts on Monday should carry through to Friday; that is, enthusiasm.” — Byron Pulsifer
   
   
8. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou Holtz
   
   
9. “OK, it’s Monday, but who said Mondays have to be bad? Be a rebel and have a great day anyway.” — Kimberly Jiménez
   
   
10. “My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” — Miles Davis

 

Motivation to Try Again

Failure is a part of life. You may not succeed on every attempt, but each experience can teach you something valuable. How you handle failure and move forward can shape your growth and increase your chances of success in the future.

 

These quotes can help you gather the motivation to try again.

1. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” — Henry Ford
   
   
2. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison
   
   
3. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” — Madeleine Albright
   
   
4. “I never lose. Either I win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela
   
   
5. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” — David Brinkley
   
   
6. “Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure.” — George Eliot
   
   
7. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” — Dale Carnegie
   
   
8. “Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it.” — Hillary Clinton
   
   
9. “We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.” — Helen Keller
   
   
10. “Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all.” — Thomas J. Watson

 

Short Motivational Quotes

You do not need to read an entire book to find wisdom and inspiration. Sometimes, just a few words are enough to give you the spark you need. These short quotes pack a lot of motivation into just a few lines.

 

1. “Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” — Dalai Lama
   
   
2. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
   
   
3. “If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.” — Buddha
   
   
4. “Memories of our lives, of our works, and our deeds will continue in others.” — Rosa Parks
   
   
5. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” — Walt Disney
   
   
6. “Only do what your heart tells you.” — Princess Diana
   
   
7. “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
   
   
8. “Everything is hard before it is easy.” — Goethe
   
   
9. “Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships.” — Michael Jordan
   
   
10. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” — Chinese proverb

 

Funny Motivational Quotes

A little humor can be just the pick-me-up you need to feel inspired again. Laughter can help shift your mood, especially when you are feeling stuck or discouraged. These funny motivational quotes can give you a smile and a boost.

 

1. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers
   
   
2. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” — George Bernard Shaw
   
   
3. “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” — Mae West
   
   
4. “You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” — Sam Levenson
   
   
5. “Never follow anyone else’s path. Unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. Then, by all means, follow that path.” — Ellen DeGeneres
   
   
6. “Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever you were going to do anyway.” — Robert Downey Jr.
   
   
7. “Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.” — Terry Pratchett
   
   
8. “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.” — Reba McEntire
   
   
9. “Failure is like fertilizer; it stinks, but it makes things grow faster in the future.” — Denis Waitley
   
   
10. “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” — Bette Reese

 

Motivational Quotes for Women

Successful women are often powerful role models for others seeking guidance, courage, and inspiration. Women who have become leaders in their fields often share insights from their experiences to help others move forward. These motivational quotes from inspirational women offer strength, wisdom, and encouragement.

 

1. “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher
   
   
2. “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, and make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded.” — Sheryl Sandberg
   
   
3. “Don’t settle for average. Bring your best to the moment.” — Angela Bassett
   
   
4. “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action.” — Martha Graham
   
   
5. “Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” — Pema Chödrön
   
   
6. “A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.” — Sonia Sotomayo
   
   
7. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
   
   
8. “When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
   
   
9. “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” — Shonda Rhimes
   
   
10. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” — Audrey Hepburn

 

Whether you are making a fresh start on a business idea or gathering energy for the final push on a project, motivational quotes can help you find inspiration when you need it most. Post your favorite quotes on your desk or mirror, or add them to your calendar as daily reminders. We hope these quotes give you the motivation you need to keep going and become your best self.