Best Motivational Quotes (Top 100)
The most shareable motivation quotes for discipline, goals, and grit
Start Now Quotes (Take the First Step)
Use these motivational quotes when you need a push to begin, whether it's a workout, a new habit, a big project, or a scary conversation.
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing".
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started".
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it".
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".
— Lao Tzu
"It always seems impossible until it's done".
"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop".
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity".
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great".
"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped".
"A year from now you may wish you had started today".
— Karen Lamb
Pro tip: When sharing a "start now" quote, add one concrete action under it (e.g., "10 minutes today") to turn inspiration into momentum.
Consistency & Discipline Quotes (Build Habits That Win)
These quotes are perfect for discipline, routines, training cycles, studying, and any goal that rewards showing up daily.
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment".
— Jim Rohn
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out".
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit".
"Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work".
"Discipline equals freedom".
— Jocko Willink
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems".
— James Clear
"The future depends on what you do today".
"It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently".
"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra".
"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going".
Resilience Quotes (Bounce Back Stronger)
When life hits hard, these resilience quotes help you reset, rebuild, and keep moving, great for tough seasons, setbacks, and failures.
"If you're going through hell, keep going".
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated".
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work".
— Thomas A. Edison
"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on".
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall".
"I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed".
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves".
"Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life".
— J.K. Rowling
"Tough times never last, but tough people do".
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress".
Focus Quotes (Protect Your Attention)
Use these focus quotes for productivity, deep work, studying, and staying consistent when distractions are loud.
"Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do".
"Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all".
"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities".
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand".
"The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus".
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".
"Where focus goes, energy flows".
"Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not".
— Cal Newport
"You can do anything, but not everything".
— David Allen
"What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important".
Confidence & Courage Quotes (Do It Scared)
These quotes work well for big presentations, auditions, hard workouts, new opportunities, and any moment you need bravery.
"Believe you can and you're halfway there".
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right".
"Do one thing every day that scares you".
"Feel the fear and do it anyway".
— Susan Jeffers
"Courage is grace under pressure".
"Fortune favors the bold".
— Virgil
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does".
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us".
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it".
Goals & Vision Quotes (Aim Higher— Plan Smarter)
Use these motivational quotes for goal-setting— New Year planning, vision boards, career moves, and long-term projects.
"Begin with the end in mind".
"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible".
"A goal is a dream with a deadline".
"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable".
— Seneca
"If you don't know where you are going, you might not get there".
"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision".
"We become what we think about".
"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you".
"Plans are nothing; planning is everything".
"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week".
Mindset & Attitude Quotes (Train Your Inner Voice)
These quotes are ideal for daily reminders, journaling prompts, and reframing challenges when motivation dips.
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts".
"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters".
"The mind is everything. What you think you become".
— Buddha
"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it".
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change".
"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity".
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind".
"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you".
"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude".
"Happiness depends upon ourselves".
Hard Work Quotes (Earn It)
Use these quotes when you want "no excuses" energy, great for discipline, sports, entrepreneurship, and career growth.
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary".
"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it".
"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all".
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure".
"Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work".
"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it".
"Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better".
— Jim Rohn
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail".
"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today".
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence".
Growth & Learning Quotes (Get Better Every Day)
These quotes fit perfectly for students, creators, professionals, and anyone committed to improving their skills and mindset over time.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever".
"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you".
— B.B. King
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new".
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future".
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood".
"Becoming is better than being".
— Carol S. Dweck
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream".
— C.S. Lewis
"When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too".
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do".
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty".
Purpose— Leadership & Inspiration Quotes (Lift Others as You Climb)
Use these quotes for speeches, team meetings, graduation cards, and social posts that are meant to inspire action beyond yourself.
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world".
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase".
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world".
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing".
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love".
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".
"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist".
"It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another".
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much".
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world".
Quick Tips for Using These Motivational Quotes
If you're posting on social media, pair one quote with a short, specific commitment (e.g., "30 minutes of deep work today"). For speeches or coaching, choose one theme (start now, consistency, resilience, focus, confidence) and repeat it throughout, people remember a clear message more than a long list.
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Best motivational quotes (top 100). (2026, January 8). FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/articles/best-motivational-quotes-top-100/
Chicago Style
"Best Motivational Quotes (Top 100)." FixQuotes. January 8, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/articles/best-motivational-quotes-top-100/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Best Motivational Quotes (Top 100)." FixQuotes, 8 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/articles/best-motivational-quotes-top-100/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.