Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.
By Nicole Bradley-Bernard — Written on Apr 26, 2018
Life is hard. Between trying to be successful in your career, maintaining your weight and fitness goals, and dealing with the stresses of everyday life; it can feel impossible to stay motivated. But looking to the best motivational quotes can be a quick and easy way to get inspired to reach those goals.
When you’ve been eating right and never missing a workout all week and the scale hasn’t changed; you get discouraged. When you’ve been working extra hours and doing your absolute best at work and still haven’t gotten ahead; you get discouraged.
When you’ve been penny pinching to save up money and inevitably something breaks and needs replaced forcing you to dip into your savings (or worse, your vacation fund), it makes you feel like all of your efforts are futile.
The brutal truth is that some days (heck, some years), life feels like it’s nothing but discouraging. But, that doesn’t mean good days and good things aren’t right around the corner.
It’s not always easy to stay positive and motivated. Life doesn’t always work out as well as we’d like it to, we get tired and discouraged. We’re only human.
But giving up is never the answer. If you want something, it’s important. You have to work for it.
Good things come in time and things DO work out (sometimes – don’t get big headed here).
Life will always be hard, but that can be a good thing – it’ll keep you tough *wink, wink*. To be frank, this last year for me has been one of the hardest of my life. But hey, I got through it, life is turning around and putting me in a better place and I’m a better person for it.
Whether it’s getting ahead in your career, quitting a bad habit, changing your lifestyle for the better, or just trying to change your attitude to lead a more productive life.
We’ve got some of the very best motivational quotes and inspirational sayings that are sure to help you keep going, stay motivated, reach your goals and live your dreams.
1. It’s OK not to be “normal”.
“You have to be odd to be number one.” -Dr. Suess
2. Getting past the fear is the first step.
“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right.” — Unknown
3. Personal growth and self-motivation is important.
“Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.” — Unknown
4. This is good motivational advice. Others can only push you so much.
“Push yourself because, no one else is going to do it for you.” — Unknown
5. Know this, work for this.
“One day I will say ‘I did it’.” — Unknown
6. Good advice to keep you inspired.
“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal. ” — Unknown
7. Failing can be part of the process.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” — Unknown
8. Starting is often the hardest part anyway. Both in driving a stick shift and life *wink, wink*
“The best way to get things done is to simply begin.” — Unknown
9. You wont always want to do it (even if you normally love it).
“Discipline is doing what needs to be done, even if you don’t want to do it.” — Unknown
10. Slackers don’t make stuff happen.
“Quit slackin’ and make sh-- happen.” — Unknown
11. Everything good takes a lot of work.
“Dream don’t work unless you do.” — Unknown
12. Most great things seem impossible at first.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Unknown
13. This applies to so many things (relationships, jobs, etc.).
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
14. Even slow progress is still progress (if you keep going).
“You will get there but only if you keep going.” — Unknown
15. This is great advice and inspirational words for low-motivation days.
“Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” — Chinese Proverb
16. Failure is part of learning.
“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways it won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
17. It’s never perfect (especially in the beginning).
“Strive for progress not perfection.” — Unknown
18. Working hard is half the battle.
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual with the successful one is a lot of hard work.” — Stephen King
19. This is a good mantra to live by.
“Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.” — Unknown
20. Steve Jobs dropping truth bombs, y’all.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs
21. Get your hustle on.
“I’d rather hustle 24/7 than slave 9 to 5.” — Unknown
22. A great one for starting that new workout (or quitting smoking).
“Three months from now, you will thank yourself.” — Unknown
23. Wanting it and wishing for it aren’t enough to get you there.
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others make it happen." — Michael Jordan
24. The choice is always yours (I find that oddly comforting).
“Risk or regret? You choose.” — Unknown
25. You have to be willing to work for it.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ” — Thomas Edison
26. Make every day count.
“Make today so awesome that yesterday gets jealous.” — Unknown
27. A “dream plan”, if you will.
“Don’t call it a dream. Call it a plan.” — Unknown
28. Inspirational quotes that will motivate you to silence your inner critic.
“In the end, people will judge you anyway, so don’t live our life impressing other – live your life impressing yourself.” — Eunice Camacho Infante
29. Life is painful, but nothing great is completely painless.
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” — Unknown
30. Actions speak louder than words.
“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” — Unknown
31. As a chronic lover of sleeping in, this one is a hard one for me.
“Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them.” — Unknown
32. Get it, girl!
“Be the girl who decided to go for it.” — Unknown
33. A great quote for starting a new workout routine.
“This week: go all in with a beast mode mentality and make sh*t happen!” — Unknown
34. Getting focus can be the hardest part.
“Starve your distractions. Feed your focus.” — Unknown
35. Believing in yourself can be hard, but worth it.
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Unknown
36. One “lazy” day is never a good reason to stop trying hard today.
“Today, be the basa** girl you were too lazy to be yesterday.” — Christina Carlyle
37. Rushing often creates more problems than it fixes.
“Don’t rush the process. Good things take time.” — Unknown
38. Remember, things do get better.
“Repeat after me: My current situation is not my permanent destination.” — Unknown
39. The future is depending on what you do now.
“Everything you do now is for your future. Think about that.” — Unknown
40. Failure is subjective.
“You never fail until you stop trying.” — Albert Einstein
41. A lot of times your attitude is the biggest thing standing in your way.
“The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.” — Captain Jack Sparrow
42. Getting started is sometimes the most difficult part of the process.
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” — Unknown
43. Remember to not get caught up in the past.
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” — Unknown
44. Don’t wait, create.
“Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it.” — Unknown
45. This is a good one for staying motivated for school and working to get ahead.
“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” — Oprah Winfrey
46. Very good advice. Action is key.
“Stop wishing. Start doing.” — Unknown
47. Set goals that you’re excited about.
“Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.” — Unknown
48. Starting can be the hardest part.
“Get up. Clear your desk. Tie your hair, and just start.” — Unknown
49. Nothing is permanent (except maybe tattoos).
“Success isn’t necessarily permanent … but neither is failure.” — Unknown
50. Who you are will always change. Don’t let it hold you back.
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” — Unknown
51. Rejection isn’t always a bad thing.
“As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, it was actually being re-directed to something better.” — Unknown
52. You’re not always going to feel ready, do it anyway.
“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that is how we grow.” — Marissa Mayer
53. Waiting can be a good thing, but not as a bad habit.
“Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live our dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.” — Unknown
54. So profound. Change is scary, be ready to have courage.
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” — Unknown
55. Excuses kill dreams.
“Find a way, not an excuse.” — Unknown
56. Resting is important, but never quit.
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” — Unknown
57. Boom. Challenge yourself.
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” — Rikki Rogers
58. Simple, yet motivational.
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” — Amelia Earhart
59. You have to work for it.
“Wish less, work more.” — Unknown
60. A great one for motivation to work out more.
“Fitness isn’t a seasonal hobby. Fitness is a lifestyle.” — Unknown
61. A great one for getting ahead in your career.
“Hustle until your haters ask if you’re hiring.” — Unknown
62. LOVE this one! Mistakes don’t mean your failing, just trying.
“Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” — Unknown
63. Happiness is the most important part of life.
“Whatever you decide to do. Make sure it makes you happy.” — Unknown
64. Motivation isn’t a constant thing.
“You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.” — Unknown
65. You won’t always want to do what needs to be done.
“Discipline is doing what needs to be done even when you don’t want to do it.” — Unknown
66. Change is scary because it means doing things we’ve never done before.
“If you want something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” — Unknown
67. Words like “impossible” are subjective.
“Impossible is just an opinion.” — Paulo Coelho
68. A good one for staying healthy, not thin.
“Watch your habits not your weight.” — Unknown
69. It’s important to be proud of yourself for the little things.
“Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take towards reaching that goal.” — Unknown
70. Never underestimate yourself.
“Stop underestimating yourself.” — Unknown
71. Never give up, keep moving.
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Unknown
72. Always do something everyday to be working towards your goal.
“Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.” — Unknown
73. J.K. Rowling’s success story is truly an inspiration.
“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” — J.K. Rowling
74. Sometimes you’ve got to make a little noise.
“Be so good they can’t ignore you.” — Steve Martin
75. This is just beautiful.
“A river cuts through a rock not because of its power but its persistence.” — Unknown
76. You may not ever feel ready, do it anyway.
“Great people do things before they’re ready.” — Amy Poehler
77. You can’t fail if you never try.
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” — Karim Seddiki
78. This writer’s new favorite daily motivational quote.
“You did not wake up today to be mediocre.” — Unknown
79. Don’t compare your path to someone else’s.
“Just because my path is different doesn’t mean I’m lost.” — Unknown
80. Life is hard, do it anyway.
“Sh*t is hard. Do it anyway.” — Unknown
81. Sometimes when life falls apart, it becomes more beautiful.
“Before Alice got to Wonderland she had to fall.” — Unknown
82. Don’t strive to be the best, strive to be better than you used to be.
“It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.” — Unknown
83. Failure hurts, but it will heal and you will learn from it.
“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.” — Jon Sinclair
84. Whether it’s a healthier lifestyle or a life goal, this is great advice.
“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” — Unknown
85. Friendly reminder to make sure you’re happy while you work towards your goals.
“Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.” — Hellen Keller
86. Yasss queen!
“Be stronger than your excuses.” — Unknown
87. Make sure you enjoy what you’re doing.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
88. Mistakes are what make us grow.
“Better an ‘oops’ than a ‘what if’.” — Beau Taplin
89. Action is key to becoming who you want to be.
“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.” — Unknown
90. Be careful not to turn out like everyone else.
“You’ll turn out ordinary if you’re not careful.” — Ann Brashares
91. You’ll want to quit sometimes, don’t.
“I didn’t come this far, to only come this far.” — Unknown
92. It’s never too late to start something good.
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream.” — C.S. Lewis
93. Never make the mistake of comparing your life to some else’s
“Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.” — Unknown
94. Don’t wait, make it happen.
“If not now, when?” — Unknown
95. Progress is progress.
“It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop.” — Confucius
96. Be a shark (but don’t bite anyone *wink, wink*).
“Do sharks complain about Monday? No. They’re up early, biting sh*t, chasing stuff, being scary, reminding everyone that they are a f*cking shark.” — Unknown
97. A great one for motivation for a healthier lifestyle.
“The body achieves what the mind believes.” — Unknown
98. It’s never too late to make a change or to go for a dream.
“It’s never too late to get your sh*t together.” — Unknown
99. Believe in yourself.
“If you were able to believe in Santa Claus for like 8 years, you can believe in yourself for like 5 minutes.” — Unknown
100. Don’t wait, start today.
“One day or day one. You decide.” — Unknown
If you’re looking for a little inspiration, we’ve got the best quotes to share and savor. For quotes from the most inspiring celebs, activists, and poets, look no further! You might even find the quote that motivates the best parts of your life (and love!) forever.
Nicole Bradley-Bernard is a writer who needs coffee more than she needs anyone’s approval. She enjoys putting bright colors in her curly brown hair, spending time outside on cool days and being with her partner in life, Eric, who she considers a continuing source of inspiration.