198 Motivational Quotes to Inspire You and Realize Your Potential

Have you ever felt the urge to not go to work on a Monday morning or feel demotivated due to not achieving what you wanted? This is a prevalent thing that happens with most of us.  

A lack of motivation can have devastating effects on your life, but with the right mental tools at your disposal, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. 

Motivation is a significant part of success, so plenty of inspirational quotes can help you find the drive to do what you need to do. This article lists some of the best motivational quotes to help you find the boost to kick start your day. 

8 Of The Best Motivational Quotes To Start Your Day

1. Make each day your masterpiece. - John Wooden
2. Someday is not a day of the week. - Denise Brennan-Nelson.
3. It is never too late to be what you might have been. - George Eliot
4. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. - Lao Tzu
5. A year from now, you may wish you had started today. - Karen Lamb
6. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. - Napoleon Hill
7. It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined. Henry James
8. Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working. - Pablo Picasso

11 Motivational Quotes For Success

1. Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. - Henry David Thoreau
2. Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill
3. If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time. - Steve Jobs
4. There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. - Colin Powell
5. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. - Jim Rohn
6. Some people dream of success while others wake up and work. - Unknown
7. A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him. - David Brinkley
8. The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well. - John D. Rockefeller Jr. 
9. I never dreamed about success, I worked for it. - Estee Lauder
10. Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.- Dale Carnegie
11. Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi 

10 Inspirational New Year Quotes

1. No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. - Buddha
2. You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind. - Hillary DePiano
3. The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all. - Josiyah Martin
4. Enter this new year with a gratitude for this new chance to create your dreams. - Avina Celeste
5. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. - Martin Luther King Jr
6. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. - C.S. Lewis
7. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other. - Abraham Lincoln
8. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
9. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. - Oprah Winfrey
10. New year — a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.
    

9 Motivational Quotes For Life

1. You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.- Michael Jordan
2. Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. - Will Rogers
3. The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. - Winston Churchill
4. Never regret anything that made you smile.- Mark Twain
5. I never lose. Either I win or learn. - Nelson Mandela
6. There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul. - Ella Wheeler Wilcox
7. Be a positive energy trampoline – absorb what you need and rebound more back. — Dave Carolan
8. All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney
9. To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.- Anatole France 

15 Greatest Motivational Quotes For Work

1. You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour. - Jim Rohn
2. If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.- Thomas J. Watson 
3. Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” —Farrah Gray. 
4. Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. - Tony Robbins
5. You can control two things: your work ethic and your attitude about anything. - Ali Kreiger
6. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm, and genuine people. - Tena Desae
7. You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most. - Sarah J. Mass
8. It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest. – Walter Anderson
9. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.- Paulo Coelho.
10. I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.- Thomas Jefferson
11. You can't have a million-dollar dream on a minimum wage work ethic. - Unknown
12. It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James 
13. Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. - Will Rogers
14. You may only succeed if you desire succeeding; you may only fail if you do not mind failing. -Philippos
15. A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at. - Bruce Lee
    

10 Motivational Quotes To Keep Up The Team Spirit

1. Alone we can do so little; together, we can do so much.  - Hellen Keller
2. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships - Michael Jordan
3. If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. - Henry Ford
4. It takes two flints to make a fire. - Louisa May Alcott
5. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
6. No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. - H.E. Luccock
7. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat!. Just get on. - Sheryl Sandberg
8. Individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean. - Ryunosuke Satoro
9. Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” — Vince Lombardi
10. I invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition. - Jean-Francois Cope
    

10 Deep Motivational Quotes

1. Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too. - Mark Twain
2. It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest. - Walter Anderson
3. The starting point of all achievement is desire. - Napoleon Hill 
4. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.– Albert Einstein 
5. When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to happiness that you can give out. - Eleanor Roosevelt
6. We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them. - Albert Einstein
7. 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
8. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt
9. Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. - Joshua Marine
10. It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed. - Doe Zantamata
    

8 Empowering Motivational Quotes For Women 

1. The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ” ― Roseanne Barr.
2. Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey.
3. If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher.
4. Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland
5. A witty woman is a treasure; a witty beauty is a power.” ― George Meredith
6. Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” — Anne Frank
7. We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington
8. Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” — Lady Gaga.
   

8 Motivational Quotes For Men

1. A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” – Richard Nixon.
2. One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
3. If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” – Dhirubhai Ambani
4. He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus
5. Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want. – Ken Poirot
6. A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake. – Confucius Kongzi
7. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.– Martin Luther King, Jr.
8. The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.– Thomas Paine
   

7 Motivational Quotes To Stay Positive

1. The only one who can tell you “you can’t win” is you and you don’t have to listen. - Jessica Ennis
2. Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”-Marcus Aurelius
3. The starting point of all achievement is desire. - Napoleon Hill 
4. Absorb what is useful, disregard that which is useless. - Bruce Lee
5. Find a victory in every defeat to remain hopeful, and find a defeat in every victory to remain humble. - Orin Woodward
6. Your mind is powerful. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your whole world will change.- Unknown
7. In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principles contain it or stand against it. - Jane Smiley 
   

11 Insightful Quotes About Life

1. At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. – Frida Kahlo
2. I didn’t learn to be quiet when I had an opinion. The reason they knew who I was is because I told them. – Ursula Burns
3. When thinking about life, remember this: no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future.– Unknown
4. Whatever you do, never run back to what broke you.– Frank Ocean
5. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards. ―Vernon Sanders Law
6. To know how much there is to know is the beginning of learning to live. —Dorothy West
7. Everything is hard before it is easy. – Goethe
8. You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way! – Dr. Seuss
9. Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.— Mary Anne Radmacher.
10. Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.– Helen Keller
11. A negative mind will never give you a positive life.– Unknown
    

12 Ridiculously Funny Motivational Quotes

1. Work until your bank account looks like a phone number. — Unknown
2. Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door. – Kyle Chandler
3. When Plan “A” doesn’t work, don’t worry, you still have 25 more letters to go through.– Unknown
4. People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.— Winnie the Pooh
5. I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas A. Edison
6. The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs, one step at a time.— Joe Girard
7. People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. — Zig Ziglar
8. If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. – Dalai Lama
9. If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving isn’t for you. – Steven Wright
10. A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure.– Unknown
11. I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book.– Groucho Marx
12. I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. — Lily Tomlin
    

7 Short And Sweet Motivational Quotes

1. Opportunities don't happen, you create them. — Chris Grosser
2. It’s not your salary that makes you rich, it’s your spending habits.– Charles A. Jaffe
3. It’s never too late for a new beginning in your life. – Joyce Meyers
4. Don't let someone else's opinion of you become your reality — Les Brown
5. If you’re not positive energy, you’re negative energy.- Mark Cuban
6. If there is no wind, row.– Latin Proverb
7. What’s on the other side of fear? Nothing.– Jamie Foxx
   

15 Motivational Quotes To Battle Monday Blues

1. “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.
2. “It was a Monday, and they walked on a tightrope to the sun.”― Marcus Zusak
3. “Mondays are the start of the workweek which offer new beginnings 52 times a year!“ – David Dweck
4. One day or day one. You decide.” – Unknown.
5. When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…” – Marcus Aurelius
6. It’s Monday. Get a new perspective. Whatever obstacle you’re facing—it’s not permanent.” —Unknown.
7. “When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day.” – Ella Woodward.
8. “Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don’t rent them out to tomorrow.” —Jerry Spinelli 
9. What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” —Ralph Marston
10. This should be the spirit every Monday. Know that something good will always happen.” —Gabriel García Márquez 
11. “There are many opportunities in every single day, and Monday is the perfect day to seize them all.” —Isabella Koldras
12. Believe on Monday the way you believe on Sunday.” —Rita Schiano
13. “Just another Magic Monday” – Unknown
14. Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week. See yourself getting stronger, and living a fulfilling, happier & healthier life.” – Germany Kent.
15. All Motivation Mondays need are a little more coffee and a lot more mascara.

10 Motivational Quotes For Students To Ace That Exam

1. Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing. – William Arthur Ward
2. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela
3. Learning is never done without errors and defeats - Vladimir Lenin
4. Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated. - R Collier
5. Today a reader. Tomorrow a leader. - Anonymous
6. All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents. - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
7. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. - Karim Seddiki
8. You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.— George Lorimer
9. Motivation comes from working on things we care about. – Sheryl Sandberg
10. Failure is the tuition you pay for success. – Walter Brunell
    

10 Friday Motivational Quotes To Welcome The Weekend

1. “Friday is a day to finish your goals for the week. It is a day to celebrate that which you set out to accomplish at the beginning of the week.” —Byron Pulsifer.
2. Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.” —John Shirley.
3. Oh! It’s Friday again. Share the love that was missing during the week. In a worthy moment of peace and bliss.” —S. O’Sade
4. This Friday, finish your work and be done. Look forward to the weekend and have some fun!” —Kate Summers.
5. Employers are at their happiest on Mondays. Employees are at their happiest on Fridays.” —Mokokoma Mokhonoana.
6. Although I understand that all days are equal with 24 hours each, most of us agree that Friday is the longest day of the week and Sunday the shortest.” —D.S. Mixel
7. “Weekends don’t pay as well as weekdays but at least there’s football.” —S.A. Sachs
8. Fridays are the hardest in some ways: you’re so close to freedom.” —Lauren Oliver.
9. Every Friday, I like to high five myself for getting through another week on little more than caffeine, willpower, and inappropriate humor.” —Nanea Hoffman.
10. “It’s the weekend. Do something that your future self will thank you for.” —Anonymous
    
    

11 Of The Best Motivational Quotes To Get Through Daily Life

1. Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." —Mary Anne Radmacher
2. Do not wait for the perfect time and place to enter, for you are already onstage.” —Unknown.
3. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it… Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.” —Steve Jobs
4. Do one thing every day that scares you.”― Eleanor Roosevelt
5. The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” ―Epicurus
6. You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like its heaven on earth.” ― William W. Purkey
7. What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”― Lewis Carroll
9. If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you’ll never become that person.” ―Clayton M. Christensen
10. Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” – Socrates
11.  Whatever you are, be a good one.” ― Abraham Lincoln
    

8 Encouraging Quotes

1. Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better, and your better is best. – St. Jerome.
2. When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. — Henry Ford
3. Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. – Unknown
4. Don’t quit yet, the worst moments are usually followed by the most beautiful silver linings. You have to stay strong, remember to keep your head up and remain hopeful. – Unknown
5. Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted. – Christine Caine
6. When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. – John F Kennedy
7. Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle. – Ross Simmonds
8. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. — Aristotle

FAQs: Motivational Quotes

What is the best motivational quote ever?

Many quotes help stay motivated, but one quote that resonates with almost everyone is " Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” by Confucius. 

What are five positive quotes?

1. Perfection is boring. Getting better is where all the fun is. 
2. Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. -- Theodore N. Vail 
3. The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts today. — Franklin Delano Roosevelt
4. Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success.– Shiv Khera
5. Whenever you see a successful person, you only see the public glories, never the private sacrifices to reach them. -- Vaibhav Shah 
   

What are two inspirational quotes?

1. Impossible is just an opinion. – Paulo Coelho 
2. It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. — Aristotle

How do you stay positive and motivated every day?

There are many ways to keep yourself motivated every single day. One of them is to listen to music. Playing a few pump-up songs will inspire you. Another proven way to motivate yourself is to surround yourself with motivated people. In addition to this, you can also celebrate small wins, which will help you stay motivated throughout the day. 

Conclusion

Now that you have a list of motivational quotes to uplift you in every situation, you can push yourself through any challenge. You deserve the best things in the world, and you can make the best out of your life. 

All you have to do is remain positive and stay motivated. Save this page to give it a read whenever you feel low, and then go and achieve your dreams.