We know: Work weeks can be rough.
In fact, whether you’re at work or at home, each day of the week seems to present a different challenge to maintaining your productivity and focus. On Monday, you’re looking for a bit of a jolt to start the week. Tuesday inspiration isn’t always as high as needed. On Wednesday, you need some help to get over the hump. Thursday and Friday motivation can be ever-elusive. And on the weekends, you might need to tie up some loose ends, cull reflections for meetings and still try to get rejuvenated for the week ahead.
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Well, no matter what day it is or what your work motto happens to be, we're here to help with some stay-motivated quotes. These 45 inspirational quotes for work will offer perfect inspiration and just the push you need to succeed all week long. (Find even more motivational quotes for work on our Pinterest.)
Don’t worry, you’re going to make it through this!
Monday: Get Motivated
Sure, even The Carpenters agreed that “Mondays always get you down,” but that doesn’t mean some good old-fashioned motivation can’t get you geared up and excited for the week ahead, even with all of its attendant challenges. Let these inspirational quotes, culled from many generations of brilliant thinkers, motivate you to go that extra mile today—especially if it doesn’t seem possible. It is possible, and we also suspect that the rest of your week will thank you later for the effort you put out today.
1. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” —George Lorimer
2. “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” —Thomas Carlyle
3. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you’re willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” —Lou Holtz
4. “The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.” —Tricia Cunningham
5. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” —Henry David Thoreau
6. “When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.” —Karen E. Quinones Miller
7. “Build your own dreams or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” —Farrah Gray
Tuesday: Get Down to Business
When Tuesday rolls around, it’s really time to get down to work—but that’s sometimes easier said than done. Having trouble getting started on your Tuesday motivation? These expert motivational quotes will help boost your productivity so you can power through that to-do list and set yourself up for success for the rest of the week.
8. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” —Karen Lamb
9. “Light tomorrow with today.” —Elizabeth Barrett Browning
10. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” —Earl Nightingale
11. “Someday is not a day of the week.” —Janet Dailey
12. “Make each day your masterpiece.” —John Wooden
13. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” —Muhammad Ali
14. “You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you.” —Tony Morgan
Wednesday: Keep it Going
It’s hump day, so you’re already halfway through the week—and you’re doing great so far. But don’t let that slow you down or stop you from working hard to achieve your goals for the rest of the week. These hump day quotes will give you that extra push to keep reaching.
15. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” —Theodore Roosevelt
16. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” —Steve Jobs
17. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers
18. “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.” —Thomas Jefferson
19. “The more I want to get something done the less I call it work.” —Richard Bach
20. “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” —Robert Collier
Thursday: Reflect on All You’ve Done
You’ve been focused and hard at work all week, so get your Thursday motivation started by taking a moment to look back at all that you’ve achieved. These reflective quotes for work will open your mind and allow you to appreciate where you’ve been, where you’re going and how well you accomplish your goals.
21. “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” —Mario Andretti
22. “Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
23. “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” —Albert Einstein
24. “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” —Yoda
25. “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” —Nelson Henderson
26. “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” —Emile Zola
27. “Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.” —Arthur Christopher Benson
28. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan and guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” —Jim Rohn
Friday: Conquer Your Fears
It’s Friday, and if you’re lucky, this means that it’ll soon be the end of your work week responsibilities. You may need to be as productive as you can for one more day, but as you move into your weekend, remember not to let your fears hold you back—in your career or your life! These quotes will urge you to leave your current worries at the door and walk confidently toward the future.
29. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie
30. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” —Truman Capote
31. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” —e.e. cummings
32. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas A. Edison
33. “What we fear of doing most is usually what we most need to do.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
34. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” —Herman Melville
35. “Fall 7 times, stand up 8.” —Japanese Proverb
36. “It’s not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the most power.” —Robert T. Kiyosaki
Saturday and Sunday: Prep for Success
The weekend is a time for relaxing, rejuvenating, and reflecting on what you really want out of your life. It may also be a time to think about how to balance your job, the larger arc of your career, and your personal life in order to maximize happiness. Use these extra moments of free time to mentally prep for success!
37. “Success only comes to those who dare to attempt.” —Mallika Tripathi
38. “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” —Dale Carnegie
39. “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” —Joseph Campbell
40. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” —Maya Angelou
41. “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.” —Henry Ford
42. “Don’t aim for success if you want it, just do what you love and believe in and it will come naturally.” —David Frost
43. “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire, the size of your dream, and how you handle disappointment along the way.” —Robert Kiyosaki
44. “The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.” —Ayn Rand
45. “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” —Joyce Brothers
Read More
- 10 Quotes That’ll Make You Fearless
- 35 Inspirational Graduation Quotes Everyone Should Hear
- 23 Sheryl Sandberg Quotes That’ll Motivate You to Do Just About Anything
Photos courtesy of Monica Chon and Gordon Lew.
FAQs
What is a good motivational quote for work? ›
- “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. ...
- “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — ...
- “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” — ...
- “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” —
- “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – ...
- “Surprise yourself everyday with your own courage.” – ...
- “Courage is only an accumulation of small steps.” – ...
- “I like to use the hard times in the past to motivate me today.” – ...
- “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.
- 1) Success is No Accident. ...
- 2) Success is Not Final, Failure is Not Fatal: it is the Courage to Continue that Counts. ...
- 3) Don't Count the Days, Make the Days Count. ...
- 4) He Who is Not Courageous Enough to Take Risks Will Accomplish Nothing in Life. ...
- 5) Don't Wait for Opportunity, Create it.
- meeting deadlines, targets or goals.
- mentoring and coaching others.
- learning new things.
- coming up with creative ideas to improve something, or make something new.
- analysing complex data in order to draw clear and simple conclusions.
- working well as part of a team.
- "When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go." ...
- "Nothing is impossible. ...
- "There is nothing impossible to they who will try." ...
- "The bad news is time flies. ...
- "Life has got all those twists and turns. ...
- "Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you."
Thinking about all that you are grateful for puts things in a new and happier perspective, which naturally makes you more hopeful. You can practice gratitude by writing down daily three to five things you are grateful for in a journal. Alternatively, you can think grateful thoughts before you start or end your day.
How do you stay strong when times are hard? ›- Focus on things within your control. ...
- Accept change by looking to your past. ...
- Prioritize relationships. ...
- Don't withdraw in tough times. ...
- Try to avoid negative people. ...
- Expand your social network. ...
- Get enough exercise. ...
- Practice a “mind and body” relaxation technique.
- Tell people exactly what you want them to do. ...
- Limit the amount of time or effort that you're asking for. ...
- Share in the sacrifice. ...
- Appeal to their emotions. ...
- Give people multiple reasons for doing what you want them to do. ...
- Be the change you want to inspire.
- “True fulfillment comes from helping others.” – Anonymous.
- “True success, true happiness lies in freedom and fulfillment.” – Dada Vaswani.
- “People want riches; they need fulfillment.” – Robert Conklin.
- “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” – Tony Robbins.
- The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - ...
- The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - ...
- Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. ...
- If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor. -
What's a short positive message? ›
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” “When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go.” “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
What are 5 motivators make you do better work? ›- Provide Meaningful and Challenging Work. ...
- Improve Employees' Lives. ...
- Recognition. ...
- Compensation & Benefits. ...
- Culture.
- Feeling a sense of meaning and purpose in their work. ...
- Working in a positive company culture. ...
- Being recognised for their hard work. ...
- Opportunities for learning and development in the workplace. ...
- A clear path of career progression.
- Reward-based motivation.
- Attitude motivation.
- Fear-based motivation.
- Creative motivation.
- Achievement motivation.
- Competence motivation.
- Power motivation.
- You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ...
- Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. ...
- In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. ...
- The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down.
- “I'll be there.”
- “I love you.”
- “Maybe you're right.”
- “I trust you.”
- “Go for it.”
- “Got your back.”
- “How are you?”
- “I want you.”
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." "Lead from the heart, not the head." "Always find opportunities to make someone smile, and to offer random acts of kindness in everyday life." "You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness."
What are the strong quotes? ›"You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice." "Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health." "Life doesn't get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient." "Courage is grace under pressure."
How do you motivate someone to stay strong? ›- You deserve much better than this. ...
- I know this hurts right now, but it's not forever. ...
- Whatever you decide, I'm here to support you. ...
- Heartache hurts, and I'm sorry you're going through this. ...
- You've been handling this so well. ...
- I'm so proud of your strength.
Life is about creating yourself." Eleanor Roosevelt: "You must do the things you think you cannot do." Mother Teresa: "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Lucille Ball: "Love yourself first, and everything else falls into place."
What are the 12 powerful words? ›
What are the twelve powerful words? Trace, Analyze, Infer, Evaluate, Formulate, Describe, Support, Explain, Summarize, Compare, Contrast, Predict. Why use the twelve powerful words?
What are 3 things that inspire you? ›- Here are 10 things that inspire me.
- Ambition. Ambition can be defined as being eager or hungry to aspire and accomplish something; it is one thing I can't get enough of. ...
- Past. ...
- Doing new things. ...
- Challenges. ...
- My parents. ...
- Friends. ...
- Charity.
- “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” — ...
- “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” — ...
- “Don't settle for average. ...
- “Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too.” — ...
- “Don't bunt.
- The dawning of a new day.
- Nature and gardening (plant a seed and watch it grow)
- The pursuit of passionate purpose, as well as its achievement, that provides a sense of meaning and reward.
- Joyful and playful sounds and sights of children and people of all ages.
God is promising that whatever our hard times are, they aren't part of a plan for Him to harm us. His plan is to give us hope. And He promises to listen to us when we pray. He also promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts that we will find Him.
What are the three elements of hope? ›According to Snyder,1 there are three components associated with hope: 1) having goal-oriented thoughts; 2) developing strategies to achieve goals; and 3) being motivated to expend effort to achieve goals.
How do you stay mentally strong at work? ›- Take regular breaks for fresh air and movement. For many people, sitting at a desk in front of a computer for hours at a time is part of the job. ...
- Take time to plan and organize. ...
- Eat healthy and stay hydrated. ...
- Practice meditation. ...
- Ask for help if you need it.
- Have Confidence. Emotionally stable people radiate confidence as they walk into a room. ...
- Surround themselves with positive influences. ...
- Forgive others. ...
- Do their own thing. ...
- Believe in themselves. ...
- Show genuine kindness. ...
- Willingly love. ...
- See each day as a blessing.
- Focus on One Thing at a Time. ...
- Set Aside Time to Move Your Body. ...
- Give Yourself a Daily “Mindfulness Break” ...
- Carve Out “Self-Care” Time. ...
- Set Limits and Stick With Them. ...
- Don't Be Afraid to Reach Out for Help.
- Set realistic goals. You may have heard this before, but setting SMART goals can help organize how you approach different achievements. ...
- Have a support system. ...
- Recognize your roadblocks. ...
- Be nice to yourself. ...
- Celebrate the small and big victories.
How do I inspire and encourage those around me? ›
- 1 Be motivated and inspired yourself.
- 2 Treat each person as an individual.
- 3 Provide them with a challenge.
- 4 Keep them informed of progress.
- 5 Create a motivating environment.
- 6 Recognition.
- Grow.
- Create.
- Abundant.
- Possibility.
- Resilience.
- Inspire.
- Worthy.
- Gratitude.
- care.
- grow.
- kind.
- safe.
- heal.
- hope.
- “Complaining is truly my strongest weakness.” ...
- “I am strong... ...
- “The kind of love which makes us stand against everyone and defend a stranger is the strongest one.” ...
- “The strongest person is not the one who is able to do something, but the one who is able not to do what he has the power to do.
- Be kind; you never know the battles others are fighting.
- Be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Live each day as if it were your last.
- The grass is green where you water it.
- Breathe in courage, breathe out fear.
- This too shall pass.
- I am what I think about.
- Tomorrow is another day.
- 1) "Happiness is an uphill battle. ...
- 2) "Without ice cream, there would be chaos and darkness." ...
- 3) "When things go wrong, don't go with them." ...
- 4) "Happiness is a warm puppy." ...
- 5) "Happiness never decreases by being shared." ...
- 6) "Happiness is like jam.
"Lead from the heart, not the head." "Always find opportunities to make someone smile, and to offer random acts of kindness in everyday life." "You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness." "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."
What is a short inspiring quote? ›Inspirational Short Quotes and Sayings
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
- Love For All, Hatred For None. ...
- Change the world by being yourself. ...
- Every moment is a fresh beginning. ...
- Never regret anything that made you smile. ...
- Die with memories, not dreams. ...
- Aspire to inspire before we expire.
- “You got this.”
- “Good luck today! ...
- “Sending major good vibes your way.”
- “I know this won't be easy, but I also know you've got what it takes to get through it.”
- “Hope you're doing awesome!”
- “Time to go kick cancer's ass!”
- “Keep on keeping on!”