We all hit those moments—when our energy feels flat, our goals feel far away, and we just… stall.
Sometimes it’s a bad week, sometimes it’s just life being life.
But MOTIVATION? It’s the fuel that gets us moving again.
And not the loud, over-the-top hype—but the kind that speaks straight to your soul.
The kind that reminds you who you are, what you’re capable of, and why you started in the first place.
On any personal growth journey—motivation matters. Whether it’s from a book that shifted your perspective, a podcast that gave you goosebumps, or a quote that stopped you mid-scroll… those little sparks of inspiration have power. Real power.
Motivation helps us:
- Push through self-doubt
- Set clear goals and actually work toward them
- Keep showing up, even when things get hard
- Build better habits and stronger mindsets
- Reconnect with the why behind our dreams
And here’s the thing: you don’t always need a big life event to change your mindset—sometimes, all it takes is one sentence.
So I’ve put together 100 of the most powerful motivational quotes I could find.
My hope? That one of these speaks directly to YOU.
Take your time with them. Bookmark this page. Share your favorite quote with someone who could use it!
If you’re working on a reset or building momentum in your life, this post on 10 simple steps to reset your life is a great place to begin.
✨ Motivational Quotes for Growth and Self-Belief
- “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt
- “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn
- “You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.” — Zig Ziglar
- “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” — Peter T. McIntyre
- “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
- “She remembered who she was and the game changed.” — Lalah Delia
- “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” — Mandy Hale
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” — Unknown
- “Don’t wait for permission to be great.” — Unknown
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
- “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
- “You were never meant to play small.” — Unknown
- “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” — Carl Jung
- “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” — Oprah Winfrey
- “Make your mind your best friend—not your loudest critic.” — Unknown
- “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Growth begins where comfort ends.” — Unknown
- “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
- “It’s not who you are that holds you back—it’s who you think you’re not.” — Unknown
- “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” — Suzy Kassem
Pair these quotes with short positive affirmations for a double dose of self-belief.
- “Be the kind of person your younger self would be proud of.” — Unknown
- “You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” — Louise Hay
- “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” — Zen Shin
- “You can rise up from anything. You can completely recreate yourself.” — Unknown
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a goal. It’s about who you’re becoming along the way.” — Michelle Obama
- “Your potential is endless. Go do what you were created to do.” — Unknown
- “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep going.” — Unknown
- “Don’t shrink to fit places you’ve outgrown.” — Unknown
- “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress.” — Sophia Bush
- “Healing isn’t linear, and growth doesn’t have a deadline.” — Unknown
- “You’re doing better than you think you are. Keep going.” — Unknown
💥 Motivational Quotes to Achieve Your Goals
- “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
- “Dream big. Start small. Act now.” — Robin Sharma
- “Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso
- “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- “Discipline is doing what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like doing it.” — Unknown
- “Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.” — Unknown
- “Done is better than perfect.” — Sheryl Sandberg
- “Start before you’re ready.” — Marie Forleo
- “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar
- “Never confuse motion with action.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
- “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier
- “Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear.” — George Addair
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
- “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser
- “Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.” — Frank Ocean
- “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan—not the goal.” — Unknown
- “Push yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.” — Unknown
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
These quotes pair perfectly with positive habits that support long-term growth and success.
- “Success is not for the lazy.” — Unknown
- “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” — Fred DeVito
- “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
- “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” — Ralph Marston
- “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.” — Carrie Fisher
- “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” — Henry Ford
- “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” — Marie Forleo
- “Work until your idols become your rivals.” — Drake
- “Make progress, not excuses.” — Jocko Willink
- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb
- “You are one decision away from a completely different life.” — Mel Robbins
- “Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.” — Unknown
- “You don’t need more time. You just need to decide.” — Seth Godin
- “Success doesn’t rush. The greatest things take time.” — Unknown
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
🌿 Motivational Quotes for Hard Times
- “Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever.” — Tony Robbins
- “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” — J.K. Rowling
- “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” — Unknown
- “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” — Christine Caine
- “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” — Rumi
- “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
- “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
- “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
- “You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.” — Edwin Louis Cole
- “It’s okay to be a glowstick—sometimes you have to break before you shine.” — Unknown
- “Scars show us where we’ve been. They don’t have to dictate where we’re going.” — David Rossi (Criminal Minds)
- “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford
- “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller
- “You’re not failing. You’re learning. Keep going.” — Unknown
- “This too shall pass.” — Persian Proverb
- “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and go.” — Mooji
- “Sometimes the strength within you is not a big fiery flame for all to see. It’s just a tiny spark that whispers softly, ‘You got this. Keep going.’” — Unknown
- “Never let a stumble in the road be the end of your journey.” — Unknown
- “Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love.” — Unknown
- “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” — Dolly Parton
On heavy days, pair these quotes with a journal session using these thoughtful nighttime prompts.
- “You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to cry. But you are not allowed to give up.” — Unknown
- “Healing takes time, and asking for help is a courageous step.” — Mariska Hargitay
- “You’ve survived 100% of your worst days so far.” — Unknown
- “No rain, no flowers.” — Unknown
- “You are not behind. You are exactly where you need to be.” — Unknown
- “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” — Brené Brown
- “It’s not about having the answers. It’s about showing up.” — Unknown
- “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill
For You
Let’s pause for a second.
You just read 100 quotes—words written by people who’ve wrestled with fear, pushed through failure, dared to believe in something better, and chose to share what helped them.
I don’t know where you’re at right now.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck. Maybe you’re rebuilding after a hard season. Or maybe you’re quietly chasing something big and beautiful and scary.
But wherever you are—you’re not alone. And you’re not behind.
The truth is, motivation doesn’t fix everything. But it CAN help you take the first step again. Or just breathe a little easier when your doubt is too loud.
So here’s what I want you to take with you:
- Your effort matters—even when no one sees it.
- Resting is not the same as quitting.
- Small steps are still steps.
- You are allowed to evolve—and that includes starting over.
If one quote in this list stirred something in you, hold onto it. Let it sit in your journal. Stick it on your fridge. Repeat it in the mirror until it starts to feel like YOURS.
And if you want something next—something that helps you keep going in a real, grounded, human way—try this 30-day self-improvement challenge.
Or, if you’re craving a glow-up that starts from the inside out, check out this glow up challenge.
Both were made with love, just like this list.
You’re doing better than you think. Truly. And you deserve to feel proud of yourself—not someday… but right now 💛