88 motivational quotes for work to inspire you

Feeling a lack of motivation and focus? Don’t worry 一 you’re not alone. Even the most driven people struggle with a sense of disengagement from time to time. Whether it’s a new project that’s proving especially difficult, a teammate you don’t quite click with, or simply the monotony of handling a task for the hundredth time, a new perspective and a few motivational quotes can turn a dispiriting situation into an unexpected source of strength.

We’ve brought together some of the best motivational quotes for work in one place to help you see things with fresh eyes and discover how to focus on what really matters to you. Take a look, and soon you’ll be diving back in with a renewed sense of purpose.

Motivational quotes on passion

Few things sap motivation more quickly than a lack of passion for your job. Does your work make you feel engaged on a daily basis? Or do you feel a persistent sense of burnout and lack of purpose? A better understanding of your company’s values and its vision for the future can go a long way towards staying engaged with your work. But if you need some fuel for passion right now, look no further than the words below:

“The game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.” 一 Michael Jordan
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” 一 Gloria Steinem
“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” 一 Steve Jobs
“Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around.” 一 Katherine Hepburn
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 一 Eleanor Roosevelt
“Let him that would move the world first move himself.” 一 Socrates
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 一 Theodore Roosevelt
“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” 一 the 14th Dalai Lama
“Discontent is the first necessity of progress.” 一 Thomas Edison
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” 一 Friedrich Nietzsche
“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” 一 Salvador Dali
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 一 Winston Churchill
“There’s no greater gift than thinking that you had some impact on the world, for the better.” 一 Gloria Steinem
“All day long the superior man is creatively active.” 一 the I Ching
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” 一 Benjamin Franklin
“If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.” 一 Katherine Hepburn
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” 一 Leonardo da Vinci

Motivational quotes on working well

What does a great job look like? What does doing a great job look like? The answers to these questions will vary from person to person and organization to organization, but there are some key common factors that can elevate your daily work life. Frequently giving and receiving recognition, relationships of mutual trust based on two-way, honest communication and feedback, and a feeling of belonging are just a few of the things that turn a job into a career. Here are some powerful thoughts on these and other aspects of working well:

“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” 一 Oprah Winfrey
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” 一 Laozi
“Don’t worry when you are not recognized but strive to be worthy of recognition.” 一 Abraham Lincoln
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” 一 Mark Twain
“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” 一 Steve Jobs
“System in all things is the soul of business. To deliberate maturely, and execute promptly is the way to conduct it to advantage.” 一 George Washington
“As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.” 一 Madeleine Albright
“In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigor and precision.” 一 Lionel Messi
“We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” 一 John F. Kennedy
“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” 一 Martin Luther King Jr.
“People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.” 一 Frederick Douglass
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” 一 Helen Keller
“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.” 一 Eleanor Roosevelt
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” 一 Abraham Lincoln

Motivational quotes for inspiration

Looking beyond the everyday grind to your dreams and long-term goals is a great way to stay motivated. Tapping into the wellspring of inspiration can help you push through difficult times and do things you never thought were possible. Here are some truly inspiring words to get you started:

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” 一 Martin Luther King Jr.
“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” 一 Albert Einstein
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” 一 Eleanor Roosevelt
“Some men see things as they are, and say why. I dream of things that never were, and say why not.” 一 Robert Kennedy
“Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?” 一 Michelle Obama
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” 一 Oscar Wilde
“Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire.” 一 Jorge Luis Borges
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” 一 Marcus Aurelius
“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” 一 Michael Jordan
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” 一 Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Motivational quotes on happiness

Happiness often feels hard to gain and easy to lose. A feeling of success and satisfaction on a Monday can quickly dissipate in the face of the new challenges Tuesday brings. That’s why prioritizing your mental wellness and developing a consistently positive outlook are so important. Take a look at these meaningful quotes on how to achieve real, long-lasting happiness:

“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.” 一 Marcus Aurelius
“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” 一 Omar Khayyam
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” 一 Laozi
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” 一 the 14th Dalai Lama
“When things get hard, stop for a while and look back and see how far you’ve come. Don’t forget how rewarding it is. You are the most beautiful flower, more than anyone else in this world.” 一 V of BTS
“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” 一 Helen Keller

Motivational quotes on perseverance

Few things are achieved without some degree of perseverance, both on and off the job. If you can weather setbacks, disagreements, and changes that come your way, there’s not much you can’t accomplish. Get some motivation for pushing through whatever life throws at you with these quotes:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” 一 Mahatma Ghandi
“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.” 一 F. Scott Fitzgerald
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” 一 Marie Curie
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” 一 Theodore Roosevelt
“All judgment is relative. It may be right today and wrong tomorrow. The only thing that makes it truly right is the desire to have it constantly moving in the right direction.” 一 Frances Perkins
“Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone.” 一 Jorge Luis Borges
“You have power over your mind 一 not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” 一 Marcus Aurelius
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” 一 Frederick Douglass
“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” 一 Lionel Messi
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” 一 Benjamin Franklin
“Nothing in human judgment is final. One may courageously take the step that seems right today because it can be modified tomorrow if it does not work well.” 一 Frances Perkins
“People are tired of simple things. They want to be challenged.” 一 Umberto Eco
“Perseverance brings good fortune.” 一 the I Ching
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” 一 Mahatma Ghandi
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” 一 Nelson Mandela

Motivational quotes on growing

Everyone wants to learn new things, develop new skills, and surpass their previous accomplishments. That’s why talent development is so important to long-term motivation in any position. See how professional and personal growth can transform your reality with these illuminating quotes:

“The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning.” 一 Michel Foucault
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” 一 John F. Kennedy
“All the genius I have lies in this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me.” 一 Alexander Hamilton
“He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” 一 Friedrich Nietzsche
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” 一 Pablo Picasso
“Learning never exhausts the mind.” 一 Leonardo da Vinci
“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” 一 Socrates
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” 一 Benjamin Franklin
“As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.” 一 Vincent van Gogh

Motivational quotes on success

Success means different things to different people 一 and that’s good! You don’t have to climb all the way to the executive suite or build a product that changes the world to be successful. Helping others and achieving personal goals you’ve set for yourself are valid and perhaps more meaningful ways to measure success. Take a look at these thought-provoking words on success to get your wheels turning:

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” 一 Albert Einstein
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” 一 Nelson Mandela
“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” 一 Oscar Wilde
“You will be judged by what you succeed at gentlemen, not by what you attempt.” 一 Clement Atlee
“Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” 一 Michelle Obama
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” 一 Vincent van Gogh
“Curiosity is the key to problem solving.” 一 Galileo
“Genius is the ability to put into effect what is on your mind.” 一 F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” 一 Mark Twain
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” 一 Winston Churchill

Motivational quotes on failure

Everyone experiences failure at some point in their life 一 and very few enjoy that experience. But that also means that all accomplishments and successes have been born of one failure or another. Stay motivated and keep trying with the help of these words of wisdom:

“My great concern is not whether you have failed but whether you are content with your failure.” 一 Abraham Lincoln
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” 一 Michael Jordan
“I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.” 一 Oprah Winfrey
“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” 一 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 一 Thomas Edison
“Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: rationalize them, understand them thoroughly.” 一 Salvador Dali
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” 一 Robert Kennedy

Unlock motivation for you and your company today

Motivation isn’t a switch that you can flip on whenever you need it. It has to arise organically from aspects of your organization. Does your manager make you feel valued and supported? Are your achievements recognized frequently and genuinely? Can you give voice to your thoughts and concerns and see them make a real impact on what your company does?

If the answer to these questions isn’t a resounding yes, your company needs to make a change in how it motivates employees. And there’s no better way to do so than with the Achievers Employee Experience Platform. By empowering every team member with the ability to show recognition whenever and wherever the urge strikes them 一 and back up that recognition with an incredible rewards catalog 一 it supplies motivation in spades. Together with two-way, intelligent feedback channels that give each employee a voice and guide managers to take effective action, the Achievers Employee Experience Platform can transform employee engagement at your organization.

Try a free demo today and see how Achievers can boost motivation for you and across your entire organization.