My 5 Favorite Motivational Quotes

Its tough to stay motivated on a Friday afternoon. The scent of the approaching weekend and the overall lack of office enthusiasm can often distract from your ability to finish out the week strong. To help keep me focused, I’ve decided to write a new motivational quote on my white board each week titled “Murphy’s Laws.” I’m hoping these semi-original, semi-inspirational quotes will give me that little push to end each week on a productive note.

In honor of this new tradition, I’d like to share with you my 5 favorite motivational quotes. Some are well known, and others have just stuck with me over the years.

1. “Things may come to those who wait, but only things left behind by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln (Edit: It’s not really Lincoln, but I’m gonna leave it here because it’s a damn good quote.)

This was introduced to me by one of my close buddies, John Monti, a few years back. I instantly fell in love with this quote, and its one of the mottos of my small business blog. I’ve missed too many opportunities because I have failed to take immediate action, and this gem by Lincoln keeps my priorities straight.

2. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison

Giving up is much easier than finishing up, but the rewards aren’t nearly as lucrative. Once you overcome the initial struggles of getting started, you’ll reap the benefits of your work.

3. “Character is how hard you work when there’s no one looking.” – Coach Rick Gronda

Rick Gronda was my high school wrestling coach in my junior season. Though not as famous as the first two gentlemen mentioned above, he’s just as influential to my life. He taught me that truly successful wrestlers practice hard even when the coaches are working with another teammate at practice. The same concept applies in life and business, as those who work hard all the time are prepared to execute at any time.

4. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Fear of rejection and failure affects nearly all of us at some point in our lives. The fact is, we all fail, and we do it repeatedly. Without failure, we would never be successful. Before babies learn to speak, they mumble jibberish. No one picks up a guitar and rips a hendrix solo on their first try. So don’t let fear of failure hold you back, or you’ll never taste the sweet, sweet flavor of success.

5. “It’s a town full of losers, and I’m pullin’ out of here to win.” – Bruce “the Boss” Springsteen

OK, this one sounds a little harsh, but I’m a big Springsteen fan and I wanted to fit it in here somewhere. He basically went from a nobody artist about to be dropped by his label, to an international superstar after the release of Born to Run. Why? Its because Bruce wouldn’t sacrifice quality. Each track needed to be absolutely perfect before going on the album. The bet paid off, and it shows the value of doing things right.

There are so many other quotes that influenced my life, but I’ll save those for another time.

What are your favorite quotes? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!