100+ Inspirational & Motivational Quotes for Work, Life, & Success

Last Updated on – Sep 23, 2021 @ 5:40 am

“All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.”
– Demosthenes

What drives you?

What motivates you to a point that you’re willing to do anything for your cause?

If you’ll ask the greatest Greek orator of all time, Demosthenes, the answer is payback.

Quick story:

Demosthenes was born into a wealthy family. Unfortunately, his parents died when he was but a kid.

And just like your classic telenovela plot, his aunts and uncles found a way to get all his riches, leaving poor Demosthenes to fend for himself at a young age.

As a young kid, Demosthenes was frail and sickly. He was denied of the customary gymnastic education because of this.

He didn’t have the strength to work hard labor like others, nor did he have the talent to entertain people.

Life has been hell since his parents passed away.

But just like the underdog hero we root for in movies, giving up wasn’t a choice. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he used his misfortune as fuel to pursue justice.

To claim back what was rightfully his.

In order to win the case against his guardians, Demosthenes started to learn rhetoric. Back then you can act as your own lawyer, present your case through speeches and convince the jury of the people to take your side of the argument.

However, he was never great at speaking. He lacked the confidence. Worse, he had a speech impediment. According to Plutarch, Demosthenes had “an inarticulate and stammering pronunciation” that disrupted his normal speech.

Can you imagine someone trying to become a speaker who can’t even pronounce words clearly? That’s like asking someone to play the guitar using his feet.

The fire of vengeance and justice in his heart was too great, however, that no amount of challenge is enough to stop him from realizing his goal.

Aside from learning a great deal about the law as a logographer (he wrote speeches for private legal suits), he also vowed to improve his speaking skills. He was so intent in doing this that in fact, he shaved off half of his head so that he’ll be too embarrassed to go out and procrastinate.

He locked himself in an underground study and practiced speaking in front of a large mirror.

To strengthen his lungs, he recited verses while running.

To get more power in his voice, he spoke over the roar of the waves by the seashore.

To overcome his speech problems, he swallowed rocks and practiced speaking with them.

Now I don’t know about you, but if a man swallowing rocks to conquer his speech problems is not a sign of motivation, I don’t know what is.

Back to Demosthenes:

At the age of 20, he finally filed suit against the relatives who stole his wealth. Through the wisdom he gained through his occupation and his newfound oratory skills, he and won the case and succeeded in retrieving a portion of his inheritance.

But while he achieved the justice he rightfully deserved, it was just but the beginning of his marvelous journey towards becoming one of Athens’ most inspirational speaker.

His voice mobilized the country against some of its greatest enemies.

He would go down in history as Greece’s most powerful orator.

What is Motivation?

A quick look online yields the result: “The reason for people’s actions, willingness, and goals”.

Pretty much sums up how everyone interprets it. But is motivation really that simple?

This is exactly what author Dan Pink wanted to find out when he wrote his best-selling book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”

He explains that there are 3 types of motivation:

Motivation 1.0 – The drive to satisfy basic needs: Food, shelter, and security. We work to satisfy these elements.

Motivation 2.0 – Rewards and Punishment style. The so-called, Carrot & Stick method. “Next person to finish the job in an hour gets free lunch!”

Motivation 3.0 – Presumes our need to create, grow in knowledge and improve our world.

In Demosthenes’ case, his drive to get better in order to get justice and improve his world (and later, others) serves as a perfect example of Motivation 3.0.

But does this mean that Motivation 1.0 and 2.0 are useless? Absolutely not.

Each type serves its own purpose, each one has its own pros and cons. And in order to understand this better, we need to know about the 2 main types of tasks:

Algorithmic tasks

Routine tasks. A job that requires a fixed set of instructions. The results and goals are known even before the task get started. Stuff like going to the gym, finishing a report, and washing the dishes are some examples.

Heuristic tasks

Tasks that require a higher level of thought and creativity because it can’t be accomplished by following a set of steps or rules. Finding the cure for cancer, writing the next great novel, coding an app, creating artwork—are some examples.

Motivation 2.0 works well with Algorithmic type of tasks. Here’s an example.

My wife asked me to buy some groceries the other day. Feeling lazy, I told her I’ll do it the next day. In response, she threw a Motivation 2.0 curveball:

“Diba kahapon ka pa nagcra-crave sa macaroni salad? Meron dun malapit sa bandang fruits and vegetables.”

Ahh—good one.

With my taste buds excited, I gave in. I’m the donkey and the damn macaroni salad was my carrot.

And that’s how extrinsic goals work in Motivation 2.0.

However, it can be dangerous when applied to Heuristic tasks because of the following reasons:

May promote cheating and shortcuts
Encourages short-term thinking
Reduce performance and quality of work
Kill intrinsic motivation (internal)
Prevent creativity from flourishing

Think about it: If the boss always used rewards to motivate people, how do you think they will respond to new tasks when there’s no bonus involved?

“No thanks, that’s just additional work for me”

“Why the heck would I want to do that? What’s in it for me?”

If you’re that boss, receiving these types of responses hurts. It sucks. However, you’re also to blame for their attitude. By always promising a reward when they finish a task, you conditioned them to operate only when there’s a prize involved. Which shouldn’t be the case all the time.

Research showed that high performance can’t be triggered by external goals. Instead, it comes from Motivation 3.0—our core desire to be the master of our own lives and live with purpose and meaning.

When Demosthenes swallowed rocks to combat his speech problems, do you think he did it for the money?

Nope, I don’t think so. Sure it may have been a factor, but I would argue that it was his burning desire for justice that ultimately drove him to take extreme measures to improve himself.

He was a logographer, after all, there was money in his profession. If all he wanted was to become rich, he was already on the right path. Why go through all the trouble of learning how to be a great speaker?

Because as the story showed us, his desire to bring his corrupt relatives to justice and take back what was rightfully his was his ultimate motivation to transform himself.

Intrinsic goals are the pillars of true motivation.

Dan Pink identified 3 factors that need to be satisfied in order to achieve a Motivation 3.0 mindset. They are:

Autonomy – Ability to direct our own lives and choose our own actions.
Mastery – The desire to get better and improve our lives.
Purpose – The desire to do something bigger than ourselves. To become of service to others.

When we’re operating based on these 3 desires, good things happen.

Obstacles crumble. Our paths become clear. Suddenly, we’re unstoppable.

This, my friend, is what real motivation is all about.

During one of his stand-ups, comedian Dave Chappelle shared that he has a cookie jar at home filled with punch lines. Sometimes, he said, he’ll pull out one and challenge himself to come up with a joke that can make use of that punchline.

The following is my own take on Chappelle’s cookie jar. But instead of jokes, I’m filling it with a hundred of the best quotes to inspire and motivate you. Think of these as little nuggets of wisdom to give you that extra nudge on those days when you’re feeling down and weary.

Hopefully, it inspires you and makes your day a wee bit better.

100+ Inspirational Motivational Quotes:

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. ― Robert F. Kennedy
If plan A fails, remember there are 25 more letters. – Chris Guillebeau
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. – John Wooden
If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn
The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. – Bruce Lee
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure. ― Paulo Coelho
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. – Estee Lauder
Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning. – Robert Kiyosaki
You cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life; at some point, you have to unleash the potential and make your move. – Eric Thomas
If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it! – Jonathan Winters
The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do. – Swati Sharma
It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. – Pele
Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed. – Bob Riley
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. – C.S. Lewis
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. – Dale Carnegie
You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. – Joel Osteen
Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. – Og Mandino
It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs. – Jillian Michaels
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – Francis of Assisi
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius
When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there. – Zig Ziglar
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. – Michelangelo
If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles. – Wayne Dyer
The secret of change Is to focus all of your Energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new – Socrates
Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now. – Denis Waitley
Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself. – P. T. Barnum
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. – Mark Twain
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. — Aristotle Onassis
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. – Steve Jobs
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. – Mahatma Gandhi
I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse. – Florence Nightingale
If we have the attitude that it is going to be a great day it usually is. – Catherine Pulsifer, Og Mandino
Good things happen to those who hustle. – Anais Nin
The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately. – Unknown
Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire. – Patti Smith
Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand. – Oprah Winfrey
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? – Sheryl Sandberg
It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old. They grow old because they stop pursuing dreams. – Gabriel García Márquez
I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count. – Muhammad Ali
You gotta run more than your mouth to escape the treadmill of mediocrity. A true hustler jogs during the day, and sleepwalks at night. – Jarod Kintz
You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic. – Stephen C. Hogan
What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us. – Julia Cameron
Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes. – Zig Ziglar
The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up. – Robert Tew
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined! – Thoreau
Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing. – Bill Murray
Many people think they want things, but they don’t really have the strength, the discipline. They are weak. I believe that you get what you want, if you want it badly enough. – Sophia Loren
Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still. – Chinese proverb
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. – John Wayne
Persist – don’t take no for an answer. If you’re happy to sit at your desk and not take any risk, you’ll be sitting at your desk for the next 20 years. – David Rubenstein
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Mine’s a pretty simple strategy: there’s not a lot of talent here, but there’s a lot of hustle. I have to be in every place I can, and be busy. – Ryan Seacrest
Opportunities don’t happen. You create them – Chris Grosser
The hustle brings the dollar. The experience brings the knowledge. The persistence brings success. – Ross Simmonds
If you’re going through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill
Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. – John D. Rockefeller
He who is outside his door has the hardest part of his journey behind him. – Dutch proverb
Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen. – Michael Jordan
The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – Vince Lombardi
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing. – Theodore Roosevelt
When I was young, I observed that 9 out of 10 things I did were failures. So I did 10 times more work. – George Bernard Shaw
Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you. – William James
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. – Stephen King
Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. – Swami Sivananda
The best revenge is massive success. – Frank Sinatra
If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success. – James Cameron
Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed. – Abraham Lincoln
The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way. – Dale Carnegie
Invest in your dreams. Grind now. Shine later. – Unknown
I’d rather hustle 24/7 than slave away 9-to-5. – Fat Joe
It’s simple arithmetic: Your income can grow only to the extent that you do. – T. Harv Eker
The trouble for most people is they don’t decide to get wealthy, they just dream about it. – Michael Masters
Hustle until you no longer need to introduce yourself. – Anonymous
It always seems impossible until it’s done – Nelson Mandela
What’s on the other side of fear? Nothing. – Jamie Foxx
A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one. – Mary Kay
Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future. – Charles Kettering
It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult. – Seneca
I read somewhere that if you pray for rain. . . don’t complain about the mud! – Hyacinth Mottley
There’s a positive side to any situation, even if you don’t see it right away. – Nealey Stapleton
A problem is a chance for you to do your best. – Duke Ellington
I aspire to inspire before I expire. – Pravinee Hurbungs
Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. – Norman Vincent Peale
Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you. – Henry J. Kaiser
It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success. – David Feherty
Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful. – Hazrat Inayat Khan
Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein
It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts. – Ella Fitzgerald
If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way. – Martin Luther King Jr.
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. – Michael Altshuler

How to Stay Motivated, Focused, and Inspired

Let’s face it—finding inspiration and motivation to do the stuff we need to do is hard. Whether it’s as simple as a household chore or taking steps to improve your professional career, you won’t always have the motivation to start, continue, or finish them.

So what to do on those days when motivation is as elusive as the winning lotto combination?

Answer: Use some of the most effective and time-tested techniques for staying motivated, focused, and inspired.

Let’s get started.

1. Remind yourself why

Sometimes, asking ourselves why we’re doing it in the first place can give our brains the jolt it needs to focus.

“Why am I going through this training course again?”

Ah, yes—to get more skills and increase my chances of getting promoted. And with the promotion, better pay, and benefits. A better life for my family.

Marine Corps recruits undergo a lot of physical and mental torture that dissuades the majority of applicants to continue.

To motivate themselves to push on, they ask themselves these questions:

“Why are you here?”
“Why are you doing this to yourself?”
“Why are you risking your life?”

The answer, of course, is this: “To defend my country!”.
That’s their most powerful “why”.

By reminding themselves of this constantly, they adopt a focused mindset which gives them the inspiration and motivation to never give up.

2. Set small goals

Let the momentum of finishing smaller tasks propel you towards finishing bigger goals. In his most popular commencement speech, Admiral William H. McRaven stressed the importance of making your bed in the morning.

Why should you do it?

Answer: It builds up momentum.

By doing a small task or finishing a simple goal, you’re building up momentum to propel yourself towards completing other goals in your to-do list.

It works because our brains hate unfinished events. It craves closure.

Why do you think people binge-watch? Because of that cliffhanger at the end of each episode. It intrigues and excites us. We want to know what’s gonna happen next.

We want closure. We want to finish the whole season to stop our minds from thinking “I wonder what will happen next. I can’t wait to get home and watch”.

If you have a to-do list and see that you still have one last task left unfinished, chances are you’d go the extra mile to do it—just so you can end the day knowing you completed everything you planned and tasked yourself that day.

It feels good. Accomplishing something feels great and motivates us to do the same the next day.

The logic is also similar to collecting gold coins in Super Mario games.

You want to get each one, for some reason you can’t stand leaving a piece behind.

Again, it goes back to our brain’s desire to complete and finish things, it hates unfinished business. Use this to your advantage.

3. One at a time

Remember that old joke, “How do you eat an elephant?”

Answer: “One bite at a time”.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the project. Just focus on doing the next step.

4. Don’t break the chain

Seinfeld’s “Don’t break the chain” method allows you to see how much you’ve accomplished.

Here’s how it works: You get a calendar and cross out each day you are able to complete that thing or task that you vowed yourself to do every single day.

To Seinfeld, it was to write jokes every day. To you, it may be to exercise for 5 minutes, get up early, or drink 8 glasses of water.

You get that “streak” that you don’t want to break. It helps in motivating you to do the work so you don’t break your progress.

Works very much like our “make your bed” advice earlier. Only this time, the fear of breaking momentum and progress is what you’ll use to motivate yourself.

I have a friend with an absolutely “no absent” (sick leave) track record. She has held it for years. So even on days when she feels like missing work, her “record” helps her fight the urge to do so.

Of course, I’m only saying this to show you the power of the don’t break the chain method. Done right (and within reason), it can be a powerful motivator.

5. Make it fun

Adding an element of game and fun to tasks make them more bearable. It shifts your perspective to the action itself and not at the task at hand.

“Gamification” has been applied in personal development for years. Apps that reward your character whenever you complete a real-world task, for example, is a perfect example of this.

6. Reward yourself

Celebrate your wins. It helps keep you motivated by having a prize when you complete something.

Even a simple pizza treat helps keep your mood up. Or maybe reward yourself with a 30-minute Netflix break for every couple of hours of work.

Have or do something that your brain will look forward to so that it will be more motivated to complete a task.

7. Surround yourself with inspiration

Put up posters of people, places, icons, that inspire you. Pick a quote below and frame it so you can put it on your desk.

Every bit of inspiration helps.

8. Perfectionism kills motivation

When I was contemplating building my own website, I thought about a bunch of things that I thought I needed.

In hindsight, I basically scared myself against taking the first step by overwhelming my brain with unimportant stuff.

Only after realizing I was trying to get it perfect at first try did I remember that most endeavors in life are never smooth at first take.

We’re bound to fall off the bike the first time we try to get on it. The first few pedals are never smooth.

What’s important is to have the guts to begin. Adjust and improve along the way. That’s the normal way of learning and doing things.

9. Take an alternative approach

Though I’m not a math person, I find it fascinating when a specific problem can be solved via several methods.

And just like real-world problems, sometimes all we need is to look at it at a different angle. Gain back your motivation by getting unstuck.

Start by taking a different approach, looking for alternatives, and coming up with creative solutions.

As you perfect this skill, you’ll get good at solving problems.

10. Break down goals into smaller chunks

When I write articles, I do it in 30-minute chunks. I spread it throughout the workday.

It helps me avoid burnout and allows me to always have a fresh perspective on each session.

I’ve always thought this was the secret why I never had writer’s block for years.

Plus, it has the added benefit of removing my anxiety in finishing a 5000-word article, for example.

Trust me, it helps a lot. It prevents me from being overwhelmed with a task that seems too big to start.

11. Have a plan but be flexible

When things do not go according to plan, how do you usually react? In general, it pisses us off.

Makes us lose some motivation in pushing through and completing it. To minimize this, never expect that things will always go through as planned.

Set up a plan B and C. Have a response for each specific scenario. This way, you won’t end up beating yourself up if your first plan fails.

12. Set up habits and systems

If you’ll ask former US Navy Seal commander Jocko Willink, discipline is the key to getting things done.

What does this have to do with motivation?

For one, motivation isn’t always there. And during those times, our discipline and habits will take care of the job for us if we’ve set them up correctly.

For example, I’ve read plenty of best selling authors who make sure to prep their desks the night before so that they’ll be primed for writing in the morning.

I read of a CEO who sleeps in his gym clothes so he won’t waste time deciding if he should to go to the gym. It makes his decision automatic.

“Hooked” author Nir Eyal installed a device that will shut off his router at a specific time so he can stop getting online and get some sleep.

See, we don’t always have to rely on willpower. By setting up systems, we’re helping ourselves avoid those situations that would otherwise likely lead to procrastination on our end.

For example, this list of the best time management systems can help you develop routines for maximum efficiency.

Build up your own systems and “cheat codes” for reducing those instances when you have to “think” if you should do something.

Mel Robbins, author of the “5-second rule”, explains that our brains always will try to reason out with us each time we are tasked with something.

So instead of getting up as soon as the alarm hits, our brains tell us, “Just 5 more minutes… you can just shower quicker”. Or “There’s probably a long line in the bank today, just do it tomorrow.”.

Mel Robbins’ system, “The 5-Second Rule,” tells us that if something needs to be done, we have less than 5 seconds to start it otherwise out brains will talk us out of it.

So the next time your alarm rings, remember that you only have 5 seconds to get up before your brain “convinces” you to hit the snooze button it.

If you don’t, your brain will softly whisper, “But the sheets are so soft…just 5 more minutes.” And you how that always ends.

13. Remove distractions

I put my phone on airplane mode and hide it inside the drawer when I’m working.

I clear my desk before I start typing. I’m doing this because I want to avoid distraction as much as possible.

Case in point: I woke up early today to try and finish this piece but I ended up spending a good hour playing on the computer.

The culprit? I had the Xbox controller sitting on top of my laptop. Forgot to clear it the night before.

And just like Gollum’s ring, the damn thing called to me and had me trapped for a solid 60 minutes. I even forgot to drink coffee. Never have your toys and doodads on your desk.

14. Move to another work area

“Umay” not only happens when we’re eating, but it also pops up when we’re working.

You know—those moments when you dread getting back to your desk because you’ve been doing the same thing the whole day.

If you can’t switch tasks, try switching workspaces instead. I do this fairly regularly.

Working on the couch or on the dining table somehow “refreshes” my mind. I guess it helps my brain relax since it sees I’m not on that same desk I’ve been working on for the last few hours.

Helps break the monotony. Plus, there’s plenty of stuff to snack on at the kitchen.

15. Meditate or go for a walk

Millions of people swear by the benefits of meditation.

Aside from calming our frenzied minds, it helps to refresh our brains and replenish its creative juices.

Personally, I just go for a walk whenever I can. It gives me the same effect but with the added benefit of physical activity.

I found out that a quick 10-minute stroll is usually enough to recharge my mind and body. Give it a try sometime, you’ll be surprised with the results.

16. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts

I always have Bluetooth headphones blasting various podcasts and audiobooks whenever I’m doing random house chores.

It’s a great way of maximizing your minutes while learning a great deal at the same time. Pro tip: Put it on 1.5x speed to cover more stuff in less time.

There are hundreds of great material out there behind the science of motivation, some of which I mentioned in this article. And I learned about them via this method.

There are also hundreds of biographies and stories about successful people that inspire and motivate. Sometimes, listening to inspiring stuff is just the jolt we need to get back on track.

17. Get some coffee (or tea)

If you find yourself stuck, stand up, stretch a little, and go make a cup of coffee or tea.

Or a glass of water.

Whatever floats your boat.

We all need a break every once in a while, and I found that drinking a hot cup of my favorite coffee and tea helps me recharge and replenish my creative juices.

And this somehow gets my motivation to get back to work.

18. Read interviews about successful people

I’ve always been fond of reading about the trials and success stories of other people.

Whether it’s an article or a book, it’s a great source of inspiration.

19. Get some help from a mentor

Sometimes, we need another person’s help to figure a problem out and get ourselves primed for action.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to start an online business but afraid of all the risks.

You want to have an idea how to do it. And sometimes, the best move is to talk with someone who already has the experience.

Getting advice on something you’re planning on working on is valuable and helps motivate you to push past your fears.

20. Make a vision board

A vision board is basically a collage board containing text or images of things you want to have or accomplish.

It’s like a more creative and engaging wish list. I’ve seen people post images of places they want to visit, stuff they want to do, things they want to own.

Seeing images of the things you want to have in life can be a powerful motivator. A little something to inspire us on days we struggle to find the urge to push through.

I’m going to end this piece with one of my favorite quotes (from the Farrelly Brothers):

Life is like going the wrong way on a moving walkway. Stand still and you go backwards. Walk and you stay put. Gotta hustle to get ahead.

This YouTube vid from Casey Neistat perfectly captures the message and makes it easy to remember.

Over to you

What’s your all-time favorite quote? Share it with us at the comments below!

Read Next:

Like Grit PH on Facebook