Motivational quotes for work should be inspiring and empowering…and should not sound like something you lifted from a cheesy greeting card.
Our Favorite Motivational QuotesFor WorkThis is:
- If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my axe. —Abraham Lincoln
- Intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to changes. —Stephen Hawking
- Leaders can make you fail but not let you succeed. —Stanley McChrystal
- Do or do not. You can’t try. —Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
- It is important to fix anything that is wrong immediately. Be calm and don’t worry. — Ernest Hemingway
- Innovation distinguishes between a leader, and a follower. —Steve Jobs
- The best way to get out is always through. —Robert Frost
- Sometimes a change in self is more important than a change in scene. —A.C. Benson
- Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that. —Ellen Degeneres
- Luck is all about preparation and recognizing opportunities. —Seneca
- We can solve any problem if we are able to challenge the status quo. —Josh Valman
Imagine:
It’s Monday morning, and your team is gathering together for the beginning of the weekly meeting. YourTeam is still recovering from the weekend so may not be feeling the most energetic.
As the leader of your team you need to give a motivating message to them during this meeting. This is where inspirational video clips or quotes for work can be used to motivate your team and get them out of their Sunday Funday mindset and into a goal-crushing mode.
These motivational quotes for work will help employees be more productive at work. Our list of engaging with employees includes more ideas. Ideas for employee engagement. Engaging with your team is becoming more important than ever. These activities will help you get started.
To bring you this list, we searched books, songs, and even TED Talks. 141 amazing motivational quotes for employees you’ll be proud to put in a Powerpoint, an intra-office meme or a foam board printing cutout! You can find many inspiring workplace quotes to inspire your team.
Pro-TipUse these quotes to boost morale and motivate your employees.
1. Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right. —Henry Ford
2. It is better to be than you are. —Carol DweckMindset
3. I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing. —Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Although I do not know everything that is coming, I will go to it laughing. —Moby Dick, Herman Melville Click To Tweet
4. The sun is at his weakest when he rises first, but he gains strength and courage as the days go by. —Charles Dickens – The Old Curiosity Shop
5. It’s amazing that no one has to wait for a second before they can make a difference. —Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
6. The past can hurt. However, you have two options: either learn from the past or run from it. —Rafiki, The Lion King
7. If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my axe. —Abraham Lincoln
If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my axe. Click to Tweet
8. The mind is its own space, and can create a heaven or hell, or a hell of heaven. —John Milton, Paradise Lost
9. Intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to changes. —Stephen Hawking
Intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to changes. Click To Tweet
10. Leaders can make you fail but not let you succeed. —Stanley McChrystal
Leaders can allow you to fail, but not make you a failure. Click To Tweet
11. Would you rather be loved or feared? It’s easy. Both. I don’t want anyone to be afraid of me. —Michael Scott, The Office
12. The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me? —Ayn Rand
13. There are heroes, and there are legends, kid. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you’ll never go wrong. —Babe Ruth, The Sandlot
14. While talent wins games, teamwork and intelligence win championships. —Michael Jordan
While talent wins games, teamwork and intelligence win championships. Click To Tweet
15. There will be some disappointments and little rubs, but that is normal.When all else fails, human nature is able to turn to another. If the first calculation is not right, we can make a better one: we find some comfort. —Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
16. Fight to the last breath. —William Shakespeare, Henry VI
17. Do or do not. You can’t try. —Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
Do or do not. It doesn’t matter if you click to tweet
18. Be men or more than men. Keep your goals in mind and be firm as a rock. This ice cannot be withstanded by you, no matter how much you love it. —Mary Shelley and Frankenstein
19. Be the best version of yourself and not someone else. —Judy Garland
20. You can only believe that it is possible. —Charles Kingsleigh. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
21. 21. Man can only be truly great if he acts out of his passions. —Benjamin DisraeliConingsby
22. 22. When we work to be better than we are, everything around becomes better. —Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist
23. Hello, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What can we do? We swim, swim. —Dory, Finding Nemo
24. It is important to believe that we are capable of doing something, and that it must be achieved. —Marie Curie
25. Intelligence is nothing without ambition. —Salvador Dali
26. 26. Be calm and don’t worry. — Ernest Hemingway
Fix it immediately if something is not right. Be calm and don’t worry. Click to Tweet
27. Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Be persistent, believe and pretend. —Jim Hensen
28. Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. —Robert Louis Stevenson
Don’t judge every day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds you sow. Click To Tweet
29. Your brain is in your head. Your feet are in your shoes. You have the freedom to go in any direction that you want. You’re on your own. You know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go… —Dr. Suess, Oh the Places You’ll Go
30. Sometimes falling is fatal. Sometimes, falling can kill you. —Neil Gaiman – The Sandman
31. For artists, scientists, inventors, schoolchildren, and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation—the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing—is essential for high levels of creativity. —Daniel H. Pink, Drive
32. InStyle matters, swim with the current. Principle matters, stand like a rock. — Thomas Jefferson
33. Do the same thing you did so well they’ll want to do it again and again. Bring a friend. — Walt Disney
34. So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible. —Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
35 35. —Albert Einstein
36. Innovation differentiates between a leader, and a follower. —Steve Jobs
Innovation is different from a leader or a follower. Click to Tweet
37. If you start doubting your ability to fly, it is impossible to stop believing you can. —J.M. J.M.
38. Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. —George Addai
Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear Click To Tweet
39. I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then. —Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
40 It is possible to create the world that you dream of. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours. —Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
41 Avoid criticism is the only way. Do nothing. Do nothing. Say nothing. —Aristotle
Avoid criticism in one way only. Do nothing. Do nothing. Say nothing.
42 It’s not the spoon that bends; it’s only you. —Spoon Boy, The Matrix
43 Quality is the most important thing in life. —Henry Ford
44 Write it. Send it. It should be published. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE. —Joss Whedon
45 45. —Robert Frost
The best way to get out is through Click To Tweet
46 It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. — Muhammad Ali
47 47. —John Quincy Adams
48. Use soft words and a large stick. —Theodore Roosevelt
49. Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes nothing to you. It was the first. ―Mark Twain
50 It’s life. You don’t figure it out. It’s easy to just jump on the beast and go. ―Rebecca Wells Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Ya Sisterhood
51 There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas. —Susan Cain, Quiet – The Power of Introverts In a World That Can’t Stop Talking
52 Unless someone like you care a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not. —Dr. Suess, The Lorax
53 A proud heart can endure general failure, as long as it does not lose its pride. It is more difficult and bitter for a man to fail alone. —Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart
54 If you can’t turn a field in your mind, you won’t be able to plough it. —Irish Proverb
If you don’t turn the field over in your mind, then you won’t be able plough it. Click to Tweet
55 Ignorance and fear are but matters of the mind—and the mind is adaptable. —Daniel Kish
56 Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. —Roald Dahl
57. Someone, at some point, came up with this very bad idea that an ordinary individual couldn’t make a difference in the world. I think that’s just a horrible thing. —John Skoll
58 Imitation is suicide. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
59. If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears. —Simon Sinek
60 Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. —Harper Lee
61 Genius is born—not paid. —Oscar Wilde
62 It is more common to change your self than change the scene. —A.C. Benson
A change of scene is often more important than a change in self. Click to Tweet
63. The Answer to the Great Question… Of Life, the Universe and Everything… Is… Forty-two. —Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide
64 Many people miss out on opportunities because they are dressed in overalls that look like work. —Thomas Edison
65 I’ve learned about the poetry and the wisdom and the grace that can be found in the words of people all around us when we simply take the time to listen. —Dave Isay
66 We find our treasures by diving down into the depths of the abyss. You will find your treasure wherever you stumble. —Joseph Campbell
67. Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that. —Ellen Degeneres
68. It’s easy to solve a problem that everyone sees, but it’s hard to solve a problem that almost no one sees. —Tony Fadell
69. The mind never stops learning. —Leonardo Da Vinci
70. If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. —Elizabeth Gilbert
If you’re alive, you’re a creative person Click To Tweet
71. My mYou can also visit our website.ther said to me, “If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.” Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso. —Pablo Picasso
72 The power of imagination is what makes us infinite. —John Muir
73. Luck is all about preparation and maximizing opportunities. —Seneca
74 Never make an excuse for an apology. —Benjamin Franklin
Never make an excuse for an apology. Click to Tweet
75. Motivation is about getting people to do the things you want. —Dwight D. Eisenhower
76. There are no two words in the English language more harmful than “good job.” —Terence Fletcher, Whiplash
77 Don’t persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, have a conversation and be real. And listen. — Elizabeth Lesser
78. The secret to health in mind and body is to not mourn the past, not worry about the future or anticipate trouble, but to live in each moment with wisdom and earnestness. —Buddha
79 Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. —Truman Capote
Failure is the sauce that gives success its flavor. Click To Tweet
80 Innovation is a person who doesn’t know how to do it. —R.A. Mashelkar
81. Your work is not lost if you have built castles high up in the sky. Now, put foundations underneath them. —Henry David Thoreau
82. Mistakes are not something to be ashamed of, so long as you are good-intentioned. —Margaret Heffernan
83. I am not the product of my circumstances. I am the product of my choices. —Stephen Covey
84 You can’t wait for inspiration. It’s important to start a club. —Jack London
You can’t wait for inspiration. It’s time to chase it down with a club Click To Twitter
85 “I’m bored” is a useless thing to say. I mean, you live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. The inside of your mind is infinite; it continues on inwardly forever. Do you get it? The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say “I’m bored.” —Louis C.K
86 We can solve any problem if we are able to challenge the status quo. —Josh Valman
We can solve any problem if we challenge the status quo. Click to Tweet
87. Men who can outgrow their small jobs often get big jobs. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
88 InThere is a fun element to every job. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game! —Mary Poppins
89. If you hit the target every time, it’s too near or too big. —Tom Hirshfield
If you hit the target every time, it’s too near or too big Click To Tweet
90 Remember that you are unique. Like everyone else. —Margaret Mead
91. You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. It is up to you to change your response. —Mahatma Gandhi
92. We can forgive a child who fears the dark, but the true tragedy is when men fear the light. —Plato
93. Learn from the mistakes made by others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourselves. —Chanakya
Learn from the mistakes made by others. It is impossible to live long enough and make all of them yourself. Click To Tweet
94 What I love moSt about rivers is, you can’t step in the same river twice. —Pocahontas, Disney’s Pocahontas
95. 95. —F. Scott Fitzgerald
96 It’s time to try defying gravity. —Elphaba. Wicked
97. I have been broken and bent but I am now in better shape. ―Charles Dickens: Great Expectations
I’ve been broken and bent, but I hope to be in a better place. Click To Tweet
98. Goonies never say die! —Mickey, The Goonies
99 99. —Buddha
Light a lamp for someone and it will brighten your path. Click To Tweet
100 It doesn’t take long for tough times to pass, but it does take a lot of perseverance. —Dr. Robert Schuller
101. I’d visualize them coming to me. It would make me feel happier. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich. —Jim Carrey
102 Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you. ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
103. 103. ― Dustin, Stranger Things
104 When If they give you lined papers, use the other side. ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Write the opposite way if they give you lined papers. Click To Tweet
105. How many times do I have to teach you: just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. — Shuri, Black Panther
106 Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.— Conan O’Brien
107 To see the heart and mind behind a person’s character, don’t look at his achievements, but instead at what he hopes to achieve. — Kahlil Gibran
108 Your feelings are more important than your thoughts. I don’t demand this of you—life does. Otherwise, you’ll be washed away by feelings. You’ll be washed out to sea and never seen again. — Phillip Roth, Indignation
109. 109. —Siddartha by Hermann Hesse
110. 110. — James Joyce
A genius man makes no mistakes. His mistakes are volitional and are the doors to discovery. Click to Tweet
111. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” ― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
Pro-Tip: Grab one of these motivational messages and use it as a work anniversary message to your coworker for whom the company has achieved another milestone. They’ll love receiving something small yet special that celebrates their hard work and contribution to the business.
112. Are you sure that miners don’t talk about the difficulties of mining for coal all day? They don’t. They just dig. ―Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things – Advice for Love and Life from Dear Sugar
113. Fulfillment isn’t found over the rainbow—it’s found in the here and now. Today, I measure success by how fluidly I am able to transcend emotions and instead choose joy and gratefulness. — RuPaul
Fulfillment isn’t found over the rainbow—it’s found in the here and now. Today, success is defined by the ease with which I can transcend emotional landmines to choose joy and gratitude over them. Click to Tweet
114. Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. He was sitting at the kitchen table, close to tears, as he struggled to comprehend the enormity of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by Bird, buddy. Take it one bird at a time. ―Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird – Some Instructions for Writing and Life
115. Perfectionism is the enemy of the people and the voice of the oppressor. It will make your life miserable and cause you to be insane for the rest of your life. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it. ― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
116. Our virtues as well as our failures cannot be separated, just like force and matter. Man becomes nothing when they separate. — Nikola Tesla
1117 There is something amazing waiting to be discovered. — Carl Sagan
118 One man who wastes one hour of his life hasn’t discovered the value in life. — Charles Darwin
119. We continue our search for landmarks with a lesser amount of substance at the last dimming horizon. We will keep searching. This desire is stronger than any history. It isn’t satisfied and will not be subjugated. — Edwin Hubble
120 120..Only when we care can we help. Only by helping others, can we save them. ― Jane Goodall
Only when we understand can we take care. Only by caring can we help. Only by helping others, can we save them. Click to Tweet
121. Don’t be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile is easy. Don’t let others discourage you or tell you that you can’t do it. In my day I was told women didn’t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn’t. — Gertrude B. Elion, Biochemist and Nobel Prize Winner
122. If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off… no matter what they say. — Barbara McClintock, cytogeneticist and Nobel Prize Winner
123. No matter if a person is a genius in science, or in writing songs, the point is that the thought, discovery, or deed is alive and can be lived on. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It doesn’t matter if someone is a genius at science or writing songs. The only thing that matters is whether the thought or discovery is real and can be lived on. Click to Tweet
124 ForMy motivations are twofold: I want to learn more about the world and reduce the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you. ― Neil deGrasse Tyson
125 You can restrain freedom and freedom will take flight. ― Ai Weiwei
126 If I create from my heart, almost everything works. If from the head, it’s almost impossible. — Marc Chagall
127. Take a look at your life through the eyes of a child. — Henri Matisse
See life through the eyes a child would see. Click to Tweet
128 Never be afraid of speaking out for truth, honesty, and compassion against greed, lying, and injustice. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth. ― William Faulkner
129. No matter what other people say, words and ideas can make a difference in the world. — Robin Williams
130 Are you curious to find out who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. — Thomas Jefferson
Do you want to know who you are? Ask! Get active! Act! Click to Tweet
131 Man who moves a mountain starts by moving small stones. — Confuciusm, Confucius: The Analect
132. You can learn the rules like a professional, and then break them like an artist. — Pablo Picasso
133. Keep your life an adventure. If you are able to live courageously, excitedly, and imaginatively, you have no security. — Eleanor Roosevelt, The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt
133 Be so good they can’t ignore you. — Steve Martin
134 Hire character. Train skill. — Peter Schutz
135. Leaders who care about their team and surround themselves with associates and assistants are the best. They are open about this and willing to pay for the best talent. — Antos Parrish
136 I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done. — Lucille Ball
I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done. Click to Tweet
137 We can’t take any credit for our talents. It’s how we use them that counts. — Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
138 You can make a big difference with a little imagination and a lot of action. – Grant Cardone
139. A company doesn’t exist to serve its own people; a company exists to serve the needs of the people who use its products or services. ― Richard Sheridan, Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love
140 Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of—that’s the metric to measure yourself against. YourThese are the standards. It is not enough to win. You can be lucky and win. It’s possible to be an idiot and still win. Anybody can win. Not everyone is the best version of themselves. ― Ryan Holiday, The Ego Is the Enemy
141Failure is not the regret that haunts most people. It is the decision to not risk failure at all. It is not regret, but the decision to not risk failure that is troubling for most people. ― Dr. John Izzo
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of 141Inspiring work quotes We hope you find these inspiring work quotes to be an inspiration to your team.
WorkMotivational quotes can be remembered by employees for many years. You can make a big impact on your employees by posting a daily quote to work. It might just be what they need.
Which motivational quote was your favorite? What motivational quotes do you use for work every day? Comment below to let us know.
Q: How can I find inspirational quotes for my team members?
- A: Get a quote for every day of the week, to give your team a boost. SnackNation has created our top 141Quotes to motivate employees
Q: Which quotes are best to motivate employees?
- A: “Innovation distinguishes from a leader and a follower.” —Steve Jobs. Get inspired today by the right quote from our selection of quotes. Over 141Motivating words right from Robert Frost. Ellen Degeneres. Stephen HawkingAnd Continue readingIt’s possible!
Q: When is it appropriate to use a quote for motivating my employees?
- A: Managers often recommend that their employees start and end the week with positive words. A motivational quote could be the perfect thing to help an employee overcome the blues.
Q: What’s an inspirational quote for Monday?
- A: Do you feel like your team has hit a case of the Monday’s? We’ve interviewed the best professionals to find out what inspiring quotes they love and curated a list of over 141We are here for you!
Q: What are some of the best motivational quotes about work?
- A: Motivational quotes can be powerful tools for communicating your message to your team. They can have a lasting impact on productivity and help increase it. Only a few words can create an emotional response.
