170 Short Inspirational Work Quotes
Short Inspirational Work Quotes – Often demanding work environments, staying motivated and inspired can be a significant challenge. Whether you’re facing a tough project, navigating a career transition, or simply looking to boost your productivity, a little motivation can go a long way.
Inspirational quotes have long been a source of encouragement, providing valuable insights and perspectives that can help us tackle our goals with renewed energy and determination.
This collection of 170 short inspirational work quotes is designed to spark creativity, foster resilience, and remind us of the importance of teamwork and personal growth.
From renowned leaders like Thomas Edison and Maya Angelou to influential thinkers and innovators, these quotes offer a diverse range of perspectives on what it means to succeed and thrive in both our professional and personal lives.
Whether you’re seeking a daily dose of motivation or a reminder of your potential, these quotes are here to inspire and guide you on your journey to achieving greatness.
Read: 150 Inspirational Good Morning Messages
170 Short Inspirational Work Quotes
1. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” —Theodore Roosevelt
2. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” —Tim Notke
3. “Make each day your masterpiece.” —John Wooden
4. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life.” —Steve Jobs
5. “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” —Henry Ford
6. “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” —Dalai Lama
7. “The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.” —Arthur C. Clarke
8. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” —Muhammad Ali
9. “Progress is impossible without change.” —George Bernard Shaw
10. “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.” —Richard Branson
11. “The most effective way to do it is to do it.” —Amelia Earhart
12. “It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” —Abraham Lincoln
13. “Appreciate everything your associates do.” —Sam Walton
14. “Don’t limit yourself.” —Mary Kay Ash
15. “The strength of the team is each individual member.” —Phil Jackson
16. “You can’t let your failures define you.” —Barack Obama
17. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” —Thomas Edison
18. “If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can.” —Emily Chang
19. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance.” —Alexander Graham Bell
20. “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” —Sam Walton
21. “We will fail when we fail to try.” —Rosa Parks
22. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” —Maya Angelou
23. “Without ambition one starts nothing.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
24. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination.” —George Lorimer
25. “Boss up and change your life.” —Lizzo
26. “The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda
27. “The more I want to get something done the less I call it work.” —Richard Bach
28. “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it.” —Amanda Gorman
29. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” —Warren Buffett
30. “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned.” —Joseph Campbell
31. “Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work.” —Anna Quindlen
32. “You are enough just as you are.” —Meghan Markle
33. “Dream big and dare to fail.” —Norman Vaughan
34. “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” —Oscar Wilde
35. “Happiness is not by chance but by choice.” —Jim Rohn
36. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” —Oprah Winfrey
37. “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” —Satya Nani
38. “The most wasted of days is one without laughter.” —E.E. Cummings
39. “Definers belong to the definers, not the defined.” —Toni Morrison
40. “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” —President John F. Kennedy
41. “None but ourselves can free our minds.” —Bob Marley
42. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
43. “Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work.” —Usain Bolt
44. “Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” —Mason Cooley
45. “Perfect is boring. Human is beautiful.” —Tyra Banks
46. “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” —Jennifer Dukes Lee
47. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” —Abraham Lincoln
48. “To be an overachiever, you have to be an over-believer.” —Dabo Swinney
49. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” —Milton Berle
50. “Self-discipline is self-caring.” —M. Scott Peck
51. “Impossible is for the unwilling.” —John Keats
52. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” —President Harry Truman
53. “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
54. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller
55. “One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up.” —Jin Kwon
56. “Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” —Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha
57. “Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” —Mattie Stepanek
58. “If you can’t yet do great things, do small things in a great way.” —Napoleon Hill
59. “Do not wait for the perfect time and place to enter.” —Unknown
60. “If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be.” —Clayton M. Christensen
61. “Work hard and be kind and amazing things will happen.” —Conan O’Brien
62. “Hard work spotlights the character of people.” —Sam Ewing
63. “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou
64. “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” —Frank Ocean
65. “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress.” —Simon Sinek
66. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind.” —Henry Ford
67. “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand.” —Alexander Graham Bell
68. “Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.” —Unknown
69. “Failure is not the opposite of success: it’s part of success.” —Arianna Huffington
70. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams
71. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” —Abraham Lincoln
72. “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself.” —Michelle Obama
73. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.” —Vince Lombardi
74. “Great companies are built in the office, with hard work put in by a team.” —Unknown
75. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” —Jimmy Johnson
76. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
77. “You learn more from failure than from success.” —Unknown
78. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost.” —Henry David Thoreau
79. “Some companies don’t have an engagement problem, they have a hiring problem.” —Bob Kelleher
80. “There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance.” —Jack Welch
81. “She was learning, quite late, what many people around her appeared to have known since childhood.” —Alice Munro
82. “You can have it all, no sacrifice.” —Lizzo
83. “The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda
84. “Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” —Maya Angelou
85. “Without work one finishes nothing.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
86. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” —George Lorimer
87. “Boss up and change your life / You can have it all.” —Lizzo
88. “The strength of each member is the team.” —Phil Jackson
89. “You can’t let your failures define you.” —Barack Obama
90. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” —Thomas Edison
91. “If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can.” —Emily Chang
92. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance.” —Alexander Graham Bell
93. “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” —Sam Walton
94. “We will fail when we fail to try.” —Rosa Parks
95. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” —Maya Angelou
96. “Without ambition one starts nothing.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
97. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination.” —George Lorimer
98. “Boss up and change your life.” —Lizzo
99. “The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda
100. “The more I want to get something done the less I call it work.” —Richard Bach
101. “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it.” —Amanda Gorman
102. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” —Warren Buffett
103. “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned.” —Joseph Campbell
104. “Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work.” —Anna Quindlen
105. “You are enough just as you are.” —Meghan Markle
106. “Dream big and dare to fail.” —Norman Vaughan
107. “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” —Oscar Wilde
108. “Happiness is not by chance but by choice.” —Jim Rohn
109. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” —Oprah Winfrey
110. “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” —Satya Nani
111. “The most wasted of days is one without laughter.” —E.E. Cummings
112. “Definers belong to the definers, not the defined.” —Toni Morrison
113. “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” —President John F. Kennedy
114. “None but ourselves can free our minds.” —Bob Marley
115. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
116. “Skill is only developed by hours and hours of work.” —Usain Bolt
117. “Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” —Mason Cooley
118. “Perfect is boring. Human is beautiful.” —Tyra Banks
119. “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” —Jennifer Dukes Lee
120. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” —Abraham Lincoln
121. “To be an overachiever, you have to be an over-believer.” —Dabo Swinney
122. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” —Milton Berle
123. “Self-discipline is self-caring.” —M. Scott Peck
124. “Impossible is for the unwilling.” —John Keats
125. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” —President Harry Truman
126. “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
127. “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller
128. “One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up.” —Jin Kwon
129. “Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.” —Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha
130. “Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” —Mattie Stepanek
131. “If you can’t yet do great things, do small things in a great way.” —Napoleon Hill
132. “Do not wait for the perfect time and place to enter.” —Unknown
133. “If the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be.” —Clayton M. Christensen
134. “Work hard and be kind and amazing things will happen.” —Conan O’Brien
135. “Hard work spotlights the character of people.” —Sam Ewing
136. “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou
137. “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.” —Frank Ocean
138. “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress.” —Simon Sinek
139. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind.” —Henry Ford
140. “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand.” —Alexander Graham Bell
141. “Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.” —Unknown
142. “Failure is not the opposite of success: it’s part of success.” —Arianna Huffington
143. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams
144. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” —Abraham Lincoln
145. “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself.” —Michelle Obama
146. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.” —Vince Lombardi
147. “Great companies are built in the office, with hard work put in by a team.” —Unknown
148. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” —Jimmy Johnson
149. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
150. “You learn more from failure than from success.” —Unknown
151. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost.” —Henry David Thoreau
152. “Some companies don’t have an engagement problem, they have a hiring problem.” —Bob Kelleher
153. “There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance.” —Jack Welch
154. “She was learning, quite late, what many people around her appeared to have known since childhood.” —Alice Munro
155. “You can have it all, no sacrifice.” —Lizzo
156. “The plan is to fan this spark into a flame.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda
157. “Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” —Maya Angelou
158. “Without work one finishes nothing.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
159. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” —George Lorimer
160. “Boss up and change your life / You can have it all.” —Lizzo
161. “The strength of each member is the team.” —Phil Jackson
162. “You can’t let your failures define you.” —Barack Obama
163. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” —Thomas Edison
164. “If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can.” —Emily Chang
165. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance.” —Alexander Graham Bell
166. “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” —Sam Walton
167. “We will fail when we fail to try.” —Rosa Parks
168. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” —Maya Angelou
169. “Without ambition one starts nothing.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
170. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” —George Lorimer
