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Are you looking for hard work quotes that are both inspiring and motivating?
If so, you have come to the right place!
In the following article, you will discover 100 hard work quotes that come from a variety of business and thought leaders.
Not only will they provide guidance on how to take your job to the next level, but they can also provide that extra nudge to make things happen in all aspects of your life. These sayings can also be the catalyst for building great work habits. Whether you want to motivate yourself, your co-workers or the important people in your life, you'll find that perfect quote about working hard.
Let's get to the following quotes to succeed at your job.
Hard Work Quotes
- “Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.”– Malcolm Gladwell
- “When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”– Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”– Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
(Do more inspired work with a little help of these meaningful Lao Tzu quotes.)
- “There are people who try to look as if they are doing a good and thorough job, and then there are the people who actually damn well do it, for its own sake.”– John D. MacDonald
- “A man is worked upon by what he works on. He may carve out his circumstances, but his circumstances will carve him out as well.”– Frederick Douglass
- “No one understands and appreciates the American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American.”– Anthony Bourdain
- “All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” – Calvin Coolidge
- “Those at the top of the mountain didn't fall there.” – Unknown
- “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” – Thomas Edison
The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” – Thomas Edison
- “Don’t give up. The beginning is always the hardest. Life rewards those who work hard at it.” – Unknown
- “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “If a man is called a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that the hosts of heaven and Earth will pause and say, Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
- “You wasted $150,000 on an education you could have got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library.” – Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)
- “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”– Thomas Jefferson
- “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing
- “Quality is much better than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” – Steve Jobs
- “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”– Newt Gingrich
- “Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
“Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
- “Without labor, nothing prospers.”– Sophocles
- “It's not about money or connections – it's the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone.”– Mark Cuban
- “Make each day your masterpiece.”– John Wooden
- “Life without endeavor is like entering a jewel mine and coming out with empty hands.”– Japanese Proverb
- “This is the real secret of life – to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”– Alan Watts
- “All good work requires self-revelation.”– Sidney Lumet
- “Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Work is not always easy. Sometimes it can be downright difficult.
That is when these inspirational quotes about hard work from achievers, doers, athletes, stars, entrepreneurs, authors, and our heroes mean the most. The authors of these quotes have been there and done it. They have achieved success in their lives from the hard work they have put in.
Now they are just about sharing their thoughts and quotes with others trying to instill the principles they learned with time and dedication onto a new generation. For more on the challenges that many people have faced, learn about some famous people who found success after failing and then focus on building a few of these 203 good habits into your life.
RELATED: 12 Good Morning Routine Habits
Want to build a success-focused morning routine? Well, watch this video to learn about the 12 morning routine habits of the world's most successful people.
Work Ethic Quotes
I don’t know about you; I am a sucker for sayings that emphasizing a great work ethic. The truth is you can overcome almost any challenge by putting your nose to the grindstone and putting in a lot of effort. There's something so powerful about being able to do whatever it takes to get the success you desire.
Let’s face it… Reality doesn’t always work out as cleanly as some of these quotes. Sometimes it isn't about how smart you are, it's about how hard you work. For example, people doing these bad productivity habits may be doing something, but they aren’t getting the things they need accomplished.
If you want to get a better idea on what you could be doing to get the success you desire to check out what 43 experts have to say when it comes to the #1 success habit.
- “I work very hard, and I play very hard. I'm grateful for life. And I live it – I believe life loves the lover of it. I live it.”– Maya Angelou
- “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”– Colin Powell
- “You can't have a million-dollar dream on a minimum wage work ethic.” – Unknown
- “Leadership is more than just being able to cross the t's and dot the i's. It's about character and integrity and work ethic.”– Steve Largent
- “The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!”– Marvin Phillips
- “Developing a good work ethic is key. Apply yourself at whatever you do, whether you're a janitor or taking your first summer job because that work ethic will be reflected in everything you do in life.”– Tyler Perry
- “Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.”– Tim Fargo
Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.”– Tim Fargo
- “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing
- “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”– John C. Maxwell
- “The difference between greed and ambition is a greedy person desires things he isn't prepared to work for.”– Habeeb Akande (Check out this post for more great quotes on ambition.)
- “Success is dependent upon the glands – sweat glands.”– Zig Ziglar
- “I would rather risk wearing out than rusting out.”– Theodore Roosevelt
- “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”– Abraham Lincoln
- “If you work hard enough and assert yourself and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires.”– Malcolm Gladwell
- “The best way to learn is by doing. The only way to build a strong work ethic is getting your hands dirty.”– Alex Spanos
- “When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all.”– Theodore Roosevelt
- “Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat.” – Ann Landers
Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat.” – Ann Landers
- “I'm a firm believer in if you work hard, you should play hard. So, I try to keep my life as balanced as possible to keep my sanity.”– Alicia Sacramone
- “Enjoy life, study hard, play hard, be kind to other people, set high standards, and don't be afraid to say ‘No.‘”– Nia Long
- “Every time you stay out late; every time you sleep in; every time you miss a workout; every time you don’t give 100% – You make it that much easier for me to beat you.”– Unknown
- “A good work ethic is not so much a concern for hard work but rather one for responsibility. There have been a great many men and women who have, in fact, used work or hustle or selfish ambition as an escape from real responsibility, an escape from purpose. In matters such as these, the hard work is just as dysfunctional as the sloth.”– Criss Jami
- “Choices and decisions must be supported by your passion, resolve, and a productive work ethic. If these meet opportunity – your success has finally come.”– Archibald Marwizi
- “Face your problems head-on. Do what you have to do to take care of it. Develop a good work ethic.”– George Chuvalo
- “Every beautiful mind has great dreams, but rarely is anyone ever ready to work hard for their dreams.”– Terry Mark
Playing Hard Quotes for Sports
Sports are such a clear indicator of the extra hard effort that can be put into work (whatever work it is) to get those supreme results.
This article on goal setting showcases many Olympic athletes and the extreme hard work they put in to be in the top .001% of their professions in the world, and how they go about making plans to get there. They've learned to accept and embrace the suck that comes along with achieving their goals.
Want to achieve more success? Then check out 50+ of our favorite success quotes.
- “It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.”– Vince Lombardi
- “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.”– Jim Valvano
- “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.– Michael Jordan
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.“– Michael Jordan
- “Most people give up when they are about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from the winning touchdown.”– Ross Perot
- “It ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” – Rocky Balboa
- “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”– Derek Jeter
- “If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard; you’ll be hard to beat.”– Hershel Walker
- “You’re never a loser until you quit trying.”– Mike Ditka
- “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.”– Ted Williams
- “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”– Vince Lombardi
- “Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss.”– Doug Williams
- “If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.”– Ben Hogan
- “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.”– Bo Jackson
Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.”– Bo Jackson
- “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.”– Matt Biondi
- “You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is a real joy.”- Arthur Ashe
- “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”– George Halas
- “To uncover your true potential, you must first find your own limits, and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.”– Picabo Street
To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street
- “In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”– Tommy Lasorda
- “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”– Arnold Schwarzenegger
- “I never left the field saying I could have done more to get ready, and that gives me peace of mind.”– Peyton Manning
Motivational Quotes for Work
Want to find that perfect quote for your job? Then here are 22 of our favorite says about putting in that extra effort at your place of employment.
- “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”– Henry Ford
- “There is simply no substitute for hard work when it comes to achieving success.”– Heather Bresch
- “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” — Jack London
You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”— Jack London
- “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
- “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”— Paulo Coelho
- “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive, and passion, it's possible to achieve the American dream.”— Tommy Hilfiger
- “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison
- “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”– Mark Twain
- “Life is like art. You have to work hard to keep it simple and still have meaning.”— Charles de Lint
- “You will never plow a field if you only turn it over in your mind.”— Irish Proverb
- “We can each define ambition and progress for ourselves. The goal is to work toward a world where expectations are not set by the stereotypes that hold us back, but by our personal passion, talents, and interests.”– Sheryl Sandberg
- “Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm, and genuine people.”– Tena Desae
Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm, and genuine people.– Tena Desae
- “The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”— Charles Kingsleigh
- “Do or do not. There is no try.”— Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
- “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”— Seneca
- “Someday is not a day of the week.”– Janet Daily
- “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”— Colin Powell
- “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.“— Jim Rohn
If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.“— Jim Rohn
- “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”— Stephen Covey
- “Don't work for recognition but do work worthy of recognition.”– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
- “I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.”— Jim Carrey
- “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.”– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Quotes About Work-Life Balance
Sometimes finding the balance between our hard work life and our family life can be a difficult thing to manage. The following five quotes are here to remind you that while hard work is important – so is living your life.
- “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”– Dolly Parton
- Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”– John D. Rockefeller
Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”– John D. Rockefeller
- “Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls – family, health, friends, and integrity – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.”– Gary Keller
- “We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.”– Arianna Huffington
- “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.”– Stephen R. Covey
- “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.”– Michael Altshuler
Quotes About Success
Finally, let's finish off with a few famous quotes about success…
- “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”– Winston Churchill
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.“– Winston S. Churchill
- “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.”– Colin R. Davis
- “Opportunities don't happen. You create them.”– Chris Grosser
- “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”– Thomas Jefferson
- “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”– Ray Goforth
Final Thoughts on Hard Work Quotes
Hopefully, these words from famous people have done their job to give you the motivation to accomplish some amazing things in both your personal and professional life.
Inspirational quotes for work like the ones above are a good way to start your day on the right foot and motivate you to succeed. Whether you are an entrepreneur, athlete, or simply someone face tough times at work, these quotes to inspire that lift you up and give you the helping hand you need to get through a tough week and persevere.
If quotes don't inspire you enough, check out our favorite songs about working hard.
And if you feel like you're failing to take action on your ideas, then I recommend checking out this detailed article on 14 different methods for overcoming procrastination in your life.
And if you want more motivational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 95 Motivational Quotes for Work to Boost Your Productivity
- 165 Positivity Quotes | Build a Positive Attitude at Work & Life
- 82 Dream Big Quotes: Inspiration to Turn Your Dreams into Reality
Like this post?
How do you feel about hard work? Do these words inspire you to do better, or are they just a waste of time? Have a quote that helps you get things in your life?
If so, please share your thoughts on these hard quotes in the comments below and share some of the hard work quote and pictures on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, or your favorite social media platform. Share and tweet your favorites to show others that working hard can lead to success.
Finally, if you want to level up your productivity and time management skills, then watch this free video about the 9 productivity habits you can build at work.
These are really awesome inspirational quotes and I think i should think about many things. Thanks for the lines.