10 Motivating Quotes to Help You Spring Into Action Don't let this past winter leave you dragging, here are some inspiring words of wisdom for every entrepreneur to get motivated.
By Adam Toren
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March signals the end of the first quarter and the start of spring. It's a great time to take stock of goals and plans for 2015 to see what kind of progress you've made so far and to tweak and adjust as necessary.
If you're looking for some advice to reinvigorate you and put that spring back into your step, here are ten insanely motivating quotes to help get you going:
1. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. -- Aristotle
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It's easy to have a bad day and start over again the next morning, but now is a really good time to take stock not only of the month behind you, but also the quarter behind you as well. Were there more good days than bad so far? Did you stick to your daily habits and goals or are you slipping? Perfection is never the measurement of success, but now is a great time to take stock of your habits that form your excellence.
2. Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When you do have those bad days, don't lose hope. Entrepreneurship is an adventure, and like any great story, it has peaks and valleys. Lean into the successful person you want to become and take your first steps in the faith that wherever the journey leads you, it will be for your greatest good.
3. Act or accept. -- Anonymous
I love this quote because at the end of the day, your life is up to you. You can choose to accept the thing you don't like, or you can choose to take action. It's all up to you.
4. Many great ideas go unexecuted, and many great executioners are without ideas. One without the other is worthless. -- Tim Blixseth
So you want to be an entrepreneur? That's great. You'll need the big idea and vision, but that's only enough for the faux-preneurs out there who don't step into action. You have to execute on your great idea or it really isn't that great.
5. The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -- Bono
Life is malleable. Your life is the clay and it's up to you to form it into whatever shape you want it to take. Like it or not, you're responsible for wherever you are and that means you can take steps to develop into the person you want to become. If you don't know how to get started, get a mentor or a coach. That one action alone can help totally transform the year ahead.
Related: How to Rekindle Your Flame for Your Business
6. Being defeated is only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. -- Marilyn vos Savant
Like I said, there will be bad days, along with good days. Some of the days will have you feeling like you're defeated, but you really never are. Sure, your idea or your business might not work out, but that doesn't mean it's the end. No business loss is ever the end unless you make it so. You can choose to reinvent yourself, your business, your product and the world. It's up to you.
7. Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. -- Winston Churchill
Churchill also was the one to famously say, "Never, never, never give up." Don't give up on yourself. Don't quit and stay stuck in your old ways of thinking and doing. Make this your best year ever by getting the support and resources you need to keep your enthusiasm high and your spirit going strong through the lean times.
8. Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. -- Conrad Hilton
There's a theme to staying motivated and that is to keep moving forward regardless of obstacles. There's a misconception that being motivated means you'll never face discouragement, defeat or failure. To the contrary, every successful entrepreneur has faced numerous defeats, failures and their fair share of discouragement. However, they had the inner conviction to keep going, not necessarily in a failed venture, but in their belief that they'd figure out life and their vision and ultimately succeed. Your mind has all the power you need to overcome any challenges.
9. The best way to predict the future is to create it. -- Unknown
It's all about accountability. You can mold and create the life you want to live and the lifestyle of your choosing. It's all up to you to take those first steps. What kind of progress have you made so far this year? How can you improve on your daily execution? What experts or lifelines can you call in to help you move even more efficiently?
10. There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. -- Dr. Denis Waitley
Will 2015 be your best year yet, both professionally and personally? That's all up to you. It starts with your mindset and attitude, and then carries through in your work ethic and actions. Will you ensure your own success? Now is a great time to evaluate and if necessary, reevaluate your choices so far.
Related: 20 Motivational Quotes from Legendary Entrepreneurs, Leaders and Visionaries (Infographic)
