5 Insanely Inspirational Quotes For Entrepreneurs Successful people have bad days, too. Here are some of my favorite quotes for unlocking motivation.
By Lewis Howes Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Believe it or not, successful people have bad days, too. The difference is they don't let their feelings dictate their actions. Remembering that emotions are temporary, they have a singular focus -- to serve a larger vision.
In order to keep my eye on the prize, even when huge setbacks occur, I always come back to the inspiration of my vision as the key to unlocking my motivation. These are some of my favorite quotes for one of those days.
1. "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing--that's why we recommend it daily." --Zig Ziglar
The law of consistency is a powerful thing. It's tough to hope to be great at something and have it come true if you don't practice it often. Whatever habits you practice on a daily basis will support you in getting the result you are looking for (or support you in not getting them if you lack the discipline).
Related: Lewis Howes On Being Confident: 'Own Who You Are'
2. "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
My friend Sean Stephenson recently experienced a near fatal accident. After just a month he is already moving forward toward his comeback. In his most recent podcast, he talks about his mentor, Byron Katie, calling him to give him inspiration to help him heal. She told him to stop calling it an "accident" and start calling it a "purpose." His takeaway is exactly that -- to continue living a life of intention and purpose.
3. "Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you." -- Tony Hsieh, Zappos founder and CEO
I am a big fan of the company Zappos and its culture. According to Hsieh's widely read book Delivering Happiness, companies with a higher sense of purpose outperform others by 400 percent.
Related: Letter to a Young Entrepreneur: 3 Things to Remember
4. "You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over." -- Richard Branson
It's said that Branson has dyslexia and had poor academic performance as a student, but later discovered his superpower to network (something he and I have in common).
On one of Branson's last days at school, his headmaster is reported to have told him he would either end up in prison or become a millionaire. Branson is infamous not only for his innovation but also for his risk-taking. Oh yeah, and for his net worth.
5. "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." -- Bill Gates
One of my favorite books is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and one of his precepts to live by is "Don't take anything personally". A great skill to have is to be able to objectively utilize feedback to improve your product or service.
Sometimes we all have to "fake it till you make it." A little inspiration goes a long way, so the next time you are feeling unmotivated to take action in your business, pull out your favorite quotes, or better yet post them on the wall in your home or office, and get yourself back in the game quicker.
