Let's be honest, it isn't easy to make your dreams come true, especially if you are an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are visionaries. They create something that does not exist in the world. Sometimes their creation is small, and sometimes it changes the world as we know it. But, regardless of how big your vision is, you will likely hit some road blocks in the journey towards manifesting it. To help you overcome some of the mental and emotional road blocks that await you, we have compiled this list of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs to take inspiration from.
Hope it helps!
20 Motivational Quotes for Entrepreneurs
1. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Anthony Robbins (American life coach & author)
Tony Robbins is an amazing source of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs. This quote is powerful because it summarizes a universal truth that affects us all - that you need to know where you want to go to get there. If you don't have any goals, then your mind has no constraints. It doesn't know what it is looking for. If you never define where you want to go, then how will you know when you arrive? And what will you use to keep you on track?
2. "There are two days in the year that you can't do anything. The one is called 'yesterday' and the other is called 'tomorrow'." – Tenzin Gyatso (The 14th Dalai Lama)
If all of your plans and goals are for some vague period of time in the future, that's exactly where they will remain. And when that future arrives, the time will still not feel appropriate. After all, you won't have much of a track record of getting things done. You need to work on your dreams daily, even in tiny increments.
3. "You don't need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment." – Seth Godin (American author)
Have you ever noticed how New Year's resolutions are abandoned more often than they are kept? It's not that the goal has become less valuable, it's because we got tired of chasing it. We know that we need to commit to getting anything done, but we forget how much of a grind that commitment can be. The real progress will be made by those who are able to keep their commitments long after the feeling of motivation has passed.
4. "The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so." – Ennius (Ancient Roman philosopher)
This is one of my all-time favorite quotations, and it comes from an ancient Roman poet. It is absolutely true. You can never lose if you don't surrender. If you hit a set-back in your road to success, that's all it is. It isn't a blockade unless you allow it to be. JK Rowling's Harry Potter was turned down by 12 different publishers when she was just a single mother with a dream. Any one of those 12 rejections could have been the end of her story, but she didn't allow them to be. The 13th publisher struck a deal, and she is now a billionaire because of it. Ask yourself - what kind of life could you live if you refused to give up on your dream?
5. “All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.” – Niccolo Machiavelli (Medieval Italian diplomat)
Everything is risky when you think about it, so you might as well be taking the right ones. Yes, entrepreneurship is risky, but so is relying on someone else for the money you need to feed your family. If being poor is the downside for both entrepreneurs and employees, you might as well pursue the one with the greater pay-off. Make the mistake of moving too fast, not the mistake of never getting started.
6. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar (American author & motivational speaker)
Nobody is great at what they do the first time they do it. Lebron James didn't wait until he was the best basketball player to start playing. JK Rowling had never written a book before she wrote Harry Potter, but she didn't let that stop her. What is a common thread between all of the most successful people in the world? They all got started. They all stepped up to the plate and started swinging at some balls. Join them!
7. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King (American author)
A quick browse of Stephen King's Wikipedia page shows that he has written 61 novels, 5 non-fiction books, and 200 short stories. Writer's block? He's clearly never heard of it. If he had waited until everything felt right to begin writing, his achievements would be a tiny fraction of what they are now. Of course, not everything he wrote will be a winner. But with gems like The Shining, Pet Sematary, It, and The Green Mile under his belt, he will forever be remembered as one of the best fictional authors. Get to work!
8. “If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and every day you have the opportunity to write a new page.” – Mark Houlahan (English professor)
This is a critical lesson that we all need to learn. If you want your life to be something special, then you need to make it so. No one else can (or will) do it for you. Every day is a new page and a new opportunity. If you aren't happy with how your life is turning out, don't complain about it! Do something different! You are the author. You are the driver choosing your destination. You are in control. Never forget that.
9. “It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement.” – Isocrates (Ancient Greek orator)
This is another critical lesson for entrepreneurs. Just because you're busy, does not mean you are being productive. We often use smaller, insignificant tasks to distract us from our lack of progress on the important tasks. A long journey to where you want to go is worth the wait. A quick journey to the wrong destination can take your entire journey off-track. Be the tortoise, not the hare.
10. “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.“ – Henry David Thoreau (American Poet)
This is a beautiful entry on our list of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs. If your ambitions are lofty, good. They should be. Huge dreams are just as achievable as small ones. All you need is the right foundation, the right skill set, and the right attitude. It's going to be a more complex process than it would have been for a small dream, but also more desirable. Just focus on what you can control, and build your foundation.
11. “Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves.” – James Allen (British philosophical writer)
If you look at the people in your life, you'll realize that this is a near-universal truth. Everybody wants to be rich, but nobody wants to put in the work to get there. Everybody wants to be fit, but nobody wants to diet and exercise. People want to become better versions of themselves but don't want to invest in themselves. News flash - the only thing you have control over in this life is yourself. Never forget that.
12. "If you want to be useful, you can always start now, with only 1% of what you have in your grand vision. It’ll be a humble prototype version of your grand vision, but you’ll be in the game. You’ll be ahead of the rest because you actually started, while others are waiting for the finish line to magically appear at the starting line." – Derek Sivers (American entrepreneur)
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have to do something amazing right off the bat and to let this paralyze you. In reality, that's not how it works. The best way to run a marathon is to focus on the first mile. Thinking about how difficult it is to run 26 miles is a recipe for anxiety, and it will make you scared of starting. But, if you focus on getting to 1%, then grow to 2%, and 3%, this gives you a process that can be replicated. The hardest part is getting started.
13. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.” – Catherine Cook (Founder of MeetMe)
Mistakes are lessons. Every mistake tells you a story of what didn't work. You probably aren't going to be successful on your first try, but you can use the process of elimination to eliminate possibilities one-by-one. If you aren't making mistakes, then you aren't making decisions. You aren't trying new things. You aren't moving forward, and you aren't making progress. There's no nobility in having a perfect record with 0 attempts.
14. "Man is born to live and not to prepare to live." – Boris Pasternak (Russian poet)
Here's a secret - you're not meant to be perfect. No one is. This is what makes us human and makes us individuals. If everyone was perfect, then we would all be the same. With this in mind, we need to live our lives, not just plan for them. We need to make mistakes and be vulnerable. We need to chase our dreams, even if we sometimes look silly in the process. Never forget that experience is the best teacher.
15. “The secret to happiness is freedom. And the secret to freedom is courage.” – Thucydides (Ancient Roman historian)
What do you want in life? Do you want to travel? Do you want to be able to spend time with your friends and family? Or maybe you want to be able to work on what you love, without worrying about making an income? What you are describing is freedom, and in order to get it, you need to have courage. It takes courage to start a business. It takes courage to try to achieve your potential. Freedom requires courage.
16. "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill (Former British Prime Minister)
Do you want to be a successful entrepreneur? If so, you should know that it is going to take a while. Entrepreneurship is a process, not just an event. If you want to succeed, you need to be able to learn from your mistakes and continue trying. Success doesn't come overnight. It's a process, and that process requires you to have the strength to carry it out. You can do it. A positive attitude is key.
17. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs
One of the biggest sources of motivation will always come from how you feel about what you are working on. If you believe that you are doing something that is making the world a better place, that feeling will push you further than anything else. Big brands are built on big visions.
18. “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” – Hasidic Proverb
Confidence is addictive. It influences others. A confident person can reassure others, even if the circumstances indicate that they should be concerned. If you're going to be a successful entrepreneur, you'll need to learn how to inspire confidence in others. If you want to learn more, check out our article on influence and how it translates into digital marketing strategies. You need to be able to sell yourself.
19. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
You're never too old to dream or have goals. There's nothing to stop a person from learning a new skill, taking on a new project, or coming up with a new dream regardless of their age. In fact, these dreams and goals are crucial for our survival. Our sense of self-fulfillment is the great equalizer, and it will have a 60-year old just as enthused and present as a 20-year old. There's nothing stopping you from becoming successful and having your words be added to our next list of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs.
20. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
By now, I hope that you have gained some motivation from the quotes on this list. However, motivation means nothing in the real world. Motivation doesn't build successful companies or accomplish goals – only action does. Therefore, the sooner you get started, the sooner you will begin seeing positive results.
Wrapping Up:
By now, I hope our list of motivational quotes for entrepreneurs has you feeling energized and motivated! If your entrepreneurial path is taking you down the road of e-commerce or dropshipping, then you should consider using DropCommerce for your product-sourcing needs.
DropCommerce is one of the leading dropshipping networks, and what makes us special is that we focus exclusively on North American suppliers. This leads to better quality products, quick and easy communication, and overall, happier customers. We help thousands of entrepreneurs – both new and experienced – take action on making their dreams come true every year. We're confident that we will be the perfect fit for your business. Come check out our 14-day free trial, and get a feel for the DropCommerce difference!
If you enjoyed this article on motivational quotes for entrepreneurs, then make sure to check out:
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What Is Dropshipping? The Ultimate Overview
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