20 motivational quotes to help you get things done (and why they work!)

Let me start with the well-known truth:

Employees who are motivated, are also happy, more productive and more successful than their unmotivated colleagues.

Motivation is the willingness to do something, so the relationship between motivation and productivity is clear and direct. In the meantime, when it comes to motivating the team, it seems that employers do something very wrong – the stats show that as much as 70% of workers feel unmotivated and disengaged at work.

Employers should seriously think of ways to keep the spirit up in the office – and here’s why:

Inspirational quotes, similar to motivational speakers and books, may not force people to get things done but can work as a powerful motivation trigger. It can activate the instinct motivation – the one that comes from within the person – and at least for that moment, boost the willingness to do something.

In other words, while motivation quotes may not the most efficient solution in the long-term, they can give us that extra boost we need to overcome procrastination and get the task done.

That said, here are 20 motivational quotes that will boost motivation and help you and your team get over that productivity slump:

1. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
   – Walt Disney
2. “Trying to do it all and expecting that it can be done exactly right is a recipe for disappointment. Perfection is the enemy.”
   – Sheryl Sandberg
3. “When you’re high on inspiration, you can get two weeks worth of work done in twenty-four hours.”
   – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson, ReWork
4. “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
   – Henry Ford
5. “Corporate culture matters. How management chooses to treat its people is everything – for better or for worse.”
   – Simon Sinek
6. “How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.”
   – Yvon Chouinard
7. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
   – Thomas Edison
8. “Do the best until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
   – Maya Angelou
9. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
   – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
10. “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.”
    – Pablo Picasso

11. “Doing less is not being lazy. Don’t give in to a culture that values personal sacrifice over personal productivity.”
    – Tim Ferriss
12. “It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.”
    – Henry Ford
13. “A year from now you may wish you had started today.”
    – Karen Lamb
14. “Nothing is less productive than to make efficient what should not be done at all.”
    – Peter Drucker
15. “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
    – Alexander Graham Bell
16. “Never mistake motion for action.”
    – Ernest Hemingway
17. “What I lack in talent, I make up for my willingness to grind it out. That’s the secret of my life.”
    – Guy Kawasaki
18. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
    – Oprah Winfrey
19. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
    – Winston Churchill
20. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
    – Yoda

Now, who’s ready to get back to work?

And – if you’re not just looking for ways to boost your and your team’s motivation but also want to increase work productivity, check out DeskTime.