Do you ever struggle just getting out of bed in the morning? We all know that we only get results when we take meaningful action in our lives. Yet, I certainly battle with myself often over simply getting started, and I’m guessing that I’m not alone.
In fact, many researchers believe that the primary issue facing us today is disengagement. Studies suggest only 13% are truly engaged at work and over 40% of students are chronically disengaged at school.
That’s correct… we are more disengaged at school, home, work and in life in general than ever before.
In my experience with depression, it is more about being numb to the world and disengaged from life than it is about feeling negative emotion. What I do know is that when I feel fear or anxiety in my life, the best antidote is taking action.
When I worry about money, putting together a budget and seeking new sources of income get me out of a funk almost immediately. When I worry about a deadline at work, I find comfort the moment I start taking the steps necessary to meet my commitment. And when I struggle as a parent, seeking guidance from a trusted friend or reading up on different parenting approaches empower me instantly.
Taking action means we are exerting our influence on the world to get the results and outcomes we want. It is the creative expression of our being. Without taking action, we are leaving things to chance and allowing our minds to wander.
If you are like me, quotes from people I admire refocus my efforts and get me up and going!
Here are our 37 favorite quotes to inspire you to take action:
1. Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. – John Wooden
2. There is no greater harm than that of time wasted. – Michelangelo
3. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. – Thomas Jefferson
5. Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation… even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. – Leonardo da Vinci
6. It is never too late to be who you might have been. – George Elliott
7. The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. – Steve Jobs
8. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Teddy Roosevelt
9. Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will. – W. Clement Stone
10. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time. – Thomas Edison
11. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. – Old Adage
12. Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
13. The only cure for grief is action. – George Henry Lewes
14. To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. – Arthur Ashe
15. The biggest gap in your life is that between what you know and what you do. – Bob Proctor
16. Things won are done; joy’s soul lies in the doing. – William Shakespeare
17. Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid of only standing still. – Ancient Chinese Proverb
18. To get what we’ve never had, we must do what we have never done. – Juan Casimiro
19. Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die tomorrow. – James Dean
20. Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. – Maria Robinson
21. You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety. – Abraham Maslov
22. The undertaking of a new action brings new strength. – Richard Evans
23. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius
24. Action eliminates doubt. – Nashid Sharrief
25. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present. – B. Olatunji
26. Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. – Napolean Hill
27. I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair. – Alfred Lord Tennyson
28. So many fail because they don’t get started. – W. Clement Stone
29. Action is the foundational key to all success. – Pablo Picasso
30. Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try. – Gail Devers
31. The longer you wait for the future, the shorter it will be. – Loesje
32. Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine. – Friedrich Schiller
33. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. – Mother Teresa
34. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. – Napolean Hill
35. 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.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up. – Regina Brett
37. Action is eloquence. – William Shakespeare
There are three things that we control that will improve the quality of our lives: the thoughts we have, the words we use, and most importantly, the actions we take.
We hope these quotes inspire you to take greater control of your life and live your dreams.
7 Mindsets also publishes our own Morning Mindset daily quotes to provide inspiration and exemplify the thinking we all want to leverage in our lives.
View the Morning Mindset Quotes here. If you like what you see, you can sign up to receive them directly via email or follow on social media.
The time is now to take action!
