Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.
—Ben Stein (b.1944) American Lawyer, Writer, Economist, Humorist
Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground
—Ralph Marston
When something does not insist on being noticed, when we aren’t grabbed by the collar or struck on the skull by a presence or an event, we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
—Cynthia Ozick (b.1928) American Novelist, Short-story Writer, Essayist
My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.
—Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, Academic
The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.
—Jean Piaget (1896–1980) Swiss Psychologist
I believe the ultimate goal of living and refining your values is to identify and achieve congruence with universal principles.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.
—Les Brown
Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (1913–70) American Football Player, Coach
The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.
—David Starr Jordan (1851–1931) American Zoologist, Educator, Peace Activist
Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
—Ralph Vaull Starr
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
—Unknown
One whose every goal is accomplished and every dream fulfilled, lives not as a man but as an instrument of destiny
—Indian Proverb
Knowing your destination is half the journey.
—Anonymous
The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Do you want to be right more than you want to know the truth? It’s the truth that set me free. Acceptance, peace, and less attachment to a world of suffering are all effects of doing The Work. They’re not the goals. Do The Work for the love of freedom, for the love of truth.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.
—Anais Nin (1903–77) French-American Essayist
The goal of all life is death.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Nothing resists a human will that stakes its very existence upon the achievement of its purpose.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dear-bought experience.
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
New boots…big steps.
—Chinese Proverb
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.
—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1926-2004) American Psychiatrist
By losing your goal, you have lost your way.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Most of us serve our ideals by fits and starts. The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.
—Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959) American Film Producer, Director
Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.
—Polybius (c.200–c.118 BCE) Greek Historian
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.
—Tom Landry (1924–2000) American Sportsperson
An affirmation states that a goal is already happening. I’m not crazy about this because, often when we affirm something that is not yet real, the little voice in our head usually responds with “This isn’t true, this is BS…On the other hand, a declaration is not saying something is true, it’s saying we have an intention of doing or being something. This is a position the little voice can buy, because we’re not stating it’s true right now, but again, it’s an intention for us ion the future.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
A goal is not the same as a desire, and this is an important distinction to make. You can have a desire you don’t intend to act on. But you can’t have a goal you don’t intend to act on.
—Tom Morris
Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile goals.
—Paul J. Meyer
Perfection of means and confusion of goals seem, in my opinion, to characterize our age.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
The goal of truly rich people is to have massive wealth and abundance.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Usually obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
—Hannah More
All men seek one goal: success or happiness. The only way to achieve true success is to express yourself completely in service to society. First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal-a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends-wisdom, money, materials and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
—Louis Pasteur (1822–95) French Biologist
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. … Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.
—Barack Obama (b.1961) American Head of State, Academic, Politician, Author
What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.
—Bill Cosby (b.1937) American Actor, Comedian, Activist, Producer, Author
It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is a sin.
—Benjamin Mays (1894–1984) American Minister, Educator, Scholar, Social Activist
The chief purpose of the body is to carry the brain around.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
When a thing is done, it’s done. Don’t look back. Look forward to your next objective.
—George Marshall (1880–1959) American Military Leader
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar