If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.
—John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) American Oil Magnate, Philanthropist
Ambition means longing and striving to attain some purpose. Therefore, there are as many brands of ambition as there are human aspirations.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
He who wants to do everything will never do anything.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
Don’t say you don’t have enough time.
You have exactly the same number of hours per day
that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur,
Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci,
Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (b.1940) American Self-Help Author
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
—Louisa May Alcott (1832–88) American Novelist
Transform the divided individual into the world-personality; let all thyself be the divine. This is thy goal.
—Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950) Indian Mystic, Philosopher, Poet
The fact is, nothing comes; at least, nothing good. All has to be fetched.
—Charles Buxton (1823–71) British Politician, Writer
I care not what your education is, elaborate or nothing, what your mental calibre is, great or small, that man who concentrates all his energies of body, mind and soul in one direction is a tremendous man.
—Thomas De Witt Talmage (1832–1902) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Religious Leader
We all need lots of powerful long-range goals to help us past the short-term obstacles.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
The first essential, of course, is to know what you want.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Every true man, sir, who is a little above the level of the beasts and plants does not live for the sake of living, without knowing how to live; but he lives so as to give a meaning and a value of his own to life.
—Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936) Italian Dramatist, Novelist, Short Story Writer, Author
There is no sorrow I have thought more about than that—to love what is great, and try to reach it, and yet to fail.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.
—Anne Frank (1929–45) Holocaust Victim
Your automatic creative mechanism is teleological. That is, it operates in terms of goals and end results. Once you give it a definite goal to achieve, you can depend upon its automatic guidance system to take you to that goal much better than “you” ever could by conscious thought. “You” supply the goal by thinking in terms of end results. Your automatic mechanism then supplies the means whereby.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is . . the ability to direct one’s whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task.
—Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) German Soldier
There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning.
—Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American Novelist, Essayist
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
Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic
What I’m out for is good time. All the rest is propaganda.
—Unknown
A life that hasn’t a definite plan is likely to become driftwood.
—David Sarnoff (1891–1972) American Broadcaster, Businessman
People who say that life is not worthwhile are really saying that they themselves have no personal goals which are worthwhile. Get yourself a goal worth working for. Better still, get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to “look forward to”—to work for and hope for.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
It takes great goals to lead us out of our everyday limits into accomplishing more than we ever thought we could or would.
—Robert Cooper (b.1947) British Diplomat
A set definite objective must be established if we are to accomplish anything in a big way.
—John D. MacDonald (1916–86) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
What an immense power over the life is the power of possessing distinct aims. The voice, the dress, the look, the very motion of a person, define and alter when he or she begins to live for a reason.
—Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.
—Ralph Washington Sockman (1889–1970) American United Methodist Pastor
There’s some end at last for the man who follows a path; mere rambling is interminable.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from the top.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic
The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams.
—Og Mandino (1923–96) American Self-Help Author
It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world. The great man or woman is the one who never steps outside his or her specialty or foolishly dissipates his or her individuality.
—Og Mandino (1923–96) American Self-Help Author