Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
The prospect of success in achieving our most cherished dream is not without its terrors. Who is more deprived and alone than the man who has achieved his dream?
—Brendan Behan (1923–64) Irish Poet, Novelist, Playwright
We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
Of all the inventions that have helped to unify China perhaps the airplane is the most outstanding. Its ability to annihilate distance has been in direct proportion to its achievements in assisting to annihilate suspicion and misunderstanding among provincial officials far removed from one another or from the officials at the seat of government.
—Soong Mei-ling (1898–2003) First Lady of the Republic of China
To follow without halt, one aim; there is the secret of success. And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of the theatre. It lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishment.
—Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) Russian Dancer
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
—W. W. Ziege
A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.
—Walt Disney (1901–66) American Entrepreneur
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don’t want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
As great scientists have said and as all children know, it is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception, and compassion, and hope.
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b.1929) American Science fiction and fantasy writer
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The object of living is work, experience, and happiness. There is joy in work. All that money can do is buy us someone else’s work in exchange for our own. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.
—Jim Loehr
Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.
—Doug Larson (1926–2017) American Columnist
No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or “get rich” in business by being a conformist.
—J. Paul Getty (1892–1976) American Business Person, Art Collector, Philanthropist
He has achieved success who has worked well, laughed often, and loved much.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
—Robert F. Kennedy (1925–68) American Politician, Civil Rights Activist
The elementary school must assume as its sublime and most solemn responsibility the task of teaching every child in it to read. Any school that does not accomplish this has failed.
—William Bennett (b.1943) American Politician, Political Theorist, Government Official
Ideas are the beginning of all achievement.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Well done is better than well said.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
If you fear making anyone mad, then you ultimately probe for the lowest common denominator of human achievement.
—Jimmy Carter (b.1924) American Head of State, Military Leader
It is better to be high-spirited, even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent. It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love, is well done.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions.
—William F. Scolavino
The chief duty I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
You cannot believe in honor until you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright: you are the window through which you must see the world.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man can’t retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
There is great power in focusing on what you want….. The person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing. Most people try to be all things to everyone. And so they end up being nothing to anyone. Confucius nailed the point: “Person who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
—Robin Sharma (b.1964) Canadian Writer, Motivational Speaker
Nothing great in this world has been accomplished without passion.
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) German Philosopher
All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened.
—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) German-born Swiss Novelist, Poet
What in fact have I achieved, however much it may seem? Bits and pieces trivialities. But here they won’t tolerate anything else, or anything more. If I wanted to take one step in advance of the current views and opinions of the day, that would put paid to any power I have. Do you know what we are those of us who count as pillars of society? We are society’s tools, neither more nor less.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
Humanity needs practical men, who get the most out of their work, and, without forgetting the general good, safeguard their own interests. But humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit. A well-organized society should assure to such workers the efficient means of accomplishing their task, in a life freed from material care and freely consecrated to research.
—Marie Curie (1867–1934) Polish-born French Physicist, Chemist
Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure.
—Erik Erikson (1902–94) German-born American Developmental Psychologist
Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
—John Wooden (1910–2010) American Sportsperson
Instead of solid accomplishments, the man pursues pleasures and self-gratification. He will never achieve anything so long as he is surrounded by dissipating temptations
—I Ching Ancient Chinese Divination Text
Desire is the presentiment of our inner abilities, and the forerunner of our ultimate accomplishments.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
He who possesses the source of Enthusiasm
Will achieve great things.
Doubt not. You will gather friends around you
As a hair clasp gathers the hair.
—I Ching Ancient Chinese Divination Text
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
As long as we separate this ‘oneness’ into two, we won’t achieve realization.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Let your enthusiasm radiate in your voice, your actions, your facial expressions, your personality, the words you use, and the thoughts you think! Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The soul who meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests satisfied within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!
—Anne Frank (1929–45) Holocaust Victim
Everybody starts at the top, and then has the problem of staying there. Lasting accomplishment, however, is still achieved through a long, slow climb and self-discipline.
—Helen Hayes (1900–93) American Actor, Philanthropist
Your ability to negotiate, communicate, influence, and persuade others to do things is absolutely indispensable to everything you accomplish in life. The most effective men and women in every area are those who can quite competently organize the cooperation and assistance of other people toward the accomplishment of important goals and objectives.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Never tell a man how to do something. Tell him what to do and let him surprise you with his ingenuity.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.
—Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) British Historian
Getting ahead in a difficult profession — singing, acting, writing, whatever — requires avid faith in yourself. You must be able to sustain yourself against staggering blows and unfair reversals. When I think back to those first couple of years in Rome, those endless rejections, without a glimmer of encouragement from anyone, all those failed screen tests, and yet I never let my desire slide away from me, my belief in myself and what I felt I could achieve
—Sophia Loren (b.1934) Italian Actor
Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.
—Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970) French General, Statesman
The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Football Coach
There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader
If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won, or lasting happiness achieved.
—Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) French Actor, Singer
The covetous man never has money; the prodigal will have none shortly.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to earth.
—Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) American Novelist, Human Rights Activist
Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur