As a business person, you've got to get out of bed each morning and be ready not only to motivate yourself, you've also got to keep your team motivated. Sometimes in the face of daunting deadlines and crushing failures, it can be hard to keep moving forward.

But there are many who have come before you. And their words can be a source of inspiration and motivation. As my grade 9 Western Civ teacher told us many times, "We stand on the shoulders of giants." (Attributed to many people, including Newton.)

If you're going to build the dream you've set out to build, you're going to need some daily self-motivation and self-care. On top of the SEO, the copywriting, the social media, the user experiences, you must not forget yourself. 

Take time each morning to remind yourself of those who have gone before and built their dreams, and pull out these quotes when you need a little boost, a kick in the pants. You deserve it.

Motivational Quotes to Keep You Moving Forward

1. Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our character, our character becomes our destiny. -- Gandhi

So watch every thought, every word. 

2. Our number one value isn't in any of the skills we have. It's that we're essentially curious. -- Jim Coudal

Staying curious can solve so many problems, and help us stay positive and non-judgemental while we're at it.

3. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now build the foundations under them. -- Henry David Thoreau

Has someone dared call you a dreamer? Have you built castles in the air? Great! Now get to work and build your foundations.

4. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -- Anais Nin

Sometimes that uncomfortable feeling is you trying to blossom. Let yourself grow, even if it hurts sometimes.

5. Be careful what you pretend to be, because you are what you pretend to be.  -- Kurt Vonnegut

Stay awake to your best self. Deliberately practice being your best every day. 

6. Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto. -- Dale Carnegie

Even on days when things seem amiss, when life hands you lemons (get the tequila and salt!), you must wake yourself up to your good. 

7. Some people die when they are 25 and aren't buried until they are 75. (Ouch.) -- Benjamin Franklin

When will you die? The date of our physical death is beyond our control, but in many ways, we control when we "die". Keep moving, keep trying, keep going forward!

8. If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. -- Bruce Lee

What have you put limits on? Where do your fears lie? Take a moment to think about a place in your life you can stretch yourself. Do one thing a day that scares you.

9. A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Do you know that moment when a project is complete, really complete? A rule of thumb for writers is to reduce your writing by 1/3 after you think you are finished. Do you have a project that needs pruning?

10. Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -- Lao Tzu

What can you do today? A small thing that might make a big difference to your life plan...

11. Number 11 is a bit of a gift. Instead of a short quote, it is a 3-minute video (found above) that will knock you down, hold you there and make you beg for mercy. But after you watch it, you will be transformed. You will be ready to change the world in your own special way. So watch the video.

Filed in // Leadership