Goal-setting is serious business. In fact, it is one of the most important elements of progress and achievement. Yet, oddly enough it is one of the areas that most people spend the least amount of time on in pursuit of their goals. In addition to this, how a person goes about setting up their goals, is one of the main reasons why goals fail, but it is not the only reason.

No, there are actually a few other reasons why goal setting often fails, and we plan on addressing this issue for you today in this post. So, if you’ve been struggling with your goals lately, stick around, as we’ll be addressing some critical areas that could help you out significantly.

Now, the reason we rarely achieve the goals we set our for ourselves is not because we lack talent, the brains, or the drive. Nope, the reason many of us fail to reach our goals is due to goal setting failures, and there are five of them:

1. The Goal Was Not Structured Correctly

One of the most cited reasons for why goal-setting fails is due to the way the goals were set up from the beginning. Many people accidently structure their goals the wrong way.

What’s the wrong way? Setting goals that don’t align with the S.M.A.R.T. structure. If you haven’t heard of this structure, it is essentially a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.

If your goals don’t include all five of these elements, then it isn’t a S.M.A.R.T. goal, and if it isn’t a smart goal, your chances of never reaching that goal decline dramatically.

2. The Goal Was Not Aligned With Your Values

The next most cited reason for goal setting failure, is creating goals that are not truly aligned with your values and sense of purpose. Goals that are set without paying homage to your values, will soon clash with even the best structured S.M.A.R.T. goal.

On top of this, when a goal is not aligned with your true purpose and your deepest values, you’ll typically throw in the towel when times get tough. In addition, when your goals align with your values, it reduces friction when actions steps are being taken. And the less friction and resistance you face on your journey towards achievement, the better your odds are of achieving the goal.

So, be sure to keep your values in mind when setting your goals.

3. The Goal Was Never Written Down

The last reason why goal-setting often fails is related to people’s failure to write down their goals. It seems like it wouldn’t be too big of a deal, but it is.

In fact, when you write down your goals a few things happen; you increase your motivation, you improve your ability to recall your aims – which lends to better monitoring and tracking, and writing down your goal also increases your odds of achieving the goal by 42%.

So, if you really want to achieve something, do yourself a favor the next time you are deciding on a goal, be sure to write it down.

4. Disciplined Wasn’t Applied

This next key reason is why most of the first three reasons never get applied to goal-setting in the first place, and it has to do with applied discipline. Creating S.M.A.R.T. goals takes discipline.

Taking the time to sort through what is valuable to you and your aims takes discipline, and taking the steps of writing down your goals in a way that will serve in the long-term requires discipline as well.

Self-discipline is critical to goal achievement and success, especially from the get go. So, if you lack self-discipline, don’t fret, know that you can build it up like a muscle. And you can remedy any shortcomings with determination and will power.

5. The Goal Is Dependent On Outside Sources

This last reason as to why goal setting often fails is related to depending on outside sources for the success of your goals. Many people often hitch their wagons to a person, organization, or institution that is less than dependable.

When the success of your goals requires that the person or entity in question succeeds first, then you create potential barriers for the achievement of your goals. For example, if your goals requires that the real estate market remain strong, then you’ve put your goals at risk.

Or, if your goals are dependent on the tech industry functioning in a certain way, or the stock markets behaving a certain way, you put the achievement of your goals on shaky ground.

As such, it is a good idea to always keep key dependencies on outside sources in mind and at a minimum when setting up your goals.

Final Thoughts

Goal Setting often fails, but it doesn’t have to. Now that you know why goal setting fails so often, you can better navigate the land mines that we all face when setting and pursuing our goals.

“Setting Goals Is The First Step In Turning The Invisible Into The Visible.”

– tony robbins –

With that being said, here are a few additional resources to support you in both setting and achieve your goals:

Tips to Set and Achieve Your Goals

5 Keys to Accomplishing Your Goals

How to Set Goals to Achieve More

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this post about why do goals fails, you’ll love these excellent goal-setting quotes to inspire you to make a plan and shoot for the stars.

Success, it’s something we all strive for in some form or fashion, but what is it?  What is success?  There are multiple definitions these days.  However, there seems to be one common thread that most people do agree on about success.  And that is this; that success is a biproduct of persisting in the face of failure while progressively realizing a worthy goal.  So, if you’re looking for an inspirational success story that perfectly highlights the heroic attempts of overcoming the odds, you’ll find plenty of them in this special collection of success stories.

Our purpose in sharing these success stories is to encourage you to keep striving towards your dreams, and to help you continue believing that achieving the “impossible” is actually possible. So, if you’re ready for some inspiration that’ll keep you moving in the direction of the success you’re after, then let’s dive right in to these classic success stories to help you out.

INSPIRING SUCCESS STORIES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

1. Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone has one of the most inspiring success stories. Before he made it big, he was essentially a starving artist. For many years during and after his college years, he worked odd jobs to pay the bills. And he would do so while simultaneously taking on any acting roles he could find to keep his dreams of becoming a successful actor alive.

It was a struggle that Stallone would endure for many years, seven in fact. Throughout all of those seven challenging years, he would gain a few small roles in a handful of movies. But, none of them were grand enough to get his career launched.

During those seven long years of striving, he came face-to-face with near poverty. Stallone was so desperate for money at one point, he had to sell his wife’s jewelry. He even had to sell his dog because he couldn’t keep him fed. Things got so bad that he even had to endure homelessness for a short period of time.

But, his days of struggle as an aspiring actor would not last forever. After facing seemingly insurmountable odds for over seven years, he would finally get his big break. And this break would come after he managed to get a script he wrote in a three day flurry of inspiration, in front of two big-shot directors in Hollywood.

It was this defining moment that would turn the tide for Sylvester Stallone, and his career would skyrocket after he negotiated the lead role in the film that would come to be known as ‘Rocky’.

Success eventually comes to those who always dream of her. For a more complete account of Sylvester Stallone’s inspiring success story, you can find it here.

2. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey’s success story is very unique. From a very early age she experienced a level of adversity and poverty that most people would struggle to overcome. She was born into poverty and a broken home in rural Mississippi. Her parents who were just 18 and 19 when they had her, split soon after she was born. This lead to her being taking in by her grand mother.

And her grandmother was not your typical warm and fuzzy grandmother. No, she was a hard-nosed grandmother who was an extreme disciplinarian who discipline her for even the slightest offenses. But, the poverty and disciplined lifestyle didn’t last forever as she moved back with mother at the age of six.

Oprah would then experience sexual assault at an early age, having been molested as early as 9 by some of her family members. Having been emotionally abandoned, abused, and molested, she eventually started part-taking in extremely risky behaviors. Behaviors which eventually led to her becoming pregnant at the age of 14.

Then, because she got pregnant her mother kicked her out of the house. Oprah would go on to live with her father, only to then lose the baby a week after he was born.

Needless to say, Oprah’s early life was chockfull of struggle, adversity, and tragedy. But, regardless of all of her unfortunate experiences, she decided to turn her life around after she lost her baby. So, she committed herself to getting an education, becoming her best, and to going after her dreams.

She decided to start trusting herself again, and loving herself, and making choices that would improve her life versus destroy it. One day, she garnered enough confidence to participate in a beauty pageant. And it was her participation in this pageant that would eventually lead her into a job working for a radio station doing the news.

Oprah’s love for speaking to an audience set the stage for continued success as she would go on to become a news anchor, which she would eventually leverage to host a TV chat show in Maryland, which ultimately led to her having her morning talk show in Chicago.

And as they say, the rest was history. Oprah overcame massive challenges in her youth. Challenges that side line all too many people. She chose to turn her wounds into wisdom, and went on to become one of the most successful talk show hosts in history (by helping many others do the same) with her own self-named talk show, The Oprah Winfrey show. Oprah is now one of the richest self-made women in America.

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Considering Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of the self-made man, we wouldn’t dare exclude him from our success stories collection. Arnold was born and raised in Austria. He grew up at a time where the country was still healing from it’s defeat in World War II.

Alcoholism was rampant, defeatism was the norm, and big dreaming scoffed at in his environment. The odds were certainly stacked against young Arnold.

But Arnold didn’t care. He knew he didn’t want to live the traditional Austrian life his parents wanted for him. He also knew he wanted to move to America because it was the land of the free.

As such, he hatched a plan to become a success in body-building. Then to leverage that success to get into movies. And sure enough he did just that. He went on to fulfill his vision by becoming the youngest man to ever win a Mr. Universe competition, and then on to win five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles.

After reaching what he set out to do in the sport of bodybuilding, he then went on to commit himself to the acting career he had always dreamed of. And sure enough, he would go on to conquer the film industry to the same degree that he conquered the body building world. Going on to star in multiple blockbuster movies that would gross over $3 billion, and earn him one of the most sizeable net worth’s in Hollywood.

You can find a more complete account of Arnold’s inspiring success story here.

4. JK Rowling

J.K Rowling had a dream of becoming a writer early on. But, she would have to persist for many years before her dream of becoming a published author would materialize. Almost as soon as she decided to get to work on putting her ideas down on paper for her book, she would be sidetracked by her mother’s death.

The depression that would ensue left Rowling seeking out a job as a teacher in another country. Soon after, she married and had a child, which would delay her aspirations even further.

But things weren’t done going off the rails for Rowling, as her marriage would abruptly end just one year after it began. This lead to her being jobless with a child, and a barely surviving off of unemployment benefits.

However, despite her challenges, Rowling would persist in the creation of her book. And she did so by seizing every spare moment she could while her child slept to write. Until finally the day came when she completed her manuscript.

Of course, even after Rowling finished her manuscript obstacles still remained. 12 different publishers rejected her novel. The rejection took a toll on her spirits, and she almost quit. Fortunately, she tried one more time. And it was at that moment, that J.K. Rowling’s luck turned around. She finally found a publisher would accepted her manuscript.

Now, J.K. Rowling is now one of the best selling authors of all time. She is also the highest paid novelist in the world. Her books have been translated into over 80 different languages with over 600 million sold. Clearly, persistence and patience pays off in the long run.

5. Steven Spielberg

Most people don’t know this, but Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times. But he didn’t let those rejections stop him, and he kept applying till he got accepted.  Eventually Cal State, Long Beach would accept him into their film program. 

Fortunately for Spielberg, he would then go on to leverage his opportunity at Cal State to land an unpaid internship at Universal Studios. 

Of course, this internship wouldn’t last forever, but it lasted just long enough for him to learn how sneak in to the studios undetected so he could continually gather intel on what it would take to become successful in the business. 

Finally, the day would come that he managed to get a film he created in the hands of film executives. But, he had to first overcome the film executives multiple attempts to make him give up.

After being told that the film size was not the right size multiple times, and remaking the entire demo to the recommended sizes every time, the executives finally relented and gave him his film a shot. The movie would go on to win major awards, and solidified Steven Spielberg’s place within the industry.

Steven Spielberg is now one of the most influential film makers in history. On top of this, he’s now also one of the wealthiest. And out of all of our inspirational stories of success, his story in particular, shows, that if you knock long enough and hard enough, the doors of opportunity will eventually swing open for you.

Related: 5 Steps to Start Living Your Dreams

6. Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash has a truly inspiring success story. She was born in a small town in Texas and got married and started a family at the young age of 17. She would go on to have three children with her husband who was in the military, but they eventually got a divorce.

Mary Kay would struggle for years to take care of her children on her own. But she took on various sales jobs in the direct selling industry, and strived to climb the corporate ranks.

However, after many years of selling various products, along with a few middle management and trainer roles, she started to feel like she was being overlooked for the more prominent leadership roles she aspired to because she was a woman. As such, she eventually decided to take matters into her own hands.

Once her kids were out of the house and on their own, at the age of 45 Mary Kay Ash decided to become her own boss. So, she started her own cosmetic company. She started off very small, but in just a few short years, she manage to transform Mary Kay Cosmetics into a multi-billion dollar corporation that still serves and empowers people all over the world to this day.

Despite being past what most people consider their prime, Mary Kay went on to author multiple best-selling books like The Mary Kay Way, Miracles Happen, You Can Have It All, as well as a few others, and she became an inspiration to countless women. And due to the success of her business and her aim to inspire as many people as possible, she became a multi-millionaire and eventually named as ‘The Greatest Woman In American History’.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo grew up in a household that was barely getting by. As a child, he had to share a room with three of his siblings due to their meager financial situation. There were even times where they didn’t have enough money to buy a soccer ball just so he could play in the streets. But Ronaldo did not let his environment dictate his destiny.

No, instead he would find ways to play the sport he loved even without the ball. He would use bottles, rags, or pretty much anything he could find to make a makeshift ball just so he could play. 

Eventually, Cristiano would get so good at soccer, that he would have to make the ultimate sacrifice at the age of 11 to move over 500 miles away from his family to train with a prestigious soccer academy. It’s a good thing he did too, because by doing so, he put himself on track to eventually become on of the best players in history.

Cristiano Ronaldo is now known as the greatest Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football federation.  Millions of soccer fans all across the globe believe him to be the greatest of all time. 

In addition to this, he is the first soccer player ever to earn over $1 billion dollars, while generating one of the largest net worth’s among professional athletes.  

If you’re looking to learn more about Cristiano’s inspiring success story, you’ll love this.

8. Lionel Messi

While on the topic of soccer, we must also mention Lionel Messi’s success story because it’s every bit as inspiring.  Here’s why, at age of 11, Messi was cut from his soccer team because they thought he was too small.  And he was small, but it was because he had a growth hormone deficiency which made him a lot smaller than all the other kids his age.

Fortunately, Messi didn’t let this deter him.  Instead, he would place himself on a strict regimen where he would inject growth hormones into himself.  And he would go on to do inject himself with this hormone for seven days in one leg, and then seven days in the other.

Messi would keep this routine up for six years.

The great news is, Messi’s sacrifice and persistence paid off.  Because now, he is one of the highest paid soccer players with a staggering net worth, and is considered by legions of fans to be one of the best soccer players of all time due to his winning soccer’s highest achievement, ‘The Ballon d’Or’ six times.

Success requires sacrifice.

9. Michael Jordan

Since we mentioned the greatest of all time in soccer, we can’t leave out the man many consider to be the greatest of all time in basket ball. Now, most people aren’t’ aware of this, but when Michael Jordan was merely a sophomore in high school, he already had big dreams of being a great basketball player. 

So he did something brash and tried out for the Varsity team. But, his coaches cut him from the team. They didn’t see his value nor did they think he was ready.

This rejection hit Jordan especially hard because of his oversized dreams and expectations. In fact, the rejection hit him so hard he went home afterwards and cried in his closet.

Even though that rejection still bothered Jordan, he dusted himself off and went all in for the JV team.  He trained like no other in the off season and grew four extra inches. And the following year he tried out for the varsity team again. But this second time around, he made it.

Not only did he make it, but he went on to become the team’s MVP, making the All-American Team, and eventually earned himself a college scholarship. And from there, well, you know the rest of the story.

Michael Jordan became the man who would score 32,292 points in a basketball career. Jordan became the man who acquired 6 NBA championships. The man who also collected 5 MVP titles, and is now considered the greatest basketball player of all time.

For all the success stories we’ve covered, this one clearly shows the importance of having great expectations, and resilience after rejection.

10. Paulo Coelho

Over 30 years ago a book titled ‘The Alchemist’ was published and hardly anyone noticed. The author of this book was a man named Paulo Coelho, and he was told by the first bookseller to carry his book, that only one person bought a copy after it was released.  As bad as it was to hear about the grim results Coelho remained confident in his work. 

Paulo Coelho waited for better results to appear. Unfortunately, six months passed before he sold his next copy.  Oddly, the person who bought his first book was the same person who bought the second.

After that first year the publisher decided the book was a flop and ended Coelho’s contract.  Fortunately, though, Coelho shrugged off that initial defeat.  He made up his mind to not give in, and so he doubled down to pursue his vision with even more fervor by finding another publisher. 

Now, finding this new publisher was no easy task for Coelho, as he was met with rejection after rejection.  But, after many repeated rejections, he finally landed that new publisher, and with it, another opportunity to capture his dream.

From that point forward Coelho’s dreams started to come true.  At first, he only sold three thousand books.  But the sales kept trickling in. And as time went by, he would sell ten thousand, and then 100 thousand, and so on and so forth. 

Coelho’s luck has yet to run out, as his books sales continue to grow year over year, with now over 150 million and counting copies of ‘The Alchemist’ having been sold. Even more staggering is the fact that he sold over 320 million books when including all of his other works. But, it all started with that first book!

Paulo Coelho’s success story shows that if you truly want something bad enough, all the universe really will conspire to help you achieve the impossible.

11. Abraham Lincoln

Most of us know of this great man because of what he did for those who were in bondage in the United States of America. He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation; a massive accomplishment which ultimately led to the abolition of slavery.

But, what most don’t realize about Abraham Lincoln, is that he has one of the most impressive rap sheets when it comes to overcoming defeat.

In short, his success story consists of a list of failures and set backs so sizable, that you would hardly think it belonged to one of the most accomplished and respected presidents of the United States of America.

Here’s a great example of the many failures Lincoln endured, with a few victories he managed to sprinkle in over his lifetime:

1832: Lost his job

1832: Defeated for legislature

1833: Failed in business

1834: Elected to legislature

1835: The woman he loved died

1836: Had a nervous breakdown

1838: Defeated for Speaker

1843: Defeated for nomination for Congress

1848: Lost re-nomination

1849: Reject for Land Officer

1854: Defeated for Senate

1856: Defeated for nomination for Vice-President

1858: Again defeated for Senate

1860: Elected for President of The United States of America

To be sure, Lincoln virtually failed his way to success, and his recorded failures helps us realize the truth behind the Michael Jordan quote we mentioned earlier, and that is…that the key to success is through failure.

Out of all of these success stories, this one in particular should convince you that just because you’ve yet to succeed in life, it doesn’t mean you never will. So, keep pushing and preparing for your big day, because it will come, so long as you keep eye on the prize and keep moving forward.

Related: Success Quotes for Overcoming Failure

12. Tom Brady

One of our favorite inspirational stories of success comes from Tom Brady. Brady didn’t follow the typical athletic path into the NFL. While most athletes begin getting groomed for the sport by the 3rd grade, Tom Brady wouldn’t set foot onto the grid iron until the 9th grade.

In fact, his debut into actually getting onto the football field didn’t come until his Sophomore year. His moment came when the starting quarterback for the JV team quit. Fortunately for Brady, that opportunity helped him capture the starting Varsity QB role by the time his Junior year arrived.

After finding success at the high school level, Brady would eventually go on to become a Michigan Wolverine. But success wasn’t a given for Brady at this level. Nope, he had to earn it.

In fact, Brady came into the program as an underdog, with seven quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. After almost requesting a transfer to another school, Brady’s determination eventually won him the coveted starting position by the time he was a Junior.

The obstacles Brady would face continued on even into the Pros. Brady had his mind set to play in the pros, unfortunately there was little interest in him during the draft. In fact, he was chosen in the 6th round as the 199th pick, barely making into the league.

Pretty much every coach in the league grossly underrated and underestimated Brady. His draft report from 2000 NFL draft actually stated the following qualities:

• Poor Build | Skinny
• Lacks Great Physical Stature and Strength
• Lacks Mobility and Ability to Avoid The Rush
• Lacks a Really Strong Arm
• Can’t Drive The Ball Down Field
• Doesn’t Throw a Really Tight Spiral
• System-Type Player Who Can Get Exposed if Forced to Adlib
• Easily Knocked Down

Remember, Tom brady was not the highest rated quarterback, he wasn’t the most well groomed for the sport, nor was he the best athlete. In addition, he didn’t have the best numbers, or even the best mechanics. However, Tom Brady did have the most heart and determination.

Thus, through sheer willpower, he pushed himself to becoming one of the greatest football players of all times. And he has proved his case with the following accolades:

• Most NFL Championships By a Player (7x)
• Most Games Won By a Quarterback
• Most Games Played By a Quarterback
• Most Combined Passing Yards
• Most Touchdown Passes
• Most 4th Quarter Comebacks
• Best Touchdown to Interception Ratio
• 5 Time Super Bowl MVP
• 3 Time MVP of the NFL
• 2 Time NFL All-Decade Team Player
• Only Player to Win a Super Bowl for Both The AFC & NFC

13. Sarah Blakely

This success story is about Sarah Blakely, who was once crowned one of the youngest self-made billionaires by Forbes. Her story begins with her love of the firm look that panty hose offered, but her hating how they looked when she wore open toe shoes.

Blakely’s annoyance with panty hose would lead to her always cutting the feet off of her panty hose to pull of the look she was going for. But, after noticing that many other women were doing the same thing, she had a lightbulb moment. And she started to contemplate the creation of a product that would solve this problem.

One day after watching an inspiring Oprah show, Sarah decided to take massive action on her idea. So, she risked it all by investing her entire $5,000 life savings to move to Atlanta, GA. Once there, she would kickstart the production of her product idea for the masses.

Blakely experienced tons of resistance at first. Nobody wanted to manufacture the product she was trying to create. They thought it was too risky and a potential waste of time. Her patent officer even found it difficult to take her idea seriously, thinking it to be a dud.

But, after two years of planning, countless late nights, and lots of no’s, she finally found success. Her lucky break came when a factory agreed to manufacture her products. And when Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales took a risk on her by listing her products for sale at their stores.

Her first year in business she sold over $4 million in revenue. And every year there after her sales would grow exponentially. Sarah’s courage to go all in, and her persistence to bring her idea to the world helped her become a billionaire by the age of 41.

14. Grant Cardone

This next story helps drive the point home, that it’s never too late to be what you might have been. It’s also a good reminder that no matter where you come from, or where you’ve been, you can change. It’s a testament that anyone can clean up their act, and can find massive success in the process.

This success story is about a man who grew up poor in Louisiana, lost his father at a young age, and was raised a single-parent household with four other siblings. It’s a story about a man named Grant Cardone.

Cardone is not your typical celebrity. He didn’t come from money. He’s not a Hollywood superstar,. Nor does he possess some amazing talent, like script-writing, politics, or athleticism. However, what he does possess, is something that is available to us all, and that is a determination to succeed.

Grant Cardone found himself in bad company in his youth. He was involved and addicted to drugs, and was stuck in a downward spiral for over a decade. After getting robbed at gun point, getting beaten to a bloody pulp with a gun, and then getting kicked out of his mother’s house, he finally decided to change his life.

At the age of 25 Grant Cardone decided to clean up his act. He cut all negative influences from his life, got sober, and took the first job he could land. That job was as a car salesmen. It wasn’t a job he was particularly thrilled about. But he made due given that his options were limited because of a slow economy at the time.

Cardone committed to becoming the best salesperson he could be. So, he invested heavily in his own self-improvement by reading books and studying his craft and his industry.

After committing to becoming his very best, his income quickly doubled. And soon thereafter, he would become one of the best car salesmen in the country. He eventually moved on to running his own business, and was extremely smart and disciplined with his money.

Cardone only spent money on what was absolutely necessary for food our housing. He would place anything left over into an investment fund just for real estate.

Grant Cardone’s focus on learning more so that he could earn more, along with having the discipline to invest his extra money, instead of wasting it on frivolous things, helped him become a self-made millionaire just five years later by the age of 30.

Cardone has since gone on to become a prominent international businessman, speaker, and the owner of Cardone Capital, a $1.5 billion investment firm.  He’s authored the New York Times bestselling books If You’re Not First, You’re Last, and other notable books like The 10X Rule, and Axiom Award winning Sell or Be Sold.  In addition to this, he also founded Cardone University, a popular sales training platform that has accrued over 50,000,000 and growing users.

It took Grant Cardone only five years to completely revolutionize his entire life. With the right mindset and a good dose of willpower, just imagine what 5 years could do for you.

15. KEVIN HART

Every body knows of and loves Kevin Hart. He’s been making us laugh and keeping us highly entertained for many years now. But, what most people don’t know about Kevin Hart, is that he had to overcome some major obstacles before he became one of the most beloved comedians in the world.

Hart had to overcome a negative homelife with a father who was reckless, toxic, and always causing trouble. He had to overcome the challenges of a 2 hour commute for years.

Hart endured naysayers often. In fact, someone he highly respected in the industry told him that he should quit comedy. He had to outlast the boos, the heckling, and getting chicken wings thrown at him due to his performances.

Kevin Hart had to turn countless setbacks into comebacks. He had to choose time after time, to not quit. He chose to keep pushing for his dreams, to ignore the critics, the naysayers, and anyone who doubted his dreams.

Eventually though, Hart’s persistence and commitment to his vision would pay off. The tide would turn for Kevin Hart after years of career stagnancy, rejection, and close calls with defeat.

Kevin Hart is now one of the world’s top 10 comedians. He’s also one of the richest too. So, if you think you can’t do something, just think about Kevin Hart’s success story and all he went through. Because if he can do it, so can you.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these success stories help you realize that while success may be elusive, it is not unattainable. We also hope that these handpicked stories have helped you understand that success is both a journey and a destination.

But most importantly, we hope you walk away knowing that in order to achieve success, you’ll have to first go through your share of struggles, rejections, and even disasters.

So, keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the prize. Keep moving towards your dreams no matter what. Do this, and your success will be just around the corner.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – Every success story is unique and can inspire in a different way. That said, if you’re looking for even more success stories about how others achieved success and riches, then you’ll love these Strive Stories too.

There are no shortcuts to success, but that doesn’t mean success is not obtainable. Sure, the journey is always longer, more difficult, and time consuming than we initially anticipate. But, just like everything else in life, that which is fought for most vigorously is cherished most ardently.

So, to help you embrace the challenge of achieving the success you seek, and overcoming the obstacles you’ll face as you strive to achieve more in your life, we’ve rounded up some of the best quotes about success and achievement. May they help you succeed in the face of failure, and achieve all of your dreams.

BEST QUOTES ABOUT SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMENT

1.  “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.” – Abraham Lincoln

2.  “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”  –  Winston S. Churchill

3.  “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”  –   Henry David Thoreau

4.  “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”  –  Thomas Jefferson

5.  “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”  –  Albert Einstein

6.  “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”  –  Winston Churchill

7.  “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”  –  Steve Jobs

8.  “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”  –  Colin Powell

9.  “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.  The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”  –  Winston Churchill

10.   “Success comes to those who become success conscious.”  –  Napoleon Hill

11.  “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”  –  Franklin D. Roosevelt

12.  “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”  –  Conrad Hilton

13.  “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”  –  Vince Lombardi

14.  “Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.”  –  Napoleon Hill

15.  “All successes begin with self-discipline.  It starts with you.”  –  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

16.  “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”  –  Thomas Edison

17.  “The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well.”  –  John D. Rockefeller Jr.

18.  “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  –  C.S. Lewis

19.  “The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.”  –   Aristotle Onassis

20.  “Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.”  –  Lou Holtz

21.  “Average people have wishes and hopes. Successful people have goals.”  –  Achievement Quote

22.  “For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.”  –   Jack Canfield

23.  “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”  –  Vince Lombardi

24.  “Success is a matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific simple habits that always lead to success.”  –  Robjert J. Ringer

25.  “Your level of success is determined by your level of discipline and perseverance.”  –  Anonymous

 26.  “Success doesn’t just happen.  You have to be intentional about it, and that takes discipline.”  –  John C. Maxwell

27.  “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”  –  Og Mandino

28.  “The twin killers of success are impatience and greed.”  –  Jim Rohn

29.  “The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do. They don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.”  –  E.M. Gray 

30.  “The path to success is to take massive determined action.” – Tony Robbins

31.  “Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.”  –  Mike Ditka

32.  “In the end, the money and success that truly last come not to those who focus on such things as goals, but rather to those who focus on mastery and fulfilling their Life’s Task.”  –  Robert Greene

33.  “I could only achieve success in my life through self-discipline, and I applied it until my wish and my will became one.”  –  Nikola Tesla

34.  “If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”  –  Henry David Thoreau

35.  “What really makes successful entrepreneurs is not the nature of their idea, or the university they went to , but their actual character – their willingness to adapt their ideas and take advantage of possibilities they had not first imagined.”  –  Robert Greene

36.  “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family background: they are measured by the size of their thinking.”  –  David J. Schwartz

37.  “You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself…the height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. …And this law is the expression of eternal justice. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others.”  – Leonardo da Vinci

Quotes About Success and Achievement

You’re just about halfway through these success quotes. Hopefully they are filling your head with the inspiration and motivation you’ll need to overcome the obstacles that are keeping you from your success at the moment.

This next section puts even more focus on quotes about success and achievement. We hope the quotes, along with the supporting links throughout the page, truly motivates you to keep moving forward on your dreams.

38.  “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” – Jim Rohn

39.  “Disciplined, consistent, and persistent actions are more of a determining factor in the creation of success than any other combination of things.”  –  Grant Cardone

40.  “Success is a pile of failure that you are standing on.” – Dave Ramsey

41.  “Success is actually a short race – a sprint fueled by discipline just long enough for habit to kick in and take over.” – Gary Keller

42.  “We are all self-made, but only the successful will admit it.”  –  Earl Nightingale

43.  “You can think your way to failure and unhappiness, but you can also think your way to success and happiness.” – Norman Vincent Peale

44.  “I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year, it took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.”  –  Lionel Messi

45.  “Unsuccessful people suffer a mind-deadening thought disease. We call this disease excusitis.”  –  David J. Schwartz

46.  “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. ”  –  Vince Lombardi

47.  “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”  –  Benjamin Franklin

48.  “Believe in yourself and have faith in your abilities! Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.”  –  Norman Vincent Peale

49.  “If one does not possess persistence, one does not achieve noteworthy success in any calling.” – Napoleon Hill

50.  “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”  –  Henry Ford

51.  “The path to success will leave you callused, bruised, and very tired. It will also leave you empowered.” – David Goggins

52.  “At the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start being successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren’t where you want to be, you will always be a failure.” – Erin Cummings

53.  “Great achievers are driven, not so much by the pursuit of success but by the fear of failure.” –  Larry Ellison

54.  “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

55.  “The keys to success are patience, persistence, and obsessive attention to detail.”  –  Jeff Bezos

56. “Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.” – Achievement Quote

57. “Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life: it’s about what you inspire others to do.” – Success Quote

58. “Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

59. “Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. The make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

60. “I never dreamed of success, I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder

61. “Success is not an activity, but a process.” – Success and Achievement Quote

62. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” – Dale Carnegie

63. “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get” – W.P. Kinsella

64. “Successful people begin where failures leave off. Never settle for ‘just getting the job done.’ Excel!” – Tom Hopkins

65. “Victory is sweetest when you’ve known defeat.” – Malcolm S. Forbes

66. “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

67. “When you go in search of honey, you must expect to be stung by bees.” – Joseph Joubert

68. “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

69. “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt

70. “I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale

71. “Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard

72. “Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.”  –  Jim Rohn

73. “Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.” – William James

74. “The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” – Mark Caine

75. “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” – John Wooden

76. “Action is the foundational key to all success.”  –  Pablo Picasso

77. “You can do whatever you set your mind to if you just roll up your sleeves, get in there, and do it. everything is figureoutable.”

78. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance.” – Oprah Winfrey

79. “If you want to achieve greatnes stop asking for permission.” – Anonymous

80. “The key to success is to start before you’re ready.” – Marie Forleo

81. “Success is usually the culmination of controlling failures.” – Sylvester Stallone

82. “Success takes communication, collaboration, and sometimes failure.” – Jessica Alba

83. “Sometimes it takes a thousand tries to win.” – Rihanna

84. “All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that’s why it takes so long.” – Steven Spielberg

85. “Be a lot, do a lot, do a lot have a lot. ” – Myron Golden

86. “I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.” – Walter Cronkite

87. “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln

88. “I’d have to say hard work and dedication are the cornerstones of success, and if you believe in yourself, even when others are doubting you, and society is pushing you down, it’s important to have that self-belief in yourself.” – Serena Williams

89. “Faith will get you to a point. Luck will get you to a point. But to achieve the kind of success you dream about, you need to work. There are no shortcuts, you can’t cheat life, just get to work and don’t stop until you reach your highest potential.” – Denzel Washington

90. “If you avoid failure, you also avoid success.” – Robert Kiyosaki

91. “Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” – Mario Andretti

92. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fail. You only have to be right once and then everyone can tell you that you are an overnight success.” – Mark Cuban

93. “Ambition is the first step to success. The second step is action.” – Mel Robbins

94. “That ability to control your thoughts ultimately will lead to success whatever your line of work is, because you have to be able to see what you want to have happen.” – Phil Mickelson

95. “Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” –  Simon Sinek

96. “Learn from failure. If you are an entrepreneur and your first venture wasn’t a success, welcome to the club.” – Richard Branson

97. “Sometimes a winner is just a dreamer who never gave up.” – Michael Jordan

98. “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation” – Zig Ziglar

99. “The people who are successful decide they are going to be successful. They make that choice. And they make other choices. They decide to study hard. They decide to work hard. They decide to be the first person to get to work and the last to go home. They decide they are going to take on the hard jobs. Take on the challenges. They decide they are going to lead when no one else will.” – Jocko Willink

100. “Hard work and determination equals success. Nothing comes easy. Put your mind to something.” – Kevin Hart

101. “There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success.” – Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant

102. “Attitude is everything. The greatest success comes from having the freedom to fail.” – Master P

103. “I failed forward to success. I truly believe that life is a series of many attempts and many failures before we realize success. The important thing is to keep on trying.” – Mary Kay Ash

104. “Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities.”  –  Robert H. Schuller

105. “I believe success is achieved by ordinary people with extraordinary determination.” – Zig Ziglar

106. “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas

107. “It takes hard work to make it to the top. It takes twice the effort to stay at the top.” – Patrick Bet-David

108. “The truth is, successful people are not ten times smarter than you. They don’t really work ten times harder than you. So why are they successful? Because their dreams are so much bigger than yours!” – Dan Peña

109. “Obsessed is a word often used by the lazy to describe the dedicated.” – Tai Lopez

110. “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.” – Colonel Sanders

111. “If you want to be truly successful in life, you have to be selfless. And you have to understand that being selfless and being of service to other people is the only true way to find long term success.” – Andy Frisella

112. “The real secret to success is enthusiasm.” – Walter Chrysler

113. “For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.” – Walter Scott

114. “Success is becoming what you want to be, and is attained by applying your energies to your work, and you will apply your energies in exact proportion to the intensity of your desire.” – Wallace D. Wattles

115. “Everyone visualizes whether he knows it or not. Visualizing is the great secret of success.” – Rhonda Byrne

Bonus Success Quote

Bonus: Here’s our final quote about success and achievement. We’ve listed here as a bonus because it sums up best what we believe is key for finding success in anything; striving.

“The Key To Success Is Failure.”

– michael jordan –

Leverage These Success Quotes

Never forget what it means to be successful; for success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. And if you are truly striving for success, you are going to have setbacks, or days where you want to give up. But, so long as you keep moving forward, and don’t ever stop reaching for your goal, you will eventually succeed.

So, leverage these success quotes when things get hard, because they will, and keep doing so until that one fine day arrives when you wake up and realize you have achieved everything you’ve ever wanted…

Until then,

STRIVE

PS – If these enjoyed these inspirational quotes about success and achievement, then you’ll love these inspiring success stories.

Walt Disney was the iconic animator, film producer, and visionary entrepreneur who gave us Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all things Disney. He also pioneered world-class amusement parks like Disneyland and Disneyworld, and left a legacy of imagination, wonder, and entertainment that few have come close to matching. That said, Walt Disney had a special understanding of what it takes to make one’s dreams come true. And that’s exactly what we aim to capture with these Walt Disney quotes.

Our hope is that these quotes will help you peer into the mind of the visionary genius of Walt Disney. Not just to just to know he thought, but to also inspire you to dream big, follow your dreams, and create your own special kind of magic in the world. That said, let’s dive into these inspiring Walt Disney quotes and see what we can learn:

BEST WALT DISNEY QUOTES FOR SUCCESS

1. “I decided to see every problem as the opportunity to find a solution.” – Walt Disney

2. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

3. “If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it.” – Walt Disney

4. “First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare.” – Walt Disney

5. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

6. “Laughter is timeless imagination has no age, dreams are forever.” – Walt Disney

7. “Think beyond your lifetime if you want to do something truly great.” – Walt Disney

8. “A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there.” – Walt Disney

9. “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney

10. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

11. “Adults are only grown up kids.” – Walt Disney

12. “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” – Walt Disney

13. “I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.” – Walt Disney

14. “The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” – Walt Disney

15. “Don’t let your fears take the place of your dreams.” – Walt Disney

16. “Every one falls down. Getting back up is how you learn how to walk.” – Walt Disney

17. “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” – Walt Disney

18. “I’ve been up against tough competition my whole life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.” – Walt Disney

19. “To succeed, work hard, never give up and above all cherish a magnificent obsession.” – Walt Disney

20. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

21. “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney

22. “Don’t be afraid to do what you love.” – Walt Disney

23. “Whatever you do, do it well.” – Walt Disney

24. “People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is, you do it by working.” – Walt Disney

25. “The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.” – Walt Disney

Bonus Walt Disney Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite quotes by Walt Disney. We added it as bonus, because it cuts to the core of what we believe here at The STRIVE.

“If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.”

– walt disney –

Final Thoughts

There you have it, the best of the best Walt Disney quotes. If you these Walt Disney quotes on success, then you’ll love these related resources:

• Walt Disney Success Story
• Walt Disney Net Worth
• Colonel Sanders Quotes

That said, we hope they inspire you to follow Walt Disney’s footsteps of dreaming big, working hard, and achieving the impossible.

Till you reach your dreams,

STRIVE

Affirmations are powerful, effective, and based upon neuroscience. They leverage a concept known as neuroplasticity to make real changes to the activity and functioning of your brain._^[1] Typically affirmations are used as phrases to strengthen the mind. However, one word affirmations can be just as effective, if not more so, than their long-phrased counterparts.

Some might argue (like John McDonald from Message of a Master) that removing the “I am” from your affirmations to use just one single but positive word, is the most productive way to strengthen your mind and reinvigoration your life force.

So, we did our research and pulled together the very best one word affirmations for you to use. These affirmations have been vetted by their ability to truly and positively impact your mindset. In short, they really work and they work fast. That said, if you’re ready to dig into these powerful one word affirmations, then let’s dive right in:

BEST ONE-WORD AFFIRMATIONS

1. Abundance.

2. Achievement.

3. Action.

4. Activity.

5. Alertness.

6. Ambitious.

7. Balanced.

8. Beautiful.

9. Brilliant.

10. Bold.

11. Capability.

12. Champion.

13. Charity.

14. Committed.

15. Compassion.

16. Competent.

17. Concentration.

18. Confidence.

19. Consideration.

20. Courage.

21. Courtesy.

22. Creativity.

23. Decision.

24. Decisive.

25. Determined.

26. Diligent.

27. Elegant.

28. Energized.

29. Energy.

30. Excellent.

31. Excited.

32. Faith.

33. Focused.

34. Freedom.

35. Generosity.

36. Gentleness.

37. Gifts.

38. Goodwill.

39. Grace.

40. Growth.

41. Guidance.

42. Happiness.

43. Harmony.

44. Health.

45. Honesty.

46.  Hope.

47. Humility.

48. Ingenuity.

49. Intelligent.

50. Inspired.

More About Positive One Word Affirmations

Pro Tip: You’ve made it halfway through the list, great job. Here’s a quick pro-tip on how to implement these one word affirmations. First things first, set aside 15 minutes in either in the morning or evening when you can be alone and undisturbed.

In a quiet environment choose a handful of words from the list that you feel you or your life could use more of. Then slowly repeat those words calmly and confidently over and over for the allotted amount of time. If you’re new to affirmations read these related resources:

• What Affirmations Are
• How Affirmations Work

Alright, let’s get back to these positive one word affirmations.

51. Integrity.

52. Justice.

53. Kindness.

54. Law.

55. Leader.

56. Life.

57. Love.

58. Lucky.

59. Memory.

60. Mastery.

61. Merit.

62. Motivated.

63. Nonresistance.

64. Order.

65. Passion.

66. Patience.

67. Peace.

68. Persistence.

69. Poise.

70. Potential.

71. Power.

72. Progress.

73. Prosperity.

74. Purpose.

75. Ready.

76. Resilient.

77. Resourcefulness.

78. Respected.

79. Rich.

80. Serenity.

81. Sincerity.

82. Spirit.

83. Strength.

84. Strong.

85. Success.

86. Sympathy.

87. Tenacious.

88. Tolerance.

89. Tough.

90. Triumph.

91. Tranquil.

92. Trust.

93. Trustworthy.

94. Truthful.

95. Understanding.

96. Unity.

97. Victory.

98. Vitality.

99. Wisdom.

100. Youthful.

Final Thoughts

You did it! You made it to the end of our list. Now the hard part is putting these one word affirmations to good use.

That said, feel free to come back any time you need a collection of one word affirmations that actually work. Also, if you liked these affirmations then you’ll love these related resources:

• One Word Quotes
• Two Word Quotes
• Money Affirmations
• Affirmations For Success

Share the page if enjoyed it and never forget….

Until you reach your aims,

STRIVE

Success comes easily to the person who gets things done. To the successful, execution is everything. Executions is what leads to success. It doesn’t really matter if you are parent, a school teacher, a middle manager or a household manager. There is always room for more success. And if you aspire to become effective at the art of execution, more success can and will come your way.

You are an executive, whether you know it or not. If you have the power to make a decision, and the capacity to execute on that decision, you are an executive. The real question is, are you an effective one?

So, to help you become an effective executive, and as a result, a more successful person in general, we are publishing some simple practices that anyone can begin implementing today.

So, if you’re ready to learn how to be an effective executive, and master the art of getting things done, let’s get to it:

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE

According to Peter Drucker, who is known to many as the father of modern management, there are 8 key practices that successful executives almost always partake in. Drucker observed that effective executives typically displayed a pattern of asking specific questions with regard to getting things done. And these questions and practices were the following:

1. Effective Executives Always Ask, “What Needs To Be Done?”

Effective executives routinely ask “what needs to be done?” This is a critical question to ask, because it helps us pinpoint the what is needed, and what we can do about it.

This question removes fluff form whatever scenario you may be facing, and helps us get to a clearer understanding of the actions we must immediately take.

2. Effective Executives Always Ask, “What Is Right For The Enterprise?”

By asking “What is right for the enterprise?”, you’ll be ensuring that you are being thoughtful in your decision making.

This is important, because if we choose to take action on something that is not right for all the people who will be impacted by our decision, we can accidently create more work for ourselves down the road.

As such, you should always consider what is right for the group, family, organization, or enterprise before taking action.

3. Effective Executives Always Develop Action Plans.

An effective executive creates a plan of action, and then sticks to that plan of action. By having a plan of action, you’ll be much more likely to get started, and you’ll ensure you are taking steps in their proper order.

By not having an action plan, you increase your chances of doing things that are not important to your main goals, or right for everyone who is involved. So, create an action plan and ensure your actions are thoughtful and your efforts are efficent.

Related: Quotes to Help You Hustle

4. Effective Executives Always Take Responsibility For Decisions.

Things don’t go as planned, it is a part of life. And when things go wrong, an effective executive always takes responsibility for the decisions made that lead to the outcome.

Similarly, when things go right, the effective executive should also take responsibility. Of course, it is most critical to take ownership however, when things don’t go as planned. By taking ownership, the effective executive streamlines course corrections, and facilitates getting back into action.

5. Effective Executives Always Take Responsibility For Communicating.

Communication is important to just about every activity in any organization, team, or marriage. And troubles typically arise when communication fails.

But, when ownership is taken as to why communications have failed, the issues that cause breakdowns are more readily addressed. And so long as issues are being addressed, issues can be resolved, and progress can be made.

So, if you consider yourself an effective executive, be sure you always take responsibility for communication.

6. Effective Executives Always Focus On Opportunities Rather Than Problems.

Leaders know that you get what you focus on. And that if you spend most of your time pointing out all of the problems your team, group, or enterprises has, you can miss out on opportunities that are easier to identify by those focused on opportunities.

For example, if you are always focused on how an team member, is doing something wrong, you’ll never see what they are doing right. In addition to that, you’ll never even think to find ways to leverage their strengths to your benefit, if all you focus on is their limitations.

Related: How to Change Your Mindset

7. Effective Executives Always Run Productive Meetings.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple once stated that “The longer the meeting, the less is accomplished.” Without a doubt, there is much truth to this. Which is why an effective executive doesn’t just hold a meeting to hold a meeting.

Effective executives hold meetings when there is truly a need for them. On top of this, they ensure that no time is wasted on things outside the scope of the meeting. Value is the focal point of the effective executive’s meetings, and unproductive meetings create little value.

As such, only hold meetings if they serve a purpose, are highly productive, and add value to the organization as a whole.

8. Effective Executives Think And Speak In “We” Rather Than “I”.

If you really want to know how to be an effective executive, you have to learn to begin thinking in “We” versus “I”. If you only focus on yourself, you’ll limit your impact.

But, when you think “We” and speak “We”, all your actions will be directed at moving the needle forward as a group and as a team. This is important, because all great things in business are rarely if ever done by just one person.

No they are not. But, they are almost always done by a team of people.

Final Thoughts

Alright, you now have the nuts and bolts for becoming a highly effective executive. By leveraging these practices you will begin to get more things done. Your ability to execute will increase.

Here’s one last recap so you can tattoo these practices into your mind. Remember, effective executives always:

• Ask “What needs to be done?”
• Ask, “What is right for the enterprise?”
• Develop action plans.
• Take responsibility for decisions.
• Take responsibility for communicating.
• Focus on opportunities rather than problems.
• Run productive meetings.
• Think and say “we” rather than “I”.

With that being said, we hope you’ll leverage these tips and start executing like a Rockstar CEO. But more importantly, we hope you use them to get the right things done and find more success as you do.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

Kobe Bryant was one the greatest basketball players to ever play for the NBA. After winning five NBA championships, making the All-Star team at least 18 times, earning MVP for all of the NBA in 2008, then becoming a two-time NBA Finals MVP, along with many other accolades, Kobe is more than deserving of his place amongst only a rare handful of other legendary players. And considering he has been inducted into the NBA Hall of fame, and is one of the greatest basketball players of all-times, we aim to highlight the true mindset of a champion via these Kobe Bryant quotes about hard work and success.

“Rest At The End, Not In The Middle.”

With that being said, if you’re looking to gain some key insights into the mind of one of the most competitive people to ever play professional sports, then you’ll enjoy these inspiring Kobe Bryant quotes about hard work and success. So, if you’re ready to get fired up, let’s get to it.

75+ LEGENDARY KOBE BRYANT QUOTES ABOUT HARD WORK AND SUCCESS

1. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant

2. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” – Kobe Bryant

3. “Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.” – Kobe Bryant

4. “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan. I only want to be Kobe Bryant.” – Kobe Bryant

5. “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.” – Kobe Bryant

6. “We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.” – Kobe Bryant

7. “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” – Kobe Bryant

8. “If you do not believe in yourself, no one will do it for you.” – Kobe Bryant

9. “If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.” – Kobe Bryant

10. “Winning takes precedence over all. There is no gray area. No almosts.” – Kobe Bryant

11. “Determination silences doubters.” – Kobe Bryant

12. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant

13. “I want to be the best. Simple and plain.” – Kobe Bryant

14. “The most important thing is you must put everybody on notice that you’re here and you are for real. I’m not a player that is just going to come and go. I’m not a player that is going to make an all-star team on time, two times. I’m here to be an all-time great… Once I made that commitment and said ‘I want to be one of the greatest ever,’ then the game became everything for me.” – Kobe Bryant

15. “From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best.” – Kobe Bryant

16. “It’s all a matter of protecting your dreams and your imaginations.” – Kobe Bryant

17. “It’s the one thing you can control, you are responsible for how people remember you – or don’t. So, don’t take it lightly.” – Kobe Bryant

18. “The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.” – Kobe Bryant

19. “A lot of leaders fail because they don’t have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord.” – Kobe Bryant

20. “A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness.” – Kobe Bryant

21. “My parents are my backbone. Still are. They’re the only group that will support you if your score zero or you score 40.” – Kobe Bryant

22. “Losing is losing, there aren’t different degrees of losing. You either win a championship or you’re sh–. It’s very black & white to me.” – Kobe Bryant

23. “This is the moment I accept the most challenging times will always be behind me and in front of me.” – Kobe Bryant

24. “Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change.” – Kobe Bryant

25. “You can’t be held captive by the fear of failure or the fear of what people may say.” – Kobe Bryant

26. “We can always kind of be average and do what’s normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal.” – Kobe Bryant

27. “When I step on that court, I become [Black Mamba]. I am that killer snake. I’m stone-cold, man.” – Kobe Bryant

28. “I had a summer where I played basketball when I was 10 or 11 years old. And here I come playing it and I don’t score one point the entire summer. I remember crying about it, being upset about it, and my father was giving me a hug and said, “Listen, whether you score 0 or sixty I am going to love you no matter what.” And that is the most important thing you can say to your child. Because from there I was like okay, that gives me all the confidence in the world to fail. But to hell with that, I am scoring sixty!” – Kobe Bryant

29. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.” – Kobe Bryant

30. “These young guys are playing checkers. I’m out there playing chess.” – Kobe Bryant

31. “Leadership is lonely … I’m not going to be afraid of confrontation to get us to where we need to go.” – Kobe Bryant

32. “Once you know what failure feels like, determination chases success.” – Kobe Bryant

33. “May you always remember to enjoy the road, especially when it’s a hard one.” – Kobe Bryant

34. “When I am retired, I don’t want to have say I wish I would have done more. I don’t want that.” – Kobe Bryant

35. ” There’s a quote from one of my English teachers at Little Marian named Mr. Fisk. He had a great quote that said, “Rest at the end, not in the middle.” And that’s something I’ll always live by.” – Kobe Bryant

36. “We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.” – Kobe Bryant

37. “Learn to love the hate. Embrace it. Enjoy it. You earned it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone should have one about you.” – Kobe Bryant

Halfway There

You’re halfway through these hard-hitting Kobe Bryant quotes about hard work, success, and become your best, so keep to it. And if at the end of this page, you’ve been inspired by some of Kobe’s words of wisdom, please considering sharing it with a person who could use Kobe’s moving insights.

Related: Inspiring Quotes on Success

38. “When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves.” – Kobe Bryant

39. “‘Rudy‘ was one of my favorite films growing up. After watching that film I come to understand if I could work that hard everyday, being blessed with the physical tools that I have, what would be career be?” – Kobe Bryant

40. “Friends can come and go, but banners hang forever.” – Kobe Bryant

41. “Boos don’t block dunks.” – Kobe Bryant

42. “You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t. So don’t take it lightly.” – Kobe Bryant

43. “There’s nothing truly to be afraid of, when you think about it, because I’ve failed before, and I woke up the next morning, and I’m OK.” – Kobe Bryant

44. “My brain… it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I sit there and have to face myself and tell myself, ‘You’re a failure’… I think that’s almost worse than death.” – Kobe Bryant

45. “There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something, there’s a choice you have to make. We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision.” – Kobe Bryant

46. “Leave everything on the court. Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.” – Kobe Bryant

47. “The beauty in being blessed with talent is rising above doubters to create a beautiful moment.” – Kobe Bryant

48. “I create my own path. It was straight and narrow. I looked at it this way – you were either in my way, or out of it.” – Kobe Bryant

49. “You asked for my hustle – I gave you my heart.” – Kobe Bryant

50. “Passion is the fuel for success.” – Kobe Bryant

51. “Either way, I refuse to change what I am. A lion has to eat. Run with me or run from me.” – Kobe Bryant

52. “No matter how difficult the challenge is, always stay positive and believe in yourself.” – Kobe Bryant

53. “The only thing I can control is how hard I work every single day.” – Kobe Bryant

54. “After all, greatness is not for everybody.” – Kobe Bryant

55. “We psych ourselves up too much. Like if you try to talk yourself into, ‘Oh, this is a big moment, this is a big shot,’ you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself. You shot that shot hundreds and thousands of times. Just shoot another one.” – Kobe Bryant

56. “I don’t want chumps, I don’t want pushovers, and if you’re a chump and a pushover, I will run over you.” – Kobe Bryant

57. “There’s been a lot of talk of me being a one-man show but that’s simply not the case. We win games when I score 40 points and we’ve won when I score 10.” – Kobe Bryant

58. “I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose.” – Kobe Bryant

59. “Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back, that play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you.”

60. “Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.” – Kobe Bryant

61. “Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.” – Kobe Bryant

62. “I never needed any external forces to motivate me.” – Kobe Bryant

63. “I realized that intimidation didn’t really exist if you’re in the right frame of mind.” – Kobe Bryant

64. “When you make a choice and say, ‘Come hell or high water, I am going to be this,’ then you should not be surprised when you are that. It should not be something that is intoxicating or out of character because you have seen this moment for so long that when that moment comes, of course it is here because it has been here the whole time, because it has been in your mind the whole time.” – Kobe Bryant

65. “I saw you come in and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, that I’m willing to work harder than you.” – Kobe Bryant

66. “Be willing to sacrifice anything, but compromise nothing in your quest to be your best.” – Kobe Bryant

67. “The biggest dreams aren’t fueled by belief, they’re fueled by doubt.” – Kobe Bryant

68. “If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it.” – Kobe Bryant

69. “To think of me as a person that’s overachieved, that would be a lot to me. That means I put a lot of work in and squeezed every ounce of juice out of this orange that I could.” – Kobe Bryant

70. “You always want to outwork your potential. As hard as you believe you can work, you can work harder than that.” – Kobe Bryant

71. “As the leader of a team, it’s also your responsibility to elevate the rest of the guys.” – Kobe Bryant

72. “I play games with the flu, I play games with 102 degree fever man. You gotta be on man.” – Kobe Bryant

73. “I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself.” – Kobe Bryant

74. “I love that kids are building confidence on and off the court and unlocking their potential through sport.” – Kobe Bryant

75. “Basketball for me was the most important thing. So everything I saw, whether it was TV shows, whether it was books I read, people I talked to, everything was done to try to learn how to become a better basketball player. Everything. Everything. And so when you have that point of view, then literally the world becomes your library to help you become better at your craft.” – Kobe Bryant

76. “If you live your life to just get better every single day, and you do that for 20 years what do you have?” – Kobe Bryant

77. “I think the best way to prove your value is to work, is to learn, is to absorb, to be a sponge.” – Kobe Bryant

78. “If I had the power to turn back time I would never use it, because then every moment that you go through means absolutely nothing because you can always go back and do it again.” – Kobe Bryant

79. “Those times when you get up early and you work hard, those times when you stay up late and you work hard, those times when you don’t feel like working, you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream.” – Kobe Bryant

80. “You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.” – Kobe Bryant

Related: The Kobe Bryant Success Story

Bonus Kobe Bryant Quote

Bonus: Alright, you’ve made to the very end of our Kobe Bryant quotes about hard work and success. This last quote is a bonus, because it most aligns with our philosophy and beliefs here at The Strive. So, we hope you’ll take it to heart. Enjoy.

“Dedication Sees Dreams Come True.”

Kobe bryant

Final Thoughts

There you have it, some of the most legendary Kobe Bryant success quotes on success and hard work to help you reach your potential. Our hope is that these quotes will inspire you to obtain the focus, commitment, and work ethic to make your dreams come true.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these highly motivational Kobe Bryant quotes, then we have hunch you’ll like these powerful Michael Jordan quotes as well.