20 Inspirational Quotes to Keep You Motivated
As we wrap up an eventful January, many of us are undoubtedly telling ourselves that everything is “fine” even when it’s kind of…well, not.
When my motivation wanes, and productivity seems to grind to a halt, I always look up inspirational quotes. Something about hearing beautiful words from others who have gone before me makes me look at the world a little differently.
How to Use Inspirational Words to Stay Motivated
Inspirational quotes don’t make the world better, nor do they “fix“ things that are going on around us, but they do offer a temporary change of thought pattern and vision for the future. Sometimes this little moment in time is just enough to rekindle a spark of motivation to continue on.
There are 3 great & easy ways to incorporate inspirational words into your day that can help you get and stay motivated:
Write them where you’ll see them every day - whether on your mirror, as a screensaver on your phone, or post-its by your desk
Journal with them - take time to really think about what they mean to you
Read them in the morning & before bed - soak in the positive vibes and hope they give you
20 Inspirational Quotes to Motivate Writers
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” - Maya Angelou
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” - Anne Frank
“I believe myself that a good writer doesn’t really need to be told anything except to keep at it.” - Chinua Achebe
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” - Sylvia Plath
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” - Jack Kerouac
“I believe there is power in words, power in asserting our existence, our experience, our lives, through words.” - Jesmyn Ward
“You can make anything by writing.” - C.S. Lewis
“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” - Margaret Atwood
“But please remember, especially in these times of group-think and the right-on chorus, that no person is your friend (or kin) who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow and be perceived as fully blossomed as you were intended.” - Alice Walker
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” - Richard Bach
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” - Langston Hughes
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Be strategic and resilient in the pursuit of your dreams. That sounds like a cheesy quote, right? But nah, I’m serious. Resilience is one hell of a quality to master and not many have the skin for it.” - Tiffany D. Jackson
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov
“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.” - William H. Gass
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." - Louis L’Amour
“Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.” - J.K. Rowling
“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” - Audre Lorde
“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page" - Jodi Picoult
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison