Dreading Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday) morning? Or waking up to a pile of work, a deadline, or just a good dose of self-doubt?

As a freelancer crafting my own creative career, I teeter between being extremely excited for my next batch of work and wondering why I thought it was a good idea to start my own company. It’s a fine line and I’m often looking for security, inspiration and a kick in the butt. The first two are kind of illusions based on feelings, but the latter can come in many forms, from a check-in call with my accountability buddy, to a list like this one- a series of quotes on success and motivation, curated just for you on those mornings of dread (or the night before).

1) A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
  -Lao Tzu

 

2) A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure.
  -Henry Kissinger

 

3) The best revenge is massive success.
  -Frank Sinatra

 

4) If you’re going through hell, keep going.
  -Winston Churchill

 

5) Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
  -Pablo Picasso

 

6) The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.
  -Bruce Lee

 

7) Nobody ever wrote down a plan to be broke, fat, lazy, or stupid. Those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan.
  -Larry Winget

 

8) Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
  -Thomas A. Edison

 

9) The early morning has gold in its mouth.
  -Benjamin Franklin

 

10) Consider that all accomplishment is constituted by a series of resolved breakdowns.
  -Werner Erhard

 

11) When you’re in a rut, you have to question everything except your ability to get out of it.
  -Twyla Tharp

 

12) If you want to elevate your results, elevate the people you surround yourself with.
  -Guy Ferdman

 

13) The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.
  -Spencer Johnson MD

 

14) Do it or don’t do it… Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.
  -Stephen Pressfield

 

15) It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.
 -Walt Disney

 

And I had to throw in one of my own, something I am constantly reminding myself as someone who used to rely solely on inspiration hitting to get anything done:

16) Inspiration is an illusion, and in its absence lies an excuse to not act. Action is the artist’s true muse.
  -Cheryl B. Engelhardt

 

What are your favorite quotes that get you out of bed and up and running? Which one of the quotes on this page resonate most for you? Leave a comment below!