60 goal-setting quotes to inspire and motivate you

When your goals seem hard to reach, words of wisdom and encouragement can guide you. Being in the right headspace can be the difference between giving up and powering through. For those days when you need to remind yourself of the importance of your goals, you can keep motivational quotes in mind. 

There are several types of goals, including personal goals and professional goals. Whatever your goals may involve, goal-setting quotes work the same way across the board. By reminding yourself that your dreams are possible and that you’re in control of your success, you can find inspiration. 

Goal-setting quotes for all areas of life

Your mindset is the most important factor in achieving your goals. Motivational quotes can help you focus on your goals and persevere in the face of obstacles. A 2021 survey in the Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences examined freshman students’ reading skills. The study reported that students had a positive attitude toward using motivational quotes when studying.

These quotes are perfect for adding to your vision board or taping them to your mirror for a positive start each day. A 2020 study in the Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics found that inspirational quotes can help with vocabulary memorization. Motivational sentiments can help you build a positive self-fulfilling prophecy to succeed and remember your goals. 

Motivational goal-setting quotes

When you’re trying to get motivated, it’s important to remind yourself that success is within your reach. All great and successful individuals tend to have one thing in common: they keep trying even after setbacks and failure. Motivational goal-setting quotes can remind you of the power of believing in yourself.

• “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins, author and motivational speaker
• “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis, author
• “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
• “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker
• “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” – Confucius, Chinese philosopher
• “If a goal is worth having, it’s worth blocking out the time in your day-to-day life necessary to achieve it.” – Jill Koenig, author and motivational speaker
• “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” – Bill Copeland, poet, writer, and historian
• “By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own.” – Mark Victor Hansen, inspirational speaker and author
• “Your attitude determines your altitude. It really is true that if you think you can, you can; and if you think you can’t — you’re right.” – Mary Kay Ash, businesswoman
• “I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” – Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer
• “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill, author
• “Tough times never last, but tough people do!” – Robert H. Schuller, motivational speaker and author
• “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor
• “Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success.” – David Joseph Schwartz, motivational writer and coach
• “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” – Michelangelo, Italian sculptor and painter 

Relationship goal-setting quotes

Your interpersonal relationships require attention and nourishment to grow in a positive direction. Your goals could be about setting healthy boundaries or having more patience with others. Setting goals for any type of relationship builds a foundation and fills your interactions with intent. 

The following quotes can remind you of what’s important in relationships and communication:

• “Everyone you meet knows something you don’t know but need to know. Learn from them.” – Carl Jung, Swiss psychotherapist
• “Your ability to communicate is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals, whether it is with your family, your co-workers, or your clients and customers.” – Les Brown, motivational speaker
• “Understanding can overcome any situation, however mysterious or insurmountable it may appear to be.” – Norman Vincent Peale, clergyman and author
• “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” – Theodore Roosevelt, former United States president
• “When you show deep empathy toward others, their defensive energy goes down, and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.” – Stephen Covey, author and educator
• “I’ve learned people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist

Financial goal-setting quotes

Having financial goals can carve out a path of stability for your future. Rather than aimlessly making and spending money, you should create a budget and savings plan. Thinking about your income, investments, and retirement fund is beneficial. A meta-analysis conducted in 2021 found that self-control strategies helped make decisions consistent with financial goals. Doing so can bring you financial security and the peace of mind to live comfortably. 

One of the best ways to put yourself on the right track is by listening to other successful people. These quotes can help you stay financially savvy:

• “Being rich is having money. Being wealthy is having time.” – Margaret Bonnano, author
• “It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” – Brian Tracy, motivational speaker
• “A good financial plan is a road map that shows us exactly how the choices we make today will affect our future.” – Alexa Von Tobel, author and CEO
• “Financial fitness is not a pipe dream or a state of mind. It’s a reality if you are willing to pursue it and embrace it.” – Will Robinson, author
• “If you want to be financially free, you need to become a different person than you are today and let go of whatever has held you back in the past.” – Robert Kiyosaki, businessman and author 
• “Don’t think of saving money as a punishment. Think of saving money as a lifestyle change and a means to freedom.” – Emily G. Stroud, author and entrepreneur
• “No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.” – Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and philanthropist

Career goal-setting quotes

Figuring out your career path can be stressful. Maybe you’re nervous about turning your creative endeavors into your source of income. Or maybe you need to do some deep reflection to find your calling in life. Wherever you are in your career path, motivation helps with setting goals. Short-term professional goals and long-term work goals can help you succeed.

These quotes can encourage you to follow your passion:

• “The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” – Earl Nightingale, speaker and author
• “When you scratch the surface, every one of us has something that we deeply want to contribute to the world. All we have to do is step up and do it.” – Jack Canfield, author and motivational speaker
• “Your chances of success are directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you desire from what you do. If you are in a job you hate, face the fact squarely and get out.” – Michael Korda, writer
• “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs, CEO
• “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle, comedian
• “Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama, lawyer, writer, and former first lady

Friendship goal-setting quotes

Setting friendship goals is important because quality social connections can support your well-being. To be a good friend, you should value those around you and be supportive in times of need. Together, you and your friends can flourish and develop stronger bonds. 

You can use the following quotes to create social goals and build better friendships:

• “Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey, host and TV producer
• “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell, columnist
• “The real test of friendship is: can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple?”  – Eugene Kennedy, psychologist and writer
• “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” – Elisabeth Foley, author
• “A friend can tell you things you don’t want to tell yourself.” – Frances Ward Weller, author
• “Getting to know new people and gaining new friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures. So conquer your fears and get out there.” – Tony Clark, executive and professional baseball player
• “True friendship resists time, distance, and silence.” – Isabel Allende, author

Health and wellness goal-setting quotes

Inspirational quotes can help you achieve your wellness goals and personal health goals. A study in 2018 by Frontiers in Psychology found motivational quotes improved self-esteem in individuals with chronic illnesses. 

Perhaps you’re following a fitness coaching program or have embarked on a health journey of your own. In either case, you could use a little motivation to help you along. 

You can use these quotes to create your own goals related to health and wellness:

• “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and author
• “Your body holds wisdom. Trust in it. Learn from it. Nourish it. Watch your life transform and be healthy.” – Bella Bleue, spiritual poet
• “Today is your day to start fresh, to eat right, to train hard, to live healthy, to be proud.” – Bonnie Pfiester, personal trainer
• “Don’t lose heart. Stay consistent. It will take patience and persistence.” – Dr. Neal Malik, associate professor
• “What hurts today makes you stronger tomorrow.” – Jay Cutler, bodybuilder
• “Of course, I want to be number one. But being happy and healthy is the most important thing.” – Venus Williams, Olympic tennis player

Self-improvement goal-setting quotes

Working on self-improvement takes dedication. You must know how to be disciplined and commit to forming healthy habits. Constantly creating new goals to strive toward can empower you to continually improve. Stay ambitious and aim to become the best version of yourself. 

These quotes can get you motivated to put in the hard work necessary for change:

• “Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo, author
• “If you’re bored with life — you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things — you don’t have enough goals.” – Lou Holtz, former football coach
• “It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” – Roy T. Bennett, author
• “Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time, and energy needed to develop yourself.” – Denis Waitley, motivational speaker and writer
• “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” – Sean Patrick Flanery, actor
• “The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” – Matty Mullins, singer
• “Ever since I was a child, I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.” – Bruce Lee, actor

Family goal-setting quotes

For some, family is the ultimate goal in life. Family goals are part of the vision you have for yourself and your current or future family. Your family goals, like spending time together during a weekly game night, can be simple. They can also have more depth, like passing on your personal values to your children. 

Whatever your family goals may be, these inspiring quotes can remind you of the importance of family:

• “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.” – Mario Puzo, author and screenwriter
• “We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.” – Brené Brown, author and professor
• “The memories we make with our family is everything.” – Candace Cameron Bure, actress
• “Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.” – Brad Henry, former governor of Oklahoma
• “A man should never neglect his family for business.” – Walt Disney, entrepreneur 
• “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, writer

5 tips for achieving your goals 

Motivational quotes are certainly helpful and can put you in a positive headspace. But other goal-setting tips can also help you on your journey to success. Remember that daily habits, accountability, and adjustments can make a difference in your life. 

Use the following tips when striving toward your goals:

• Share your goals: Research shows that when goals are known by someone perceived to have a higher status, they become more concrete. Speaking your goals aloud makes you more likely to commit to them. Share weekly progress reports with an accountability partner. 
• Form a daily routine: Implement daily habits into your routine that will help you achieve your goals. Sticking to a routine keeps success at the forefront of your mind. 
• Find support: Whether you get support from friends and family or acquaintances, support can help you stay persistent. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. 
• Adjust what doesn’t work: Sometimes, your plans may need redirection. Use your adaptability skills and be willing to change your approach. 
• Take small steps: Breaking your goals up into small steps can make them feel less overwhelming.   

Use goal-setting quotes to pursue your ambitions

Goal-setting quotes can help you achieve your life goals and ignite your ambitions. Your goals for every year deserve dedication and fulfillment. Having support and direction can make all the difference.  

If you need help identifying your goals or devising a plan to achieve them, personal coaching sessions can help. Motivation means the most from someone who believes in you and wants to see you thrive.