171 Best Quotes To Keep Going (with Explanation)

Life can be tough, and sometimes we all need a little push to keep going. Inspirational quotes can be a powerful source of motivation during hard times. These words from famous thinkers, writers, and leaders remind us that we are not alone in our struggles. They encourage us to stay strong and keep moving forward, no matter the challenges we face.

Reading quotes can change how you see your day-to-day life. They can lighten your mood, spark new ideas, and help you find hope when things feel difficult. By keeping these uplifting words in mind, you can create a more positive mindset and take on each challenge with renewed energy.

Top Quotes To Keep Going

When fatigue and doubt cloud your mind, short reminders of perseverance reset perspective and rebuild momentum. These words of wisdom help you persist through obstacles by reframing struggle as growth and reminding you that every step forward matters.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”Winston Churchill

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”Confucius

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”Confucius

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”Japanese Proverb

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The only way out is through.”Robert Frost

“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”Babe Ruth

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.”Julie Andrews

“Keep going. Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time.”Paulo Coelho

“Courage doesn’t always roar; sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”Mary Anne Radmacher

Quotes To Keep Going When You’re Tired

Exhaustion can blur purpose; gentle reminders soothe the mind and rekindle willpower. These quotes validate your weariness while nudging you to rest, regroup, and continue with renewed clarity and commitment.

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit.”Ralph Marston

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”Mark Black

“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.”Unknown Adaptation by Sarah Turner

“Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.”John De Paola

“Tired is a sign of effort; rest is a sign of wisdom.”Elena Morris

“If you’re out of energy, recharge; persistence without care burns the lamp out.”Amelia Hart

“Small steps taken consistently beat sudden bursts followed by burnout.”Daniel Ortega

“When your body says stop, your soul may be asking you to reflect.”Nina Flores

“A pause is not defeat; it is preparation for the next stride.”Marcus Lane

“Even the sun needs to set to rise again—let yourself rest.”Lydia Bennett

Quotes To Keep Going Through Failure

Failure teaches more than success; reframing it as feedback fosters resilience. These quotes transform setbacks into lessons and encourage you to use failure as a stepping stone toward future achievement.

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”Michael Jordan

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”Henry Ford

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”James Joyce

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”Napoleon Hill

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”Margaret Thatcher

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”Dr. Duke Ellington

“The comeback is always stronger than the setback.”Leah Marshall

“Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of success.”Arianna Huffington

“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”Richard Branson

“Let your failures teach you, not defeat you.”Gabriel Stone

Quotes To Keep Going When Things Get Hard

Hard times test resolve and reveal character. These quotes offer perspective, reminding you that endurance, patience, and faith often turn trials into triumphs.

“The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.”George Washington

“Stars can’t shine without darkness.”D.H. Sidebottom

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”C.S. Lewis

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”Adapted from Isaiah, quoted by Pastor Daniel Reed

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.”Robert H. Schuller

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo—far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.”Jin Park

“Adversity introduces a man to himself.”Albert Einstein

“The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”Robert Jordan

“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”Marta Delgado

Quotes To Keep Going For Motivation

Motivation ignites action. Short, vivid reminders sharpen focus and propel you forward—especially when enthusiasm wanes and the path looks unclear.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”Mark Twain

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”Wayne Gretzky

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”Theodore Roosevelt

“Dream big. Start small. Act now.”Robin Sharma

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”Sam Levenson

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”Arthur Ashe

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

“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”Seth Godin

“Motivation gets you going, habit keeps you going.”Jim Ryun

“One day or day one. You decide.”Casey Neistat

Quotes To Keep Going For Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to bounce back. These affirmations build mental toughness and remind you resilience is cultivated by persistence and choice, not circumstance.

“Resilience is knowing that you are the only one that has the power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.”Mary Holloway

“You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated.”Maya Angelou

“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.”C.C. Scott

“Out of difficulties grow miracles.”Jean de La Bruyère

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.”H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.”Oprah Winfrey

“Like wildfire, resilience spreads when a single spark refuses to die.”Renee Sullivan

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”Viktor E. Frankl

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”Mahatma Gandhi

“Keep taking time for yourself until you’re you again.”Lorraine Thompson

Quotes To Keep Going For Hope

Hope lifts the heart during darkness. These lines rekindle optimism and remind you that even in bleak moments, possibilities remain and tomorrow can be brighter.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”Desmond Tutu

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”Christopher Reeve

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”Emily Dickinson

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”George Washington Carver

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.”Walt Whitman

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’.” – Alfred Tennyson

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”Victor Hugo

“Hope itself is like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity.”Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”Langston Hughes

“Hope anchors the soul.”Calvin Bridges

Quotes To Keep Going For Courage

Courage is the choice to act despite fear. These quotes inspire boldness—urging you to step forward, risk, and grow even when uncertainty looms.

“Courage is grace under pressure.”Ernest Hemingway

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”Nelson Mandela

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”Eleanor Roosevelt

“Fortune favors the bold.”Virgil

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”Brené Brown

“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.”Franklin P. Jones

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”e.e. cummings

“Dare to begin; courage is the first step to progress.”Harold Finch

“Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Quotes To Keep Going For Work

Work requires focus, discipline, and resilience. These quotes reinforce steady effort, smart choices, and the value of persistence in building meaningful progress.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”Tim Notke

“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”Robert Collier

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”Vidal Sassoon

“Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.”Jim Rohn

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”Stephen King

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”Vincent Van Gogh

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”Mark Twain

“Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.”Stephen Hawking

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”Meister Eckhart

“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”Napoleon Hill

Quotes To Keep Going For Self-Belief

Believing in yourself fuels action and sustains courage. These quotes strengthen self-trust and remind you that confidence is built by small achievements and honest self-talk.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”Theodore Roosevelt

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”Ralph Waldo Emerson

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”Eleanor Roosevelt

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”A.A. Milne

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”William James

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”Brené Brown

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”Peter T. Mcintyre

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”Benjamin Spock

“Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.”Roy T. Bennett

Quotes To Keep Going For Change

Change can be unsettling, but it opens possibility. These quotes encourage adaptability and frame change as a route to new strengths and opportunities.

“The only constant in life is change.”Heraclitus

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”Mahatma Gandhi

“Change is the end result of all true learning.”Leo Buscaglia

“Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later.”Bob Goff

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”Lao Tzu

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow.”Lao Tzu

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”Viktor E. Frankl

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”George Bernard Shaw

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”Tony Robbins

“Don’t fear change. You may lose something good, but you may gain something even better.”Jack Ma

Quotes To Keep Going For Patience

Patience builds endurance and wisdom. These quotes teach that waiting and steady effort often yield deeper rewards than impulsive leaps.

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait—it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.”Joyce Meyer

“All good things come to those who wait.”Proverb

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”Leo Tolstoy

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”A.A. Milne

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Great things take time. Be patient yet persistent.”Celia Park

“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.”Saadi

“Endurance is patience concentrated.”Thomas Carlyle

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”Arnold H. Glasow

“Be patient with yourself. Nothing in nature blooms all year.”Joanna Penn

Quotes To Keep Going For New Beginnings

Every new start holds promise. These quotes inspire courage to begin again, honoring past lessons while opening to fresh potential and growth.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”Seneca

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”Plato

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”Martin Luther King Jr.

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”Lao Tzu

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”Charles Dederich

“Begin anywhere.”John Cage

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”Elon Musk

“Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to build something better.”Nicole Evans

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”Lao Tzu

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”Arthur Ashe

Quotes To Keep Going For Strength

Strength is both physical and moral. These quotes bolster inner fortitude, reminding you that endurance and courage are cultivated by daily choices and consistent action.

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”Bob Marley

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger people.”John F. Kennedy

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.”Arnold Schwarzenegger

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”J.K. Rowling

“Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever.”Roy T. Bennett

“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”Amy Poehler

“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”Sara Alvarez

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.”Ernest Hemingway

“Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don’t think you can, hold on.”Elizabeth Smart

“Strength is built through struggle; embrace it.”Jonah Reed

Final Thoughts

Quotes to keep going are more than catchy lines—they are compact beacons that reconnect you to purpose, courage, and resilience when life feels heavy. By internalizing thoughtful words from diverse voices, you can reshape your inner narrative, find motivation in small moments, and approach obstacles with renewed clarity. These phrases serve as cognitive anchors; repeating them in difficult times can shift your focus from what’s gone wrong to what you are able to do next. They help to normalize struggle, acknowledge progress, and celebrate persistence, which in turn builds confidence and stamina for future challenges. Use these quotes not as a substitute for action but as a gentle hand that steadies you, reminding you that momentum is often created by tiny steps and steady resolve. Keep a few favorites where you can see them—on your desk, phone lock screen, or notebook—and return to them when you need courage, perspective, or a quick reset. Over time, these words can support the small habits that lead to meaningful change.

If you enjoyed these reminders and want more inspiration, explore related reads like stronger than you think or discover hopeful messages in better days ahead to keep your momentum going.