100 Productive Quotes For Work Inspiration

I’ve never been a quote-y person, but I know they exist. Some make sense, some don’t.

But they all have four things in common: 

• They’re motivational.
• They inspire us to be better and do better.
• They’re easy to remember. 
• And they’re usually from someone famous. 

I decided to list these timely quotes because it’s worth to repost over and over.  

I hope at least one of these productive quotes for work strikes a chord, whether or not you consider yourself a quote-y person.

100 Productive Quotes For Work Inspiration

Time Management Quotes

There is no secret to getting more done. Simply prioritize, manage your time, and build routines.

To get started, here are 10 quotes to help you.

• “You may delay, but time will not.” ― Benjamin Franklin

• “Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” ― Robert Kiyosaki

• “Maximize the day because yesterday is unreachable and tomorrow is insecure.” ― Unknown

• “Value time, value life.” ― Herald Goa

• “Lost time is never found again.” ― Benjamin Franklin

• “Time is a currency you can only spend once, so be careful how you spend it.” ― Harmon Okinyo

• “It is not a lack of time, but rather a lack of direction, that causes our days to feel chaotic.” ― Unknown

• “Control your time, or it will control you.” ― Unknown

• “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” ― Paul J. Meyer

• “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” ― Bertrand Russell

Teamwork and Collaboration Quotes

Show and tell: Exchange ideas.

To enhance your team spirit, here are 10 quotes to break the ice.

• “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ― Ryunosuke Satoro

• “Collaboration is the essence of life. The wind, bees, and flowers work together, to spread the pollen.” ― Amit Ray

• “It takes two flints to make a fire.” ― Louisa May Alcott

• “The best teamwork comes from those who are working independently toward one goal in unison.” ― James Cash Penney

• “Great minds don’t always think alike; that’s what makes teamwork dynamic and successful.” ― Unknown

• “To build a strong team, you must see someone else’s strength as a complement to your weakness and not a threat to your position or authority.” ― Christine Caine

• “Effective teamwork in the workplace begins with open communication and mutual respect among team members.” ― Unknown

• “There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.” ― Idowu Koyenikan

• “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ― Helen Keller

• “Your professional network is the lifeline for success in your career. Invest in it and watch it grow.” ― Unknown

Goal Setting and Achievement Quotes

Make a fearless decision. Be inspired by these quotes on setting goals and achievement:

• “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

• “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” ― Bo Jackson

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

• “The achievement of one goal should be the starting point of another.” ― Alexander Graham Bell

• “Your goal should be out of reach but not out of sight.” ― Anita DeFrantz

• “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” ― Thomas Carlyle

• “The bigger the goal, the stronger the person is required to be.” ― Unknown

• “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.” ― Tony Robbins

• “You only truly fail when you stop trying.” ― Unknown

• “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” ― Jim Rohn

Personal Growth and Development Quotes

Grow. Learn.

Let these quotes inspire you to keep learning:

• “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not.” ― John C. Maxwell

• “Growth begins when we start to accept our own weaknesses.” ― Jean Vanier

• “Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make.” ― Warren Buffett

• “The only journey is the journey within.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

• “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” ― Eric Butterworth

• “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” ― John C. Maxwell

• “The most important investment you can make is in yourself.” ― Warren Buffet

• “Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” ― Brian Tracy

• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” ― Mark Twain

Motivation and Inspiration Quotes

Don’t wait. Do it now!

Here are 10 quotes to inspire and motivate you:

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

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

• “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” ― John F. Kennedy

• “Nothing will work unless you do.” ― Maya Angelou

• “Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.” ― Unknown

• “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ― Nelson Mandela

• “All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.” ― Michael John Bobak

• “The future depends on what you do today.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

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

• “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” ― Zig Ziglar

Work-Life Balance Quotes

Set boundaries. After all, you deserve a little me-time.

Here are 10 quotes to set some boundaries:

• “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” ― Dolly Parton

• “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.” ― Hillary Clinton

• “You have enough. You do enough. You are enough. Relax.” ― Unknown

• “Regain your sanity with the simple realization that you are in control.” ― Unknown

• “Successful people understand the significance of work-life balance, even when they are tempted to work overtime and prove their worth.” ― Unknown

• “Burnout is not a badge of honor.” ― Unknown

• “Work to live, don’t live to work.” ― Unknown

• “You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” ― Unknown

• “There is no such thing as work-life balance – it is all life. The balance has to be within you.” ― Sadhguru

• “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” ― Ralph Marston

Leadership and Management Quotes

They say, “Lead by example” – do you?

Here are 10 quotes for leaders and managers:

• “Leadership is action, not position.” ― Donald H. McGannon

• “To lead people, walk behind them.” ― Lao Tzu

• “Great leaders inspire greatness in others.” ― Anonymous

• “Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching..” ― George Van Valkenburg

• “The speed of the leader is the speed of the gang.” ― Vince Lombardi

• “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” ― Warren Bennis

• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” ― John C. Maxwell

• “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” ― Peter Drucker

• “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” ― Simon Sinek

• “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” ― Max DePree

Creativity and Innovation Quotes

Try new things. Experiment. And bring new ideas to life!

 Here are 10 quotes to inspire you to be more creative and innovative:

• “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” ― Albert Einstein

• “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene

• “Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” ― Miles Davis

• “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” ― Oscar Wilde

• “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou

• “The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” ― Henry David Thoreau

• “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” ― Albert Einstein

• “Innovation is taking two things that already exist and putting them together in a new way.” ― Tom Freston

• “An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” ― Edwin Land

• “Art is not a thing; it is a way.” ― Elbert Hubbard

Organizational Skills and Productivity Quotes

Life is straightforward. 

Here are 10 quotes for productivity and organization.

• “For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.” ― Benjamin Franklin

• “Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.” ― Franz Kafka

• “You don’t need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment.” ― Seth Godin

• “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” ― Zig Ziglar

• “The key to productivity is to rotate your avoidance techniques.” ― Shannon Hale

• “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” ― Karen Lamb

• “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” ― Abraham Lincoln

• “Nobody who ever gave their best regretted it.” ― George Halas

• “A professional is someone who can do their best work when they don’t feel like it.” ― Alistair Cook

• “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” ― Coco Chanel

Professional Relationships Quotes

Nothing good ever happened without other people.

These 10 quotes will help you make your relationships with others the best they can be.

• “Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them.” ― Marissa Mayer

• “Teamwork makes the dream work.” ― John C. Maxwell

• “Develop a win-win mentality. Life is not competitive but cooperative. We can win by helping others succeed.” ― Unknown

• “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” ― Helen Keller

• “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ― Henry Ford

• “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” ― Amy Poehler

• “A network needs both anchors and connectors. Anchors are stable, consistent, and reliable. Connectors are innovative, dynamic, and bridge gaps.” ― Unknown

• “Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued.” ― Brené Brown

• “You can succeed best and quickest by helping others succeed.” ― Napoleon Hill

• “The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” ― Keith Ferrazzi

What to do next?

List quotes that speak to your current situation. Implement them and see your transformation. 

And to guide you how, read these 15 productivity methods. A time-tested recommendation to help you make the most of your hours.