Effort Quotes | Beyond Motive

top of page

Effort Quotes

"Woman, essentially a purist, is naturally bigoted and relentless in her effort to make others as good as she thinks they ought to be."

"Woman, essentially a purist, is naturally bigoted and relentless in her effort to make others as good as she thinks they ought to be."

Emma Goldman, Lithuanian Activist

28

"Great effort is required to arrest decay and restore vigor. One must exercise proper deliberation, plan carefully before making a move, and be alert in guarding against relapse following a renaissance."

"Great effort is required to arrest decay and restore vigor. One must exercise proper deliberation, plan carefully before making a move, and be alert in guarding against relapse following a renaissance."

Horace, Roman Poet

Effort, Exercise

27

"This illness made it impossible for me to give my best effort to our audience, but now that it's been identified, I'm looking forward to a complete, quick recovery and to get back out there with John as soon as possible."

"This illness made it impossible for me to give my best effort to our audience, but now that it's been identified, I'm looking forward to a complete, quick recovery and to get back out there with John as soon as possible."

Daryl Hall, American Musician

Effort, Illness, Now, Quick

23

"Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think."

"Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think."

Emma Goldman, Lithuanian Activist

15

"The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual."

"The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual."

Vince Lombardi, American Coach

Effort, Results

11

"Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of enlightened selfishness that today is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise and new activity."

"Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of enlightened selfishness that today is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise and new activity."

William Howard Taft, American President

Effort, Labor, Motive, Selfishness

11

"Losing is no disgrace if you've given your best."

"Losing is no disgrace if you've given your best."

Jim Palmer, American Athlete

Effort, Disgrace, Losing

10

"The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply."

"The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply."

Denis Waitley, American Writer

Effort, Results, Will

10

"The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be."

"The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be."

Bruce Lee, American Actor

9

"For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store."

"For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store."

Isaac Bashevis Singer, American Novelist

Effort, Miracles

9

"Doyle stokes in a thousand shrewd touches with no effort at all. Wonderful."

"Doyle stokes in a thousand shrewd touches with no effort at all. Wonderful."

Rex Stout, American Writer

9

"There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment."

"There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment."

Orison Swett Marden, American Writer

Effort, Investment, Will

9

"One of the hardest things to believe is that anyone will abandon the effort to escape a charge of murder. It is extremely important to suspend disbelief on that. If you don't, the story is spoiled."

"One of the hardest things to believe is that anyone will abandon the effort to escape a charge of murder. It is extremely important to suspend disbelief on that. If you don't, the story is spoiled."

Rex Stout, American Writer

Effort, Murder, Will

9

"Well, we are not doing that film actually. At least I am not at the moment, but we are making an effort to get it done; I don't know whether we'll get the financing for it. The old story we had it, it fell out of place and this and that."

"Well, we are not doing that film actually. At least I am not at the moment, but we are making an effort to get it done; I don't know whether we'll get the financing for it. The old story we had it, it fell out of place and this and that."

Harvey Keitel, American Actor

Effort, Film, Old

8

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

Roger Bannister, British Athlete

Effort, Man, Will

8

"Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle for."

"Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle for."

Marian Wright Edelman, American Activist

Effort, Struggle

8

"My earlier award was also based on a close collaborative effort."

"My earlier award was also based on a close collaborative effort."

John Bardeen, American Scientist

7

"I've been in the league 12 years. To sit on the bench and complain about the way things were, that doesn't get anything done. I don't know. I'm playing for a championship and trying to make the playoffs. My effort has never changed."

"I've been in the league 12 years. To sit on the bench and complain about the way things were, that doesn't get anything done. I don't know. I'm playing for a championship and trying to make the playoffs. My effort has never changed."

Chris Webber, American Athlete

Effort, Trying, Years

7

"When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person."

"When I first concluded to print the book, I made an honest effort to construct it in the third person."

John Sergeant Wise, American Author

7

"Worrying doesn't make any difference, but working does and spirituality gives one the strength to work."

"Worrying doesn't make any difference, but working does and spirituality gives one the strength to work."

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Indian Spiritual Leader

Effort, Worry, Work, Action, Strength

7

"Generally the younger generation are not hard working. They will have to put in more effort to achieve results in tournaments. most of them can perform well but they cannot deliver when they play abroad."

"Generally the younger generation are not hard working. They will have to put in more effort to achieve results in tournaments. most of them can perform well but they cannot deliver when they play abroad."

Jahangir Khan, Pakistani Athlete

Effort, Play, Results, Will

7

"With the dreary season in which we travelled part of the route; with our minds much more actively employed in forming resources for our preservation from famine."

"With the dreary season in which we travelled part of the route; with our minds much more actively employed in forming resources for our preservation from famine."

Zebulon Pike, American Soldier

7

"Freedom requires no effort to enjoy but requires heroic efforts to preserve."

"Freedom requires no effort to enjoy but requires heroic efforts to preserve."

Richard G. Scott, American Clergyman

Effort, Freedom

7

"The effort required by your endeavor now is not as hard as dealing with your regret later."

"The effort required by your endeavor now is not as hard as dealing with your regret later."

Mike Hawkins, American Author

Effort, Now, Regret

7

"It is always the start that requires the greatest effort."

"It is always the start that requires the greatest effort."

James Cash Penney, American Businessman

7

"I was determined that if I failed it wouldn't be due to lack of effort."

"I was determined that if I failed it wouldn't be due to lack of effort."

Heston Blumenthal, English Celebrity

7

"You are only responsible for the effort, not the outcome."

"You are only responsible for the effort, not the outcome."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Effort, Truth, Inspirational, Wisdom, Power

7

"Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results."

"Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results."

Ernest Shackleton, Irish Explorer

Effort, Results, Worth

7

"I think that we must come together progressively, with the British, the Germans, the Spanish, the Italians and with the new members of the European Union, we must make an effort to forge closer links."

"I think that we must come together progressively, with the British, the Germans, the Spanish, the Italians and with the new members of the European Union, we must make an effort to forge closer links."

Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Politician

7

"Marsh: Our best efforts were never even a mild annoyance to the Lord Ruler."Kelsier: Ah, but being an annoyance is something that I am very good at. In fact, I'm far more than just a 'mild' annoyance--people tell me I can be downright frustrating. Might as well use this talent for the cause of good, eh?"

"Marsh: Our best efforts were never even a mild annoyance to the Lord Ruler."Kelsier: Ah, but being an annoyance is something that I am very good at. In fact, I'm far more than just a 'mild' annoyance--people tell me I can be downright frustrating. Might as well use this talent for the cause of good, eh?"

Brandon Sanderson, American Author

Effort, Frustration, Talent, Cause

7

"Well, sometimes to get what you want the most, you have to do what you want the least."

"Well, sometimes to get what you want the most, you have to do what you want the least."

Jodi Picoult, American Novelist

Effort, Sacrifice, Desire, Struggle

7

"I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort."

"I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort."

Len Wein, American Cartoonist

Effort, Judgment

6

"Number two, we're going to play with a lot of effort. Our guys are going to be in such good shape that fatigue is not going to be a problem. We're going to play with full effort from snap to whistle on every play the entire game."

"Number two, we're going to play with a lot of effort. Our guys are going to be in such good shape that fatigue is not going to be a problem. We're going to play with full effort from snap to whistle on every play the entire game."

Steve Spurrier, American Coach

Effort, Fatigue, Play

6

"All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy."

"All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy."

Scott Alexander, American Author

Effort, Cheating, Dying, Evil, Losing

6

"Take a look at your natural river. What are you? Stop playing games with yourself. Where's your river going? Are you riding with it? Or are you rowing against it? Don't you see that there is no effort if you're riding with your river?"

"Take a look at your natural river. What are you? Stop playing games with yourself. Where's your river going? Are you riding with it? Or are you rowing against it? Don't you see that there is no effort if you're riding with your river?"

Frederick Carl Frieseke, American Artist

6

"Understand from top to bottom what the effort requires."

"Understand from top to bottom what the effort requires."

Bill Toomey, American Athlete

6

"Yet, if we accept the solution offered today by this bill to explore and develop for oil on the coastal plain of ANWR, it will be 5 years, at least, and probably closer to 8 before the first barrel of oil flows from that effort."

"Yet, if we accept the solution offered today by this bill to explore and develop for oil on the coastal plain of ANWR, it will be 5 years, at least, and probably closer to 8 before the first barrel of oil flows from that effort."

John Olver, American Politician

Effort, First, Oil, Solution

6

"Fame is a constant effort."

"Fame is a constant effort."

Jules Renard, French Dramatist

6

"Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction."

"Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction."

Erich Fromm, American Psychologist

Effort, Greed, Satisfaction

6

"The final effort came when our reconnaissance team reported contact with the POWs and their guards by radio near midnight at a pre-arranged crossing site."

"The final effort came when our reconnaissance team reported contact with the POWs and their guards by radio near midnight at a pre-arranged crossing site."

Bo Gritz, American Soldier

Effort, Midnight

6

"He was a silly guy. Out - do the other guy. That was his effort at all times."

"He was a silly guy. Out - do the other guy. That was his effort at all times."

Cab Calloway, American Musician

5

"If things don't come easy, there is no premium on effort. There should be joy in the chase, zest in the pursuit."

"If things don't come easy, there is no premium on effort. There should be joy in the chase, zest in the pursuit."

Branch Rickey, American Athlete

Effort, Joy, Pursuit, Zest

5

"The greater the effort, the greater the glory."

"The greater the effort, the greater the glory."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

5

"This is a global effort we're going to have to lead to overcome this jihadist effort. It's more than Osama bin Laden. But he is going to pay, and he will die."

"This is a global effort we're going to have to lead to overcome this jihadist effort. It's more than Osama bin Laden. But he is going to pay, and he will die."

Mitt Romney, American Politician

Effort, Osamabinladen, Will

5

"I agree that we must expand opportunities for retirement saving, but we must not undermine this worthy effort with a flawed privatization scheme that takes the 'security' out of Social Security."

"I agree that we must expand opportunities for retirement saving, but we must not undermine this worthy effort with a flawed privatization scheme that takes the 'security' out of Social Security."

Mary Landrieu, American Politician

Effort, Retirement, Security

4

"Decency must be an even more exhausting state to maintain than its opposite. Those who succeed seem to need a stupefying amount of sleep."

"Decency must be an even more exhausting state to maintain than its opposite. Those who succeed seem to need a stupefying amount of sleep."

Quentin Crisp, English Writer

Effort, Decency, Sleep, State, Succeed

4

"There is no problem that is not improved by effort, and no effort that is too paltry to be worth undertaking."

"There is no problem that is not improved by effort, and no effort that is too paltry to be worth undertaking."

Sam Waterston, American Actor

4

"They say I am a regulator and I think it is just an effort not to comply with the decree. I do not do anything except what the decree requires me to do."

"They say I am a regulator and I think it is just an effort not to comply with the decree. I do not do anything except what the decree requires me to do."

Harold H. Greene, American Judge

4

"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you."

"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you."

Arnold Palmer, American Athlete

4

"I went over before the British Open and played Valderrama thinking that I might make the team, might be a captain's pick. I made the effort to go over there."

"I went over before the British Open and played Valderrama thinking that I might make the team, might be a captain's pick. I made the effort to go over there."

Payne Stewart, American Athlete

Effort, Open, Thinking

4

bottom of page