There’s nothing like a good quote to help you stay focused and motivated.
Maybe you’re having trouble getting started on a project. Or maybe you have an important deadline that you’d like to see through. Or maybe you have a big, dream goal that you’d like to focus on for the long haul.
Sometimes, discipline and willpower can help you stay focused on the task. But more often than not, your attention is going to be being pulled in a million different directions. From message notifications to noisy neighbors to inner doubt and fear, it’s any wonder that any of us can stay focused.
So instead of trying to force yourself to work and suffer through the task, use external systems and tools to help you concentrate. And an inspirational quote is a simple, but powerful tool to harness your attention.
Why inspirational quotes can help you focus
Words have the power to stir something inside us. The right quote can make us feel as if the impossible is possible. They motivate us to take action, embrace challenges, and power through the feelings of doubt and insecurity to stay focused on our work.
How to use focus quotes
- Write down your favorite focus quotes by hand. Studies have shown that handwriting helps us retain and process information. And writing things by hand forces us to slow down and really take in the words.
- Recite your focus quotes out loud. Much like a positive affirmation or mantra, reciting an inspirational quote can put you in a meditative-like state. It’s a great way to quiet the competing voices in your mind and increase your concentration.
- Put it in your planner. When you see an inspiring quote you’ll feel that much more inspired about your goals. So sprinkle in some focus quotes throughout your planner and stay motivated all year round.
Tips on how to stay focused
- Use a timer. If you find yourself wasting time and getting distracted on your computer, use a timer to help you focus. Knowing that you have a limited amount of time will help you buckle down and get to work.
- Learn how to prioritize. Being focused means knowing how to identify your priorities. Not every task, project, or activity has an equal weight of importance. Otherwise, you would never get anything done. To help you prioritize, make a daily to-do list and then put a star next to the three most important tasks/activities. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time and energy to focus on those three things. When you finish your priorities, move onto the next task on your list.
- Practice the art of saying “no.” Another way to help you stay focused is to start saying “no” to personal or professional obligations. If you say yes to every social invitation or work project or any other demands on your time, you won’t have enough left in the tank to focus on your priorities.
- Know what your distractions are and address them. We all have our weaknesses and downfalls when it comes to our attention span. These are the websites or people or noises that manage to distract us and take us away from our work. So if social media is your biggest distraction, put your phone in a different room. If your neighbor is blasting their music, use noise canceling headphones or work from the library. If you can’t work in a quiet environment, then use the white noise of a coffee shop to help you focus.
Now that you know the best ways to increase your focus and attention, here are some inspiring quotes to help you stay focused.
Focus quotes to keep your goals in sight
“I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.”
– Venus Williams
“You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a Polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.”
– Sara Blakely
“I am constantly re-evaluating my goals and trying to strike items from my to-do list that aren't critical.”
– Aisha Tyler
Focus quotes to help you prioritize
“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good."
– Stephen Covey
“When I accepted that I was a decent, kind, and giving person—whether I said yes or no—I no longer had anything to prove. I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’”
– Oprah Winfrey
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything."
– Warren Buffet
“What you don’t do determines what you can do.”
– Tim Ferriss
Focus quotes for productivity
“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes."
– Buddha
"I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything."
– Michael Phelps
“Pushing yourself to take simple actions creates a chain reaction in your confidence and your productivity.”
– Mel Robbins
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
– Zig Ziglar
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
– Sam Levenson
“Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love—is the sum of what you focus on.”
– Cal Newport
Focus quotes to recenter your mind
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
“In times of pain, when the future is too terrifying to contemplate and the past too painful to remember, I have learned to pay attention to right now. The precise moment I was in was always the only safe place for me.”
– Julia Cameron
Written by JiJi Lee
