15 Famous Hustling Quotes To Help Inspire You – Get Motivated!

If there's one thing I've learned when to entrepreneurship or hustling, it's that it isn't always smooth sailing.

I've been blogging at WebMonkey for the past year and a half, and I've certainly had my share of ups and down. A recent Google algorithm update has actually knocked my traffic a fair bit, and I'll admit, I've been frustrated with progress the past month or so.

But, here's the thing I've realized: overcoming challenges is what makes side hustling so rewarding, and it's also what forces you to adapt and grow.

So, if you're currently stuck in a rut with your finances, hustles, or your goals in general, remember this is all part of the process!

And, if you need a touch of additional motivation, feel free to browse this list of the best quotes about grinding and hustling!

Onto the quotes!

Motivational Quotes About Persistence

1. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit” – Aristotle

If you ever need a healthy dose of wisdom in your life, turning to the Ancient Greeks isn't a terrible idea.

I think this quote is important for anyone working towards the bigger picture. The end might not be in sight, but you build towards it with perseverance and grit!

2. “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you” – Mark Cuban

I've mentioned Mark Cuban before in my mega blog recap post, and that's for good reason. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, heeding the advice of entrepreneurs who have already made it is an easy way to keep a level head.

So, if you're ever stuck in a rut when it comes to a hustle like blogging, remember you sometimes have to double down and keep your foot on the gas.

3. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work” – Thomas Edison.

If this quote doesn't summarize persistence I don't know what will.

This is probable one of Edison's most famous quotes of all time, and I think this is the most admirable one of them all. When facing a challenge that seems insurmountable, remember that you are not failing so long as you learn from your mistakes and never give up.

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

Fun fact: one of my favorite books of all-time and part of my namesake comes from Mark Twain's novel Tom Sawyer.

There is a very simple but important truth behind this quote. Everyone has dreams, and everyone talks about their goals, but talk is cheap. The only way to make progress and deliver is to get the ball rolling in the first place.

5. “The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately” – Unknown

Speaking of dreams, take a look at this motivational quote. This basically sums up the reality of what it takes to reach your goals.

It doesn't matter if you're aiming to be debt free, to start a business, or to reach financial independence…hard work is the only way to get there.

6. “Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anais Nin

This quote is a simple one, but true nevertheless.

There is such a thing as luck, but as the saying goes, the harder you work, the luckier you get!

Inspirational Quotes About Taking Risk

 Hard work and persistence are the foundation of success when it comes to side hustling, but taking the first (and sometimes risky) step is critical for getting the ball rolling.

7. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

There's a reason Muhammad Ali has so many famous quotes, and the reason isn't that he was simply a world-class boxer.

Ali had a very, very interesting life, and it was a life that was filled with a great deal of adversity and tough, risky decision making. If you ever have time to read his biography, I highly recommend it!

It can be scary to take on new challenges or to pick an ambitious goal because that opens us up to the chance of failure, but that is why there is an element of courage involved in risk taking.

8. “Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller.

Helen Keller said this. Please, take that in for a moment and acknowledge how incredible she is.

It's sort of funny, in a way. I think many cultures in this world praise security, and don't get me wrong, comfort has its fair share of merit.

But I will admit, as I've sat at my 9-5 desk job over the last few months, I think a part of me hears the message behind this quote more and more every day. Maybe it is too easy for security to turn to complacency, and perhaps they are the same thing?

9. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” – T.S. Eliot.

I'm not a huge fan of poetry (I'm 22, and I've seen enough Rupi Kaur love quotes on Instagram to last many lifetimes at this point).

However, I do like Eliot, and I think this is a beautiful quote that relates perfectly to risk taking, side hustles, and entrepreneurship in general.

Think about our ancestors, who explored uncharted territory, sailed across unknown seas, or delved into places on earth no human had ever been before? They embodied this quote, and I think that's pretty groovy.

10. “Pearls don't lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.” – Chinese Proverb.

Proverbs generally stick around because, well, they kind of have a point.

When it comes to obtaining something worthwhile, you usually have to dive into some sort of uncertainty and leave comfort behind. So, if you're launching a new business or pushing towards your goals, keep this one in mind whenever you start to feel uncertainty creep in.

11. “Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” – General Patton.

I wanted to wrap up the section on quotes about taking risk with something a bit more level headed, and this quote from George Patton does the job.

I think it is very easy to think yourself into inaction, or to suffer paralysis by analysis.

On the flip side, I think it can also be incredibly easy to throw all caution to the wind and to act rashly.

Learning how to take calculated risks is an important life skill, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Besides, as a history fan, I couldn't write a post on quotes without including at least one famous general.

Quotes About Leading A Great Life

What is the point of building something, or working hard, or taking risks in general if we just crawl into a box and die at the end of the day?

Alright, morbid, but you get my point. It's great to set goals and to hustle, but all the money in the world doesn't mean a thing if you don't live a life of meaning.

So, here are some quotes I personally enjoy on the subject!

12. “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old. They grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” – Gabriel García Márquez

Márquez is a famous Colombian author, and if you've ever read his famous works 100 Years of Solitude, this quote might strike you as a bit odd coming from him seeing as 100 Years of Solitude is incredibly fatalistic and kinda depressing.

 But, I love this quote nevertheless. I think this mentality is also why I love the concept of side hustling as well. Idleness isn't good, at any age, and it is important to remember that!

13. “Creating is the essence of life.” – Julius Caesar

Alright, I couldn't resist, I had to sneak one more military general into this list of hustling and motivational quotes.

Caesar is actually my answer for the question: ‘if you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?” The man was just EPIC. Seriously, read his biography sometime and you'll see what I mean.

But this quote rings very true. I truly believe that we are the happiest when we are creating, and if that's not the reason I'm blogging at 1:00am on a Friday night, I don't really know what is.

14. “If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day. Otherwise, it's not.” – Elon Musk

Elon Musk is definitely my favorite entrepreneur, and his mentality of perseverance and always keeping the bigger picture in mind is what inspires me the most.

If there is one motivational quote you take away from this post, I hope it is this one. Nothing is possible if you wake up already defeated, so always remember to look on the bright side of things.

15. “Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese Proverb.

This is another vital quote I hope you take away from this post.

I've always had the type of personality that wants things faster.

I rushed my graduation, I want to grow my blog faster, I want to earn/save more money at a quicker rate…all fine goals on their own, but in aggregate they can be a toxic and unappreciative way of thinking and living.

Set incredibly ambitious goals.

But don't be frustrated if it takes longer to reach them than you originally thought.

Rather, just be sure you continue to move towards them and continue to better yourself. This is true for both side hustling and any part of life, really.

Final Thoughts

I'll admit, this was a very different style of post than I am used to writing on WebMonkey.

I'll also admit that I'm generally not a fan of the whole ‘rise and grind' hype. It's overdone, and I'm also pretty tired of YouTubers or entrepreneur gurus like Gary Vaynerchuk using it for the basis of their cult-like following (have you ever met a hardcore Gary V fan? It's somewhat frightening).

However, when it comes to sticking with your side hustle or financial goals, it can be hard to remain motivated…especially if your particular goals of 5, 10, or 15+ years down the line.

So again, just remember: consistency and perseverance is the key, don't be afraid to take risks, and always remember to have a have a dream or bigger picture you are working towards. Otherwise none of this hustling stuff is really worth it anyway!

I hope you guys enjoyed, I'll catch you in the next one.