115+ Monday motivation quotes & tips to start your week

Heading into a new week with Monday motivation is a great way to kick-start a workweek. It can help improve your productivity, focus, and overall performance to inspire a sense of accomplishment. 

Many people find it difficult to get motivated on a Monday morning, especially after a vacation or long weekend. However, starting your week with Monday motivational quotes can help you embrace the start of the week like a new beginning. It can give you a fresh perspective and boost your optimism so you can get things done.

If you’re struggling to find Monday motivation, use these positive quotes for work to inspire your best efforts.

115+ Monday motivation quotes

Because every new week is a fresh start, there may be weeks when you need certain kinds of quotes more than others. The quotes below are broken down into categories to help you quickly find words of wisdom to spark strength, courage, enthusiasm, and great work. 

Inspirational Monday motivation quotes

Use these inspirational quotes when you need inspiration and uplifting messages to start your workweek.

1. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Ryun, Olympic athlete
2. “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.” — Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
3. “Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and philosopher
4. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney, animator and founder of Disneyland
5. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Lorimer, American journalist
6. “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
7. “Make your life a masterpiece; imagine no limitations on what you can be, have, or do.” — Brian Tracy, motivational speaker
8. “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” — Rosa Parks, civil rights activist
9. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Horace Lorimer, journalist
10. “The goal isn’t to live forever. The goal is to create something that will.” — Chuck Palahniuk, novelist
11. “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you’ll be fired with enthusiasm.” — Vince Lombardi, former National Football League head coach
12. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
13. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” — George Addair, author
14. “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it myself.” — Winston Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom
15. “I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail.” — Muriel Strode, poet
16. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” — Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
17. “Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values.” — Ayn Rand, author and philosopher
18. “If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life that you want, you’re eventually going to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.” — Kevin Ngo, motivational writer
19. “Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again.” — Bob Feller, American baseball player

Positive Monday motivation quotes

These positive Monday motivational quotes are perfect for weeks when you’re feeling mentally exhausted and need to find happiness to overcome the Monday blues. Use this list when you have no motivation to work.

1. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
2. “There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.” — Brian Tracy, motivational speaker
3. “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Anonymous
4. “Make sure your worst enemy is not living between your own two ears.” — Laird Hamilton, surfer
5. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and philosopher
6. “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” — Audrey Hepburn, actress
7. “You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States
8. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” — Lucille Ball, actress 
9. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer, theologian 
10. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” — Vince Lombardi, former National Football League head coach
11. “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” — Og Mandino, author
12. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.” — Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
13. “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.” — Peter Drucker, management consultant
14. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and philosopher
15. “Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, then worrying won’t make it any better.” — Walt Disney, animator and founder of Disneyland
16. “Eventually all things fall into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moments, and know everything happens for a reason.” — Albert Schweitzer, theologian 
17. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States
18. “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” — Stephen King, author
19. “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” — Andrew Carnegie, industrialist 

Productivity Monday motivation quotes

Motivation doesn’t always equal productivity. Use these inspirational quotes to inspire yourself to stay productive throughout the week.

1. “Start from wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got.” — Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur and author
2. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist
3. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou Holtz, former American football coach
4. “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle, and giving 110% all the time.” — Don Zimmer, former Major League Baseball coach
5. “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet and playwright
6. “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Supreme Court associate justice
7. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney, animator and founder of Disneyland
8. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” — Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights movement leader
9. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt, former US president
10. “Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” — Madam C.J. Walker, entrepreneur and philanthropist
11. “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort. And without it, nothing great was ever achieved.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and philosopher
12. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali, professional boxer
13. “Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way but must accept his lot calmly if they even roll a few more upon it.” — Albert Schweitzer, theologian 
14. “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” — George Washington, former US president
15. “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” — Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
16. “What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” — Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
17. “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” — Napoleon Hill, author
18. “A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement.” — Bo Bennett, businessman
19. “Begin with the end in mind.” — Stephen Covey, educator and author
20. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” — Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur and author
21. “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” — Michael Korda, writer
22. “Problems can become opportunities when the right people come together.” — Robert Redford, actor and filmmaker

Focus Monday motivation quotes

Productivity requires focus, which can be hard to achieve first thing on a Monday morning. These quotes will give you the courage to stay motivated and achieve great work.

1. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur and author
2. “You can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.” — Bonnie Prudden, American rock climber
3. “It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.” —  Elizabeth II, former queen of the United Kingdom
4. “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot, poet
5. “The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.” — Walt Disney, animator and founder of Disneyland
6. “Self-doubt kills talent.” — Edie McClurg, actress
7. “Doing the right thing is more important than doing the thing right.” — Peter Drucker, management consultant 
8. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar, author
9. “All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them.” — Viola Davis, actress
10. “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist and philosopher
11. “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson, humorist and author
12. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” — Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company
13. “The only good excuse is that you have none.” — Byron Pulsifer, author
14. “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” — Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple
15. “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” — Napoleon Hill, author
16. “You can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can’t catch a fish unless you put your line in the water. You can’t reach your goals if you don’t try.” — Kathy Seligman, journalist and author
17. “Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step toward completing it. If you aren’t sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better.” — John Carmack, computer programmer
18. “Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.” — George Whitefield, minister and preacher

Resilience Monday motivation quotes

It can be even tougher to get motivated for a new week when you’re dealing with personal or professional hardship. These Monday quotes are great for reminding yourself of your mental strength and resilience to keep pushing forward. Doing this can also help you set an example of motivation and inspiration for others.

1. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising up every time we fail.” — Oliver Goldsmith, Irish writer
2. “It hurt because it mattered.” — John Green, author
3. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor
4. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
5. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” — John Wooden, American basketball coach
6. “Success always demands a greater effort.” — Winston Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom
7. “Hard things will happen to us. We will recover. We will learn from it. We will grow more resilient because of it.” — Taylor Swift, American singer-songwriter
8. “For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.” — Jack Canfield, author
9. “You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” — Sam Levenson, humorist and author
10. “No matter how far away from yourself you may have strayed, there is always a path back. You already know who you are and how to fulfill your destiny.” — Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
11. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States
12. “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
13. “One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” — Jack Penn, surgeon and sculptor
14. “Winners are losers who got up and gave it one more try.” — Dennis DeYoung, singer-songwriter
15. “It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” — Brian Tracy, motivational speaker
16. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” — Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and social reformer
17. “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving; we get stronger and more resilient.” — Steve Maraboli, speaker and author
18. “The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.” — Vince Lombardi, former National Football League head coach
19. “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” — Jodi Picoult, author

Funny Monday motivation quotes

Laughter is always a great way to begin a new week. Use these funny Monday motivation quotes to give yourself a smile at the start of the workweek.

1. “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” — Elbert Hubbard, writer
2. “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar, author
3. “My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far, I’ve finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” — Dave Barry, author
4. “Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you’re donating blood.” — Bill Murray, actor and comedian
5. “Even a stopped clock is right twice every day.” — Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer
6. “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow just as well.” — Mark Twain, writer and humorist
7. “People can’t drive you crazy if you don’t give them the keys.” — Mike Bechtle, author
8. “If you can’t be kind, at least be vague.” — Judith Martin, columnist
9. “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” — Charles Schulz, cartoonist
10. “By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day.” — Robert Frost, poet
11. “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.” — Oscar Wilde, poet
12. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor
13. “The road to success is always under construction.” — Lily Tomlin, actress
14. “Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.” — Robert Orben, comedy writer and magician 
15. “If hard work is the key to success, most people would rather pick the lock.” — Claude Maxwell MacDonald, British soldier and diplomat
16. “The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” — Marvin Phillips, professional basketball player
17. “I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with ’em later.” — Mitch Hedberg, comedian
18. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” — Douglas Adams, author
19. “When in doubt, look intelligent.” — Garrison Keillor, author and singer

How do I start a Monday with motivation? 

Starting a Monday with work motivation requires a positive attitude and an eagerness to do great work. It can be helpful to prepare for your workweek the night before and set realistic goals for the new week to position yourself for success. 

Some other ways you can avoid a lack of motivation on Monday morning include the following:

• Eat a healthy breakfast: Make a nutritious breakfast part of your Monday morning routine. According to the Victorian Department of Health (Australia), eating breakfast increases your energy levels and ability to concentrate, which can make it easier to stay motivated.
• Map out your schedule: At the very beginning of the day, take a look at your calendar to note how much time you’ll spend in meetings and how much you’ll have to do heads-down work. Figure out which tasks can be done in that amount of time, and make those your goals for the day.
• Take breaks: It’s unlikely that you’ll have the same level of momentum throughout the entire day. When you feel yourself slowing down or getting drained, make it a habit to take a short break to help boost your energy. Try walking around the block or grabbing a coffee. This can help you feel refreshed and ready to get back to focusing.
• Practice self-care: According to Dr. Matt Glowiak of Southern New Hampshire University, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also increase happiness and improve your concentration, which can help you feel better about your work.
• Schedule something to look forward to: If you’re struggling to motivate yourself for work, try scheduling an event you can look forward to at the end of the week. For example, you could invite friends over on Friday for a game night or plan a nice dinner with your partner. This can help keep you motivated to get through the week.

Everyone is motivated by different things, so find what works best for you and stick with it. 

Up your Monday motivation with a professional coach

Monday motivation can be a challenge to develop, but there are ways to help keep your wheels turning as you start the week fresh. Bookmark this list of Monday quotes or print it out and tape it above your desk for when you need encouragement. If you’re in a leadership role, you can also share this list to help inspire and motivate your team.

If you’re struggling to develop work motivation, try getting outside help. A professional coach can help you better define and understand your desired career path and identify the work you find most fulfilling. They can then work with you on creating strategies to help you get there.

Improve your Monday motivation by working with a BetterUp Coach to start every week strong.