Some days, you know exactly what you want and go after it. On other days, doubt, imposter syndrome and many other feelings creeps in and makes taking even the smallest step difficult.
That does not mean you are lazy, incapable or falling behind. Sometimes, you simply need a reminder that progress can often happen even if we don’t always realize it.
And about starting something new, you do not have to feel completely confident before you begin.
I have gathered 60 motivational quotes for women’s success, confidence and personal growth. These are words to return to when you need encouragement, feel afraid of failing or need enough motivation to take your next step.
You can save your favourites in your journal, turn them into affirmations or keep one somewhere you will see it regularly.
Motivational quotes for women who are ready to succeed
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
Michelle Obama“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”
Anne Sweeney“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”
Estée Lauder“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
Maya Angelou“The most effective way to do it is to do it.”
Amelia Earhart“You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.”
Shonda Rhimes“Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”
Madam C. J. Walker“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance.”
Oprah Winfrey“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes.”
Arianna Huffington
Success does not always look impressive from the outside. It can be finishing what you started, applying for an opportunity that scares you or trying again after something failed. You are allowed to decide what a successful life means to you.
Quotes about confidence and believing in yourself
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Eleanor Roosevelt“Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.”
Michelle Obama“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
Oprah Winfrey“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
Coco Chanel“The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence.”
Beyoncé“I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.”
Joan Rivers“You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, ‘I’m proud of what I am and who I am.’”
Mariah Carey“I don’t have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I’m as good as anybody, but no better.”
Katherine Johnson“Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for.”
Jennifer Lopez“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.”
Brené Brown
Confidence is not the absence of doubt. You can question yourself and still take the next step. Many of the things you are proud of probably began before you felt fully ready.
Inspirational quotes for ambitious women
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.”
Audre Lorde“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.”
Lucille Ball“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.”
Ayn Rand“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow.”
Marissa Mayer“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
Michelle Obama“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
Dolly Parton“I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”
Madonna“I do not like to lose, at anything, yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks.”
Serena Williams“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Dreams do not come true just because you dream them.”
Shonda Rhimes“I want every little girl who is told she is bossy to be told she has leadership skills.”
Sheryl Sandberg
Ambition does not make you selfish or ungrateful. Wanting more for your life is not something you need to apologise for. Just remember to turn your plans into actions, even if those actions are small at first.
Quotes about failure, setbacks and starting again
“It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.”
Paula Scher“You learn more in failure than you ever do in success.”
Jay-Z“Failure is a great teacher and, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer.”
Oprah Winfrey“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.”
Serena Williams“You will fail. We have all failed at something. But we all rise above it.”
Michelle Obama“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
J. K. Rowling“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
Richard Branson“Take criticism seriously, but not personally.”
Hillary Clinton“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Maya Angelou“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”
Mae Jemison
A setback can bruise your confidence, but it does not erase your ability. Give yourself time to process what happened, learn what you can and begin again without turning one difficult experience into a permanent judgement of yourself.
Quotes for women building careers and businesses
“Build something you’re passionate about. As an entrepreneur, you have to have the passion and drive to stay the course.”
Alexandra Chong“It’s possible to climb to the top without stomping on other people.”
Taylor Swift“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.”
Tina Fey“I’ve always been a businesswoman. I love showing people that women can be in charge.”
Beyoncé“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.”
Barbara Corcoran“Done is better than perfect.”
Sheryl Sandberg“You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.”
Kamala Harris“I always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success.”
Gloria Vanderbilt“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
Sheryl Sandberg
You do not need to copy someone else’s career or business journey. Learn from people you admire, but give yourself room to build something that fits your strengths, values and current reality.
Short motivational quotes for women
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
Nora Ephron“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
Katharine Hepburn“Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.”
Beyoncé“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
George Eliot“Nothing will work unless you do.”
Maya Angelou“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”
Oprah Winfrey“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.”
Jodie Foster“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.”
Louise Hay“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
Brené Brown
How to use these motivational quotes
Reading a quote can lift your mood for a moment, but it becomes more useful when you connect it to something happening in your life. Here are a few simple ways to do that:
- Choose one quote as your reminder for the week.
- Write it at the top of your journal before planning your goals.
- Turn it into a personal affirmation using “I” statements.
- Add it to your vision board or phone wallpaper.
- Send it to a woman who needs encouragement.
- Use it as a caption when sharing part of your journey online.
For example, you can turn “The most effective way to do it is to do it” into “I will stop waiting for the perfect moment and begin with what I have.”
The point is not to repeat nice words and expect your life to change. Let the quote remind you of the action you already know you need to take.
Why motivational quotes can help
Motivational quotes cannot do the work for you, but the right words can interrupt a negative thought and help you look at a situation differently.
When you are discouraged, it is easy to forget how much you have already survived and achieved. A good quote can remind you that fear, failure and uncertainty are normal parts of growth. It can also give you something positive to hold onto while you work through a difficult moment.
Final thoughts
You do not have to become fearless before going after the life you want. You only need enough courage to take the next honest step.
Choose one quote from this list that speaks to where you are right now. Write it down, then decide on one small thing you can do today. Motivation may help you begin, but it is the small actions you repeat that will move you closer to your goals.
