5 Quotes to Inspire for a New Year

This time of year is always good for reflection and inspiration – and to that end, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite quotes that seem especially applicable when you’re thinking about the upcoming New Year.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

– Helen Keller

What you get out of life greatly depends on how you approach it. If you look at everything as problem, or drudgery or just another day at the office, you’re likely in a for a long day and a long year. However, if you can take Helen Keller’s advice and look at your life as a daring adventure – what kind of opportunities does that open up?

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

This is one of my favorite quotes and echoes the idea of life being a daring adventure, with some specific recommendations on how and when to make that happen. When’s the last time you took a chance?

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“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.”

– Albert Einstein

We all have strengths – the key is to recognize them and play to them (and to help others do the same). Are you playing to your strengths? How about the people on your team or around you?

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“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

– Eleanor Roosevelt

A key to getting ahead is to keep learning – and you can accelerate that process by making sure you have opportunities to learn from others. What are you doing to consistently learn from other’s challenges and mistakes?

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“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Another favorite… you can do amazing things when you harness the creativity and intrinsic motivation of those around you. Easier said than done, but it begs the questions ‘Do you have a vision worth pursuing?’ and ‘Do you have the right people on your team?’.

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What do you think? Which one of these quotes resonates with you? What’s one of your favorites? We’d love to hear from you – leave us a comment below.

Shawn Kinkade Kansas City Business Coach