“Here’s one way to approach it: Push the ultimate desired outcome off into an unknowable future horizon then break the big goal down into smaller chunks. Identify THE next most important little domino that needs to get knocked over. Set a challenging but realistic target for THAT goal, then figure out the PROCESS you need to engage in on a daily basis to hit that goal and voila! You’re an instant success as you show up and take the next baby step, remembering to celebrate the small wins as you create a feeling of continuous achievement. Remember: We want that inspiring, jumbo-huge goal to serve as a RUDDER pointing us in the right direction as we practice staying fully engaged in one moment after the other. That’s much better than using our unrealistic goal as a measuring stick that depletes our energy as we worry about why we’re not already at our goal.”

- Brian Johnson, Heroic.us

“If the first plan which you adopt does not work successfully, replace it with a new plan; if this new plan fails to work, replace it in turn with still another, and so on, until you find a plan which does work. Right here is the point at which the majority of men meet with failure, because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”

- From Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“...the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meeting and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.”

- W. H. Murray

“Every man is what he is because of the dominating thoughts which he permits to occupy his mind. It is essential for you to encourage the positive emotions as dominating forces of your mind, and discourage—and eliminate negative emotions… First: I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life; therefore, I demand of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action. Second: I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality; therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.”

- From Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“First you see it, then you believe it, and then you create it. But it starts with creating your vision.”

- From The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents by Hal Elrod

“The good thing about principles is that they make life easy. I have heard it said that when someone bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made.”

- From The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

“Ask yourself: is what I’m doing today getting me closer to where I want to be tomorrow?”

- Zig Ziglar

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

- Brian Tracy

“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” 

- W. P. Kinsella

“Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can.”

- From The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

"The most important trick to be happy is to realize that happiness is a choice that you make and a skill set that you develop. You choose to be happy, and then you work at it. It's just like building muscles."

- Naval Ravikant podcast

“Be happy with what you have while pursuing what you want.”

- From 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn

“We already have everything we could ever need to be the happiest we could ever be. It’s simply up to us to remember that truth in each moment. We must realize that our happiness doesn’t come from building wealth or collecting things but from being present to all that we have, all that we are, and all that we can become.“

- From The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents by Hal Elrod

“Working toward a meaningful life goal is one of the most important strategies for becoming lastingly happier.”

- From The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky

“Attaining lasting happiness requires that we enjoy the journey on our way towards a destination we deem valuable. Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain; happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak.”

- From Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar

“Compare what you say you want against what you actually do. Do they match? If not, it’s time to change and figure out what really matters. Once you do, line up your priority with the actions you need to achieve it, and then embrace the pain, pay the price, and earn the prize.”

- From The Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

“We all say that we want to succeed, but sooner or later our level of activity must equal our level of intent. Talking about achievement is one thing; making it happen is something altogether different. Some people seem to take more joy in talking about success than they do in achieving it. It is as though their ritualistic chant about someday lulls them into a false sense of security, and all the things that they should be doing and could be doing on any given day never seem to get done. The consequences of this self-delusion have their own inevitable price. Sooner or later the day will arrive when they will look back with regret at all those things they could have done, and meant to do, but left undone. That is why we must push ourselves in the present to experience the milder pain of discipline. We will all experience one pain or the other—the pain of discipline or the pain of regret—but the difference is that the pain of discipline weighs only ounces while the pain of regret weighs tons.”

- Jim Rohn

“Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

- Goethe

“Set into motion the actions necessary to achieve the things you currently claim are important, yet keep being put off.”

- From Harris Rules by Tim and Julie Harris