In the oceanic tale of Finding Nemo, Dory says it best. Despite setbacks and hardships, she encourages Marlin to “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.” 

We can learn a great deal from the little blue fish with memory loss. This isn’t just a catchy earworm that plays on an endless loop in our heads. It’s a mantra that speaks to perseverance and the power of unabating action. Along with many other famous “keep pushing” quotes, it gives us the strength to persist forward in a more positive direction, no matter what we’re facing. 

Developing this mindset of tenacity helps us to grow, gain confidence and build resilience. But it also allows us to push our perceived limits to continue going after our dreams. It additionally sharpens our self-awareness so we know when it’s time to pivot and redirect our energy toward a different path. 

“Push yourself” quotes give us that gentle nudge we need to keep going. They carry a profound truth: you never know what could be waiting for you on the other side. 

Motivational ‘Keep Pushing Forward’ Quotes to Push Through Anything  

For those times you feel stuck or unmotivated, licensed psychotherapist Barton Goldsmith, PhD, offers several tips for pushing forward. He says to:

• Take it one day at a time
• Go at your own pace
• Remember it’s not a race. 

He also notes that the mental aspect is half the battle. Reframe your thoughts towards positivity, learn to cope with disappointment and recognize that whatever you’re going through is only temporary. Above all else, Goldsmith urges you to never give up. He says, “Love and prosperity can come in a New York minute, so be ready.”

Motivational quotes to keep pushing provide even more inspiration. They can help you take the next step, whether that’s at work, in relationships or within yourself.

• “Keep your head up. Move forward. Keep going.” —Alex Trebek, The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life

• “If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.” —Martin Luther King Jr.
• “Pushing oneself requires loud, strong self-talk, emphatic and enthusiastic.” —Karl Kuehl, Mental Toughness
• “Whatever happens, I’ll just keep moving forward. Like an avalanche.” —Michelle Phan
• “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” —Sam Levenson, You Don’t Have to Be in Who’s Who to Know What’s What
• “If you’re walking down the right path, and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you will make progress.” —Barack Obama
• “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals. “ —Michael Korda, Success!
• “When you hear that something can’t be done, ignore that advice and push forward.” —Robert Kiyosaki
• “If I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, it stands to reason that I’m going to get there.” —Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
• “Just keep going. One day, one breath at a time.” —Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Silver Flames

Related: 30 Inspiring Quotes About Never Giving Up

Quotes About Pushing Through Hard Times 

Research shows that up to 70% of people experience positive psychological growth as a result of difficult times. By the same token, this could mean fostering a greater sense of purpose, a greater appreciation for life or an increased capacity for altruism. 

Of course, the moral of the story is that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. After all, good can come from hard times. “Push through” quotes remind us of this truth and persuade us to never back down, even in the face of adversity. 

• “​​There’s a huge value in learning to keep moving forward, and that the next page will be better than the last.” —Charles Forsman
• “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” —Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
• “When times are down, keep believing, keep working hard and things will pick up.” —Harry Kane 
• “In times of great stress and adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” —Lee Iacocca, Iacocca
• “You can’t reminisce too much. Because you’ve got to keep pushing forward, you know.” —Daniel Caesar
• “If you’re going through hell keep on going, don’t slow down if you’re scared don’t show it.” —Rodney Atkins, “If You’re Going Through Hell”
• “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.” —Greg Kincaid, A Dog Named Christmas
• “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”  —Japanese Proverb
• “I’ll probably get knocked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I’ll never stay on the ground.” —Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

‘Push Your Limits’ Quotes to Follow Your Dreams 

Unfortunately, far too many people give up on their dreams (upwards of 92%, according to Psychology Today) because of factors like: 

• Self-doubt
• Lack of clear goals
• Lack of persistence 
• Fear of failure
• Fear of the unknown 

But, you don’t have to allow yourself to become a statistic. Use the following “push yourself” quotes to drive forward relentlessly and get out of your comfort zone and grow. You may never reach your full potential—in your career, creative pursuits or in life—if you don’t break barriers and transcend your perceived limits.

• “Having limits to push against is how you find out what you can do.” —Sylvie Guillem
• “True masters know that a warrior will never stop learning, never stop pushing boundaries and never stop growing.” —Mark Divine, Unbeatable Mind
• “If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing your limits and if you’re not pushing your limits, you’re not maximizing your potential.” —Ray Dalio
• “Focus on what lights a fire inside of you and use that passion to fill a white space. Don’t be afraid of the challenges, the missteps and the setbacks along the way. What matters is that you keep going.” —Kendra Scott

• “Push yourself to the edge of your limits. That’s how they expand.” —Robin Sharma
• “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” —Michael Phelps
• “How will I know who I can become if I don’t give myself the chance to try new things, to push myself beyond my normal boundaries? Who might I be if I am away from the things that I currently use to define myself?” —Eileen Cook, With Malice
• “You got to push yourself beyond the edges of your confidence, fearlessness and bravery limits so that they can expand.” —Manoj Arora, Dream On
• “If you are the best, you must go that extra mile.” —Conor McGregor
• “When you push yourself, you push doors open to new perspectives, new options, new experiences and ultimately abundant life.” —LaRae Lodes

Related: 17 Motivational Quotes to Help You Achieve Your Dreams

Sayings About Knowing When to Push Harder 

Today, it’s important to know when to push harder. Yet it’s also critical to know when to chart a new course. Being frustrated with your progress, constantly overcoming challenges and struggling with insecurities are all normal parts of the process. But feeling disconnected from your goals, no longer finding joy in the pursuit and causing damage to your own health or relationships could be signs that it’s time to rethink your approach. Sometimes it’s best to begin a fresh chapter with a new plan, new people, new ideas or even in a new place. 

Pivot or push harder quotes can help you to gain clarity and decide which path to take. Use these original sayings from the SUCCESS® team to give you new strength: 

• “The mark of a true winner is that they decided to push harder when everyone around them decided to quit.” 

• “Pivoting doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It means you’re moving one step closer to success.”
• “Learn the difference between being tired from the grind and being burnt out from pursuing the wrong things.” 
• “If it still ignites a fire in you, it’s worth pushing for.” 
• “Are you truly stuck? Or have you reached the calm before the storm of success?” 
• “All the pressures of life are no match for patience and persistence.” 
• “Pushing harder on a locked door won’t get you anywhere. You need to find a different door or start looking for the key.”
• “For those with a strong enough willpower to reach the summit, a steep and rocky path won’t be a deterrent.” 
• “More often than not, when you feel like throwing in the towel, that’s the time to give it all you got.” 

Pushing Forward: The Path to Success

Don’t look back. Look to the future and continue going after your dreams. If you’re going through a rough patch, keep pushing. Unsure of what’s next? Keep pushing. If you’re doubting yourself, keep pushing. In need of a change? Pivot, then keep pushing. 

Remember, endurance and determination are what separate the weak from the strong and the stagnant from the successful. Gain motivation from “keep pushing” quotes and continue placing one foot in front of the other—no matter how slow your progress may seem. 

Photo by Dirima/Shutterstock

You can’t calm the storm. What you can do is calm yourself, and the storm will gradually pass. So do your best to breathe when negativity surrounds you today. Let calmness be your superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things too personally keeps your mind clear and your heart at peace, which ultimately gives you the upper hand.

Also, remind yourself that people are hard to be around when they believe everything happening around them is a direct assault on them, or is in some way all about them. Don’t fall into this trap. What people say and do is much more about them, than you. People’s reactions to you are about their perspectives, wounds, and experiences. Whether people think you’re amazing or believe you’re the worst, again, is more about the storms they are going through and how they view the world.

Now I’m not suggesting we should be self-indulged narcissists and ignore all the opinions and commentary we receive from others. I’m simply saying that incredible amounts of hurt, disappointment, and sadness in our lives come directly from our tendency to take things too personally. In most cases it’s far more productive and healthy to let go of other people’s good or bad opinions of you, and to operate with your own intuition and wisdom as your guide.

The underlying key is to…

Mindfully watch your response.

When something stressful happens in a social situation, what’s your response?

Some people jump right into action, but oftentimes taking immediate action can be harmful. Others get angry or sad. And some start to feel sorry for themselves — perhaps victimized — and left thinking: “Why can’t people behave better?” Although enforcing your boundaries is important, on an average day hasty responses are rarely healthy or helpful.

The bottom line is you’re not alone if you struggle with taking things personally too quickly. We all make this mistake sometimes. If someone does something we disagree with, we tend to interpret it as a personal attack…

• Our children don’t clean their rooms? They are purposely defying us!
• Our significant other doesn’t show affection? They must not care about us!
• Our boss acts inconsiderately? They must hate us!
• Someone hurts us? Everyone must be out to get us!

Some people even think life itself is personally against them. But the truth is, almost nothing in life is personal — things happen or they don’t, and it’s rarely all about anyone specifically…

People have emotional issues they’re dealing with, and it makes them defiant, rude, and thoughtless sometimes. They are doing the best they can, or they’re not even aware of their issues. In any case, you can learn not to interpret their behaviors as personal attacks, and instead see them as non-personal encounters (like a dog barking in the distance, or a bumblebee buzzing by) that you can either respond to with a calm mindset, or not respond to at all.

Quotes can help remind us.

Like you I’m only human of course, and so I often take things too personally when I’m in the heat of the moment. To combat this, I’ve implemented a simple strategy to support the practice of watching my response. In a nutshell, I proactively remind myself to not take things too personally. Anytime I catch myself doing so, I pause and read a few of the following quotes to myself. Then I take a few deep breaths…

1. You may not be able to control all the things people say and do to you, but you can decide not to be continuously distracted by them today.
2. You can’t take things too personally, even if it seems personal. Rarely do people do things because of you; they do things because of them.
3. Calmness is a superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things too personally keeps your mind clear and at peace, which gives you the upper hand by putting you back in control of your response.
4. There’s a huge amount of freedom and calmness that comes to you when you detach from other people’s beliefs and behaviors. The way people treat you is their problem, how you respond is yours. (Note: The strongest sign of your growth is knowing you’re no longer stressed by the trivial things that once used to drain you.)
5. Being kind to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you’re fake. It means you’re mature enough to control your emotions. So be kind, and remind yourself that people are generally nicer when they are happier, which says a whole lot about the people you meet who aren’t very nice to you.
6. All the hardest and coldest people you meet were once as soft as a baby, and that’s the tragedy of living. So when people are rude, be mindful, be your best. Give those around you the break that you hope the world will give you on your own bad day.
7. Life is too short to argue and fight. Count your blessings, value those who truly matter, and move on from the drama with your head held high.

But what about dealing with very rude people?

Some of the points above potentially require a willingness to cordially deal with people who yell at us, interrupt us, cut us off in traffic, talk about terribly distasteful things, etc. These people violate the way we think people should behave. Sometimes their behavior deeply offends us, and we have every right to feel what we feel. But if we let these people get to us, again and again, we will be upset and offended far too often.

So what else can we do beyond calming ourselves with the quotes and reminders above?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but here are three general strategies Angel and I often recommend to our coaching clients and live event attendees:

1. Be bigger, think bigger.

Imagine a two-year-old who doesn’t get what she wants at the moment. She throws a temper tantrum! This small momentary problem is enormous in her little mind because she lacks perspective on the situation. But as adults, we know better. We realize that there are dozens of other things this two-year-old could do to be happier. Sure, that’s easy for us to say — we have a bigger perspective, right? But when someone offends us, we suddenly have a little perspective again — this small momentary offense seems enormous and it makes us want to scream! We throw the equivalent of a two-year-old’s temper tantrum. However, if we think bigger we can see that this small thing matters very little in the grand scheme of things. It’s not worth our energy. So always remind yourself to be bigger, think bigger, and broaden your perspective.

2. Mentally hug them.

This little trick can positively change the way we see people who offend us. Let’s say someone has just said something unpleasant to us. How dare they! Who do they think they are? They have no consideration for our feelings! But of course, with a heated reaction like this, we’re not having any consideration for their feelings either — they may be suffering inside in unimaginable ways. By remembering this, we can try to show them empathy, and realize that their behavior is likely driven by some kind of inner pain. They are being unpleasant as a coping mechanism for their pain. And so, mentally, we can give them a hug. We can have compassion for this broken person, because we all have been broken and in pain at some point too. We’re the same in many ways. Sometimes we need a hug, some extra compassion, and a little unexpected love.

3. Proactively establish healthy and reasonable boundaries.

Practice becoming more aware of your feelings and needs. Note the times and circumstances when you’re resentful of fulfilling someone else’s needs. Gradually build boundaries by saying no to gratuitous requests that cause resentfulness in you. Of course, this will be hard at first because it may feel a bit selfish. But if you’ve ever flown on a plane, you know that flight attendants instruct passengers to put on their own oxygen masks before tending to others, even their own children. Why? Because you cannot help others if you’re incapacitated. In the long run, proactively establishing and enforcing healthy and reasonable boundaries with difficult people will be one of the most charitable things you can do for yourself and those you care about. These boundaries will foster and preserve the best of you, so you can share the best of yourself with the people who matter most, not just the difficult ones who try to keep you tied up.

Try one of these strategies next time you begin to notice that someone is getting under your skin. And re-read the quotes above too. Then breathe in serenity, armed with the comforting knowledge that there’s no reason to let someone else’s behavior turn you into someone you aren’t. (Note: Angel and I discuss this further in the Relationships chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

Now it’s your turn…

Before you go, please leave Angel and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this essay. Your feedback is important to us.

Which one of the points above resonated the most today?

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The physical possessions we choose to own shape the direction of our lives more than we realize. Our possessions either help us fulfill our purpose, or they distract us from it.

Every item in a home takes up space, demands attention, and requires care. The more we accumulate, the more we spend our time maintaining things rather than living life.

Unfortunately, most of us were never taught to question this. Even worse, from a young age, we have been told that more is better—that success is measured by what we own, that happiness is found in the next purchase, that security is found in full closets, full garages, and full bank accounts.

But deep down, we know we were designed for something bigger and better than physical possessions. And life is too short to waste chasing things that don’t matter. There is greater joy to be found in owning less than we can ever find pursuing more—because owning less frees us to live a more intentional and focused life.

Sometimes, a single quote is all it takes to shift our entire perspective. Just one sentence can remind us of the freedom found in letting go. Sixteen years ago, my neighbor changed my entire life with a single sentence at just the right time.

So whether you’re just beginning the journey to a clutter-free life or looking for encouragement to keep going, these quotes are here to help—because the right words, at the right time, can change everything.

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You’ll love owning less.