Today is the last day of “Quotes in Action.” Have you enjoyed this series? I hope so! I wanted to wrap up this series with a reminder to be kind to yourself as you continue through the year, pursuing your goals and dreams. No one performs perfectly. In fact, the pursuit of perfection is a sure path to self-condemnation and disappointment. If you get discouraged this year, remember these words from author Cheryl Strayed: “Ask yourself: what is the best I can do? And then do that.”
This is so true.
- There will be days when we can’t “give it our all.”
- There will be situations in which we lack sufficient resources.
- There will be people who undermine our efforts.
- There will be days when we are tired.
- There will be others whose needs interfere with our plans.
And more.
Still, the best thing we can do is show up and do whatever we can, even if it isn’t optimal, perfect, or exactly what we desire. The sheer effort of tenaciously persevering will accomplish more in our lives than any solitary or periodic, effort ever will.
I hope you will take some of these quotes and put them into action in a way that brings you joy and satisfaction. For review, here are links to all of the quotes we’ve looked at this month:
Day 1 – “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
Day 2 – “True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” ~ William Penn
Day 3 – Great people do things before they’re ready.” ~ Amy Poehler
Day 4 – Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Day 5 – “Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.” ~ Josh Billings
Day 6 – “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe
Day 7 – “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” ~ Chinese Proverb
Day 8 – “It’s okay to visit Memory Lane, just don’t live there.” – Jeffrey Lorimer
Day 9 – “The human body is not made to work seven days a week non-stop.” ~ Ted Sanborn
Day 10 – “Laziness means more work in the long run.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Day 11 – “If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.” ~ Jack Dixon
Day 12 – “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small parts.” ~ Henry Ford
Day 13 – “Over time, as the daily routines become second nature, discipline morphs into habit.” ~ Twila Tharp
Day 14 – When you put things into a pile to deal with ‘later,’ you have lost the battle.” ~ Peter Walsh
Day 15 – Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” ~ Bruce Lee
Day 16 – “Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces a real happiness.” ~ Maria Montessori
Day 17 – “I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s,” ~ William Blake
Day 18 – “Accept setbacks as a natural part of the change process; they are bound to happen and are not a sign of failure.” ~ Dr. Debbie Grove
Day 19 – “Your number one organizing tool is a clear surface.” ~ Matt Baier
Day 20 – To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” ~ Leonard Bernstein
Day 21 – “Measure not the work until the day’s out and the labor done.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Day 22 – “You don’t need to own it to enjoy it.” ~ Seana Turner
Day 23 – “The verbal expression of simplicity is ‘No Thanks.’ “ ~ Kim John Payne
Day 24 – “Lack of time is actually lack of priorities. ~ Tim Ferriss
Day 25 – “Secret of adulthood: Every to-do list should include at least one item that can be crossed off within five minutes.” ~ Gretchen Rubin
Day 26 – “In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.” ~ Pico Iyer
Day 27 – “I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” ~ Anna Quindlen
Day 28 – “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” ~ Wayne Gretzky
Day 29 – “You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.” ~ A. J. Kitt
Day 30 – “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.” ~ W. Somerset Maugham
Here’s to a wonderful year ahead – I’m cheering you on!
Thank you so much for recapping all the quotes in this post! So much wisdom and insight here.
Janet Barclay recently posted…In the Spotlight
I like have a place where I can find them all as well! I’m so appreciative of people who shared these inspiring words with the world. 🙂
These have been so helpful to me in many ways, thank you for such a great blog this whole month, I have jotted down your questions each week and put focus on them, journaled with them and feel a bit more motivated than I have been in quite some time!
Well this comment just put a huge smile on my face, Lisa! I’m so glad you have found them motivating, and grateful to all those who shared these words with the world!
What a wonderful collection of inspirational quotes! A few were familiar, but most were new to me. I love the one you picked for your last one. It’s a great reminder that it’s not possible to fire with all pistons ALL of the time. So reframing to seek for “best” on a given day with an understanding of your situation or circumstances is an act of kindness and self-care. Your “There will be days” list resonated with me. As I read each sentence, I acknowledged those experiences. Knowing they will happen is helpful. Deciding how you will respond is essential.
Thank you for a month of inspiration to honor Get Organized Month. Loved this series!
Thanks to YOU, Linda, for reading and commenting. It’s been fun to think about these words shared by people over the years. I loved this post from Cheryl Strayed for the same reasons, feeling thankful that doing what we can is important and significant! Now time to start thinking about next year!
These quotes were so motivating and thought-provoking. Thank you for spending the time to put these together. It was a great way to start the new year.
Sabrina Quairoli recently posted…How to Create an Organizing Tool Box
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sabrina. This felt like a good year to begin with some words of inspiration and motivation. There is so much wisdom out there, and it was fun curating this collection. 🙂
I love that you provided a recap/wrap-up for this exemplary series. I’m going to be coming back to these quotes over and over. And I especially like YOUR quote, “The sheer effort of tenaciously persevering will accomplish more in our lives than any solitary or periodic, effort ever will.”
Thanks you so much for reading and commenting, Julie. There is so much wisdom out there, and it was a delicious treat for me to curate this collection.
As for my quote, I really believe it! It isn’t always easy to show up day after day, but that can be the “secret sauce” to true and lasting success!
I really enjoy your quotes. They are so true for me plus they make me smile. That is a great combination. My quote for you, Even if you fall on your face you’re still moving forward. In this blog post you certainly didn’t fall on your face. I’m cheering for you this year.
Thanks, Julie. That quote is hilarious and making ME smile! Thanks for sharing!
I’m all about the quotes – they often express in metaphoric ways that our brains can make more colorful associations with, and resonate. Your last one from Maugham, “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer,” is a perfect example. It was wonderful to read back through these and ponder how they might make a difference for me or for a client. Thanks so much for pulling them all together!
Sara Skillen recently posted…The Organized Hero in You
I had so much fun curating this collection of quotes. There are more choices than I could possibly use, but I learned a lot just looking around!
Seana, I truly enjoyed this series and can’t wait to go back and read the ones I missed. And I love love that you quoted yourself on Day 22!
Jill Katz recently posted…7 Tips for Organizing Your Charitable Giving
That was a little bold of to share my own quote, but I honestly couldn’t find that same idea from anyone else LOL!
Good and done, right? Do the best you can do for right now and move on. I like this quote today. It’s how I live my life.
Great series to start the new year.
Janet Schiesl recently posted…Top 10 Organizing Tips For Parents
Thanks for reading along and commenting during the month, Janet. It’s been fun!
Kudos to you on such a great series! These quotes truly inspired an organized & productive mindset for the year ahead. What a way to celebrate GO Month!
SARAH M SOBOLESKI recently posted…A Complete Guide to Mental Decluttering from A to Z
Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate your reading and commenting. It was a lot of fun!