50 Motivational Stop Wasting Time Quotes to Push Entrepreneurs Into Action
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“Done for the day, see you soon.”
I should be excited to see my husband’s text.
But instead? Guilt.
The workday is over, and I haven’t checked a single business task off my list.
Netflix? Watched.
Instagram? Scrolled.
And now, instead of relaxing, I’m scrambling to catch up on work I should have finished hours ago.
“UGH, why do I keep doing this?” I groan.
Back when I had a 9-to-5, I showed up on time, ready to work.
As my own boss? Let’s just say I’ve been way too lax with my schedule. And while flexibility is why I started my business in the first place, it usually means I’m working into the evening, when I could be hanging out with my husband instead.
Sound familiar?
The good news: Sometimes, a simple mindset shift can make a big difference.
That’s why I’ve rounded up my favourite stop wasting time quotes to help you shake off procrastination and start making intentional progress.
Overcoming Procrastination
Procrastination is one of the biggest time-wasters. These quotes remind us to stop delaying and start moving forward.
- “You may delay, but time will not.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “A year from now you may wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb
- “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” — Victor Kiam
- “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work.” — Stephen King
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney
- “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” — Napoleon Hill
- “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” — William James
- “Procrastination is the thief of time.” — Edward Young
- “A task begun is half done.” — Ancient Proverb
- “Someday is not a day of the week.” — Janet Dailey
Taking Action
These quotes emphasise the importance of just doing the thing, over endless planning or hesitation.
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
- “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” — Arnold H. Glasow
- “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
- “Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” — Peter Marshall
- “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Robert Collier
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky
- “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” — John C. Maxwell
- “Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
Being Intentional with Time
These quotes focus on making deliberate choices about where your time and energy go.
- “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” — Stephen R. Covey
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs
- “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” — Parkinson’s Law (C. Northcote Parkinson)
- “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” — Peter Drucker
- “Lost time is never found again.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” — Peter Drucker
- “The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- “Focus on being productive instead of busy.” — Tim Ferriss
- “Decide what kind of life you actually want, then say no to everything that isn’t that.” — Unknown
- “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” — Michael Altshuler
Gratitude and Appreciating the Present
Gratitude helps shift focus from what is missing to what is already working.
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” — Maya Angelou
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.” — Melody Beattie
- “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
- “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” — Eckhart Tolle
- “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault
- “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama
- “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie
- “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
- “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha
- “Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi
Time Management and Productivity
These quotes emphasize discipline, focus, and managing time wisely.
- “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” — Abraham Lincoln
- “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” — William Penn
- “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali
- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
- “Ordinary people think merely of spending time; great people think of using it.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “What gets scheduled gets done.” — Michael Hyatt
- “Your habits will determine your future.” — Jack Canfield
- “You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” — Charles Buxton
- “To do two things at once is to do neither.” — Publilius Syrus
If you’re a quote girly like me, there are a few that hit you right in the feels.
Jot them down in your journal, stick them on a Post-it, or set one as your phone background. And the next time procrastination creeps in, you’ve got a little motivation right in front of you.
Let these 50 stop wasting time quotes be the little nudge you need to ditch procrastination and take action.
Because the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see results.
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