Accomplishment quotes

Here are my 10 favourite quotes on accomplishment. They are from wildly different types of people. Sports stars to politicians in very different eras. Thankfully, their messages are consistent. Their advice is timeless.

To accomplish a difficult task one must first make it easy.

Marty Rubin

I love this quote. It reminds me of the joke, "What's the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time." If you want to achieve anything significant, you need to break it up into tiny pieces that you can tackle one at a time. Doing so is the best way to get started and the only way to finish.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think this quote is more relevant today than when Ralph said it in the early 1800's. These days we have so many distractions and our lives are so public. People's expectations and opinions are imposed upon us more frequently, although in a more subtle way. Having the strength to ignore those expectations and chart our own path towards happiness is more important now than ever.

If you want to accomplish the goals of your life, you have to begin with the spirit.

Oprah Winfrey

This reminds me of Stephen Covey's famous quote. "Begin with the end in mind". What I like about this quote from Oprah is that she is not just speaking about the specifics of the destination. She is referring to your attitude and the way that you think about yourself when beginning the journey.

If you're willing to do for a year what others won't you can do for a lifetime what others can't.

Jerry Rice

I'm doing this at the moment! :) Locking myself away from the world to see what I can achieve in a year (or two) as a solo developer / entrepreneur. It's not the traditional path that I could be taking, with a high salary and stable job. But, I am trying to design my life for the next 30 years. That justifies some short-term hardship.