Quotes About Finishing a Project: Daily Inspiration
Here are some quotes about finishing a project for inspiration when facing setbacks.
Completing a project that you will be proud of could sometimes seem daunting.
Reading motivational quotes can help you stay on track.
Are you curious about what influential people said about completing their daunting tasks?
Then look no further!
We scoured the web for you and gathered the best quotes from authors, philosophers, soldiers, captains of the industry, and musicians.
Reading a couple of these quotes about finishing a project will get you inspired, motivated, and focused on your project again.
Quick Links
1. “Starting is not most people’s problem, staying, continuing, and finishing is.”
― Darren Hardy
The first quote on our list is from the author of the New York Times best-seller The Compound Effect.
Darren has been influential in the personal development industry for over two decades.
Most recently, he published and managed the now-defunct SUCCESS business magazine.
The quote is straightforward and hard to argue against because of its clear message.
I have often struggled with completing lengthy projects that span many months.
It is essential to stay the course and be persistent, no matter how trivial each task may seem from time to time.
This quote rings true regardless of whether you are a student, a white-collar worker, or a self-employed business person.
“There are two fatal errors that keep great projects from coming to life: not finishing, not starting.”
― Gautama Buddha
Also known by his other title, the Buddha, Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism – a religion with hundreds of followers worldwide.
Buddha means the enlightened one; judging by this quote alone, it is not difficult to see why.
These words originate from over a thousand years ago, and their wisdom still applies to our fast-paced present age.
We have all been there: tasked with a colossal project, we freeze in our tracks, facing what seems like an impossible challenge.
And then, there are instances when we lose inspiration or become disillusioned by how much more there is still left to do.
A great project will be borne if we can muster the strength to start it and then see it through to completion.
Words of wisdom, indeed.
3. “Happiness does not come from doing easy work. But from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.”
― Theodore Isaac Rubin
Rubin is often credited as the psychiatrist who popularized psychotherapy in America.
He was a long-time columnist in the “Ladies’ Home Journal,” and a prolific author with more than 25 books.
This saying reminds me of one of the quintessential American values: pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps.
This expression means that showing initiative, being resourceful, and doing the necessary hard work will lead to fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness.
Theodore Isaac Rubin spent his formative childhood and teenage years during the Great Depression, which shaped his worldview.
Depression was a global economic calamity that was overcome in America by the hard work of tens of thousands in public works projects.
America pushed through the tough times while creating national marvels, such as the Hoover Dam and the Florida Keys Overseas Highway.
Only through hard work can we complete our complex tasks and projects and ultimately attain happiness.
4. “I’d made it this far and refused to give up because all my life, I had always finished the race.”
― Louis Zamperini
Zamperini, a distance runner representing the USA in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, was also a war hero who survived two different Japanese internment camps in World War II.
An Italian-American, he was first raised in Olean, New York, then Long Beach, California.
His rebellious nature frequently got him into trouble with the police; he was also often bullied in school due to his Italian background.
Early in his life, Zamperini learned to fight, compete, and persevere.
His refusal to quit and his drive to see it through to the finish line helped him survive for over two years in two separate Japanese war camps.
One cannot know what life has in store tomorrow or next year, though a strong character is slowly molded, and a brighter future is paved by pushing through each task and project.
It starts by staying the course and being steadfast to the finishing line with all projects.
5. “Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of clouds of doubt. And you never can tell how close you are. It may be near when it seems afar, so stick to the fight when you’re the hardest hit. It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.”
― Edgar A. Guest
Affectionately called the People’s Poet, Edgar Guest was born in Birmingham, England, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where he spent the rest of his life.
This is my favorite inspirational quote about finishing projects.
A much longer poem in its original form, I wrote it in its entirety in my journal many years ago.
Whenever I feel demotivated or disheartened, I like reading this poem and listening to the classic Frank Sinatra song, My Way.
As the author says, “you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar,” therefore, reach deep inside and find the courage to persevere through the difficulties of your tasks and projects.
Success might be around the corner, all but visible, so don’t give up!
6. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
– Conrad Hilton
Conrad Hilton made plenty of mistakes during his lifetime.
Yes, he is the businessman to give his name to the international hotel chain.
His plans for a banking business did not pan out, and he had to shift his focus to hotels instead.
He expanded aggressively and came to the brink of bankruptcy when the Great Depression hit.
Conrad Hilton lost many of his hotels.
He even worked as a hotel manager at the same properties that used to be his.
Conrad Hilton knew that to err is human, and with every mistake he made, he created lessons and took them to heart.
A project may be other than work- or school-related; it could be a new career path, a side hustle, or even saving money for a car.
Hilton knew it well; don’t quit when mistakes push back, and Success will come eventually.
“Every day, my daddy told me the same thing. ‘Once a task is just begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.”
― Quincy Jones
A legend among legends, Quincy Jones, is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a winner of the much-coveted Ahmet Ertegun Award.
In his 70-year music and entertainment career, he received Grammy Awards nominations 80 times.
He won 28 Grammys and one Grammy Legend Award.
He is also the second most Oscar-nominated African American with seven nominations.
Jones collaborated with Frank Sinatra and produced three of Michael Jackson’s most successful albums, including Thriller and Bad.
These sage words are like open secrets for Jones’ larger-than-life Success: don’t quit your project until it is completed, and if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
8. “When you’re challenged to the extreme, you learn so much about yourself. And when you’re willing to give that ultimate sacrifice, when you’re willing to tackle a job or a task or a mission head-on and give 100%, you can achieve amazing things because you’re almost fearless.”
― Ant Middleton
And Middleton is the author of UK’s Sunday Times no. 1 best-seller “The Fear Bubble: Harness Fear and Live Without Limits.”
Before authoring chart-topping books, he was a British army soldier and Royal Marines Commando.
After retiring from the armed forces, he went on to summit Mount Everest, then became a TV personality in the popular British show “Chief Instructor on SAS: Who Dares Wins.”
As a soldier, Middleton had laser focus and unwavering commitment to ensure Success in his missions, even to the point of offering his life.
Middleton was never an outstanding student; he did not possess exceptional intelligence or was a gifted businessman.
Through sheer determination and dogged pursuit to complete tasks and projects, he slowly became the person he is today.
Middleton is proof that anyone can succeed in their projects; all it takes is preparation, planning, careful execution, and dogged determination through the rough patches.
9. “When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.”
― Karen Blixen
The Danish author Karen Blixen was ferociously productive, publishing under her name, also the pen names Isak Dinesen, Tania Blixen, Osceola, and Pierre Andrézel.
She enjoys popularity for her book “Out of Africa” and the story “Babette’s Feast,” adapted into Academy Award-winning movies.
Although never awarded a Nobel prize, she is widely considered among the literary immortals, keeping good company with Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and Graham Greene.
Her quote is as homey as apple pie; as our parents told us: not giving up, putting in the work, and keeping at it every day, is how you complete projects that seemed impossible at the onset.
“When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you are going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce.”
― H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Horace Jackson Brown Jr. was the author of “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” a worldwide best-seller, a New York Times best-seller for two years, and the first book to be listed on that magazine’s best-seller lists for both paperback and hardcover formats at the same time.
Suffice it to say.
He had a few observations and suggestions on how to live a rewarding and happy life.
For Brown, having passions in life and grand missions to pursue and dedicate oneself were the keys to a fulfilling life.
And as such, one goes about hunting Moby Dick by planning for Success.
Completing projects requires dedication, diligent planning, stubborn execution, and perhaps most importantly, an unwavering belief in own abilities to see the project through.
Carry a celebratory cigar with you, and let that be your tartar sauce when you catch your Moby Dick and complete your project.
Final Thoughts
There are recurring themes in the ten quotes about finishing a project as listed here.
These are planning, execution, and perseverance when things get rough.
Would you agree that it is pretty neat that each of us was already taught these principles when we were small?
There is no magic bullet to completing your projects, only the good old work, and sheer determination.
If you found this article interesting, below are other articles that might pique your interest too.
Transmute Sexual Energy to Creativity
The Complete Guide to AI in Graphic Design And How It’s Already Changing the Industry
Leave a Reply