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[One-liner Quotes] Recommended for those hesitant about effort! A collection of quotes that might make you want to try harder

[One-liner Quotes] Recommended for those hesitant about effort! A collection of quotes that might make you want to try harder

Last updated:2026/2/2

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

We present famous quotes about “effort” from celebrities and notable figures across a variety of fields!

We’ve gathered words from great people around the world, athletes, and even manga characters.

If you’re someone who keeps being told to “work hard” and thinks, “What does effort even mean?”—this is especially recommended for you.

Find the quotes that resonate with your heart from the cool words they left behind.

Once you find a favorite line, you might start feeling more positive about making an effort.

It’ll really boost your motivation.

One-Line Quotes: Recommended for those reluctant to make an effort! A collection of quotes that might make you want to try (1–10)

One more step. I think this at all times: one more step. This moment is the most important. One more step.NEW!Saneatsu Mushanokōji

Saneatsu Mushanokōji, a novelist also known for participating in the launch of the magazine Shirakaba.

This quote embodies a spirit of never being satisfied with the status quo and always striving to improve.

It’s good to act with goals, but if you want to keep growing, you need to move even further forward.

This is the “one more step” for that purpose.

By never forgetting that step, no matter the circumstances, you’ll always be able to meet a new version of yourself.

Even a small step is fine—let’s become a better version of ourselves than we were yesterday.

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If other people can do it, there’s no way you can’t.From Fujiko Fujio's Doraemon

These are words from Doraemon, a manga loved across generations as one of Japan’s most iconic works.

They face head-on the feelings of discouragement that come from comparing yourself to others.

When you feel you’re not good at studying, it can seem like you alone are inferior, but differences in ability are born from accumulated effort and experience.

Before deciding you can’t do something, it’s important to adopt a mindset of trying.

Everyone has potential, and if you believe and move forward, the path will open.

It’s a famous quote that encourages positive action without denying yourself.

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Failure? It’s a success that confirmed this won’t work.Thomas Alva Edison

[Collection of Famous Quotes] Edison, the Great — Soul-Stirring Sayings

Failure? It's a success that confirmed this won't work.Thomas Alva Edison

These are the words of Thomas Edison, the American genius inventor who created many things, including the light bulb.

His inventions were made by overcoming numerous failures, but he did not see them as failures; he regarded them as elements that lead to success.

There is much we can learn from him as well.

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Those who strive speak of hope; those who are lazy speak of complaints.Yasushi Inoue

Numazu Literary Walk: Summer Grass, Winter Waves; The Northern Sea by Yasushi Inoue

Those who strive speak of hope; those who are lazy speak of complaints. Yasushi Inoue

Watch “Those who strive speak of hope; those who are lazy speak of complaints. Yasushi Inoue” on YouTube

These are the words of Yasushi Inoue, a master of Japanese literature.

Some of you might kind of get what he means.

People who are lazy tend to voice complaints, giving all sorts of reasons, don’t they? It feels as though such people aren’t lazy because they’re dissatisfied; rather, they look for dissatisfaction because they want to be lazy.

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To solve a problem, don’t run away from it.Jack Dorsey

These are the words of Jack Dorsey, who launched payment services and social networks and has driven innovation in the technology field.

Drawing on his experience confronting complex challenges, he speaks to the essence of problem-solving.

In studying, too, we sometimes want to look away from areas we’re weak in or topics we don’t understand.

But problems you avoid won’t be solved; only the ones you face become your strength.

By looking directly at the cause and continuing to think, you deepen your understanding.

It’s a practical quotation that quietly underscores the importance of the resolve not to run from difficulty.

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I’ve never thought of myself as the best goalkeeper in the world. I’ve always told myself to push harder.Gianluigi Buffon

I’m a goalkeeper from Italy.

Unlike outfield players who can run freely around the pitch, goalkeepers can’t move as freely, but it’s a very important position.

Even Gianluigi Buffon, who is called the best goalkeeper in the world, pushes himself hard and keeps striving.

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An athlete who touts their practice by saying “I’m working hard” cannot be called first-rate.Shigeo Nagashima

Shigeo Nagashima’s quote: A player who advertises their practice by saying “I’m working hard” cannot be called first-rate. #Short

An athlete who boasts about their training by saying, “I’m working hard,” cannot be called first-rate. — Shigeo Nagashima

Watch on YouTube: “An athlete who touts their practice by saying ‘I’m working hard’ cannot be called first-rate. — Shigeo Nagashima.”

These are the words of Shigeo Nagashima, who shone as a legendary home run hitter during his playing days and later as a successful manager.

In any field, top-tier people put in the effort.

Effort isn’t a selling point—it’s a given.

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