Quotes on Effort: A curated selection of passionate messages left by great figures and famous people

The key to making your dreams come true is to want them like crazy.Kansai Yamamoto

Kansai Yamamoto’s Way of Life, Part 1

Kansai Yamamoto, a world-renowned fashion designer, is also known for being the first Japanese to hold a fashion show in London, in 1971.

The words of someone who has pioneered paths others had yet to tread carry great weight.

If you want to accomplish something, you probably need an extraordinarily strong desire—an intense hunger—to achieve it.

A person who studies three, four, even five times more than anyone else—that is a genius.Hideyo Noguchi

Hideyo Noguchi (Japanese Great Figures/History Animated Picture Book)

Hideyo Noguchi (1876–1928) was born in a poor farming village in Fukushima.

As a child, he suffered severe burns in a hearth fire that left his left hand impaired.

When he became discouraged after being mocked by those around him, his mother is said to have told him, “Study and prove them wrong.” From then on, Noguchi worked harder than anyone, later becoming a physician and engaging in bacteriological research, achieving notable results in his studies of yellow fever and syphilis.

His words teach us through his own life that unwavering perseverance and effort are everything.

It takes time for effort to show results. Many people get bored, waver, and give up before then.Henry Ford

[Inspirational Quotes] A collection of quotes that can change your life in an instant — Henry Ford 1

Henry Ford (1863–1947) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of the Ford Motor Company.

No matter how hard we try, when we can’t achieve results, we may feel like giving up along the way.

When you think it might be time to quit, this is the moment to remember these words.

Those who do not advance will surely retreat, and those who do not retreat will surely advance.Yukichi Fukuzawa

Listen by audio: 'Yukichi Fukuzawa’s Famous Quotes' Episode 15

Even if results don’t show up right away, if you stop there, that’s the end.

But if you keep going little by little without giving up, you’ll surely succeed.

I want to believe that if we move forward slowly, without rushing, even step by step, we’ll look back and realize we’ve come a long way.

If you keep putting in the effort over enough time, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.Helen Keller

Listen by audio: “20 Quotes by Helen Keller”

Helen Keller (1880–1968) is known as the “Miracle Worker” for overcoming the loss of her sight, hearing, and ability to speak in childhood and living with remarkable strength.

She teaches us that achieving anything depends on the accumulation of how we live each day.

Without goals and plans, no amount of effort and courage will do you any good.John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy Inaugural Address (Subtitled Translation) 1/2

No matter how hard you try, if you don’t have a clear goal to aim for or a plan for what to do, it’s easy to lose sight of the purpose of your efforts.

If you have a concrete dream—like “I want to become this kind of person”—you can focus more intensely and work toward it with greater determination.

To become the best in the world, you need world-class effort.Keisuke Honda

Career and Quotes of Keisuke Honda, Japan National Soccer Team

Everyone strives to achieve their dreams.

But the greater the goal you pursue, the more the quality of your effort will be tested.

It teaches us that unless we go beyond the kind of effort anyone can make, we cannot rise above others.