When passing through challenging times or big decisions in your career is time to hear other leaders that have been there before. This is when what we call career affirmations come into place.
Career affirmations are a way for motivating yourself to reach the next steps in your profession. If you want to start or change your career, it’s always good to hear motivational sayings from bright minds.
Here we got you covered. You will find 1o1 career affirmations to drive your motivation to higher standards. But first, let’s define career affirmation.
What Are Career Affirmations?
An affirmation is a short sentence that you may repeat to reinforce a positive idea. A career affirmation is an affirmation you use to drive success and motivation to your career, besides strengthening your commitment to it.
Career affirmations will increase your self-confidence, reinforce the reasons you work hard, push you to keep going. Without further ado, let’s see 101 career affirmations that will help drive your motivation to higher levels.
Career Affirmations About Career Choice
Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life. — Steve Jobs
When choosing a career, you should be driven by passion. What makes your heart tick? What makes you excited to wake up in the morning? If you find what you love, you can build a fulfilling career.
The only way to do a great job is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it, keep looking. — Steve jobs
Passion drives creativity, and creativity leads to innovation. Keep looking for a job you love, as this is the only way to do a fantastic job.
There is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. — Nelson Mandela
When choosing a career, choose one that challenges you to learn, grow and scale. You can be soaring with the eagles, don’t waste time crowing with the chicken.
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. — Albert Einstein
Think about your career as an opportunity to provide a solution to society, not merely work and get a paycheck. What value are you adding to humanity? What human problems are you solving, and the answers to human challenges?
Choose a career that enables you to make a life, not merely make a living. — Maya Angelou
This career affirmation is an inspiration to don’t keep yourself in a job to pay your bills. Your life happiness and your career success should represent more than your paycheck. Choose a career that will enable you to utilize your abilities and make you feel fulfilled.
If you hear a voice within you say, “You cannot paint”, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. — Vincent Van Gogh
Don’t let fear hold you back. Sometimes, fear will hold you back from choosing a career path that can lead you to greatness. The voice can come from within you, your past failures, or the environment around you. Fight that voice by choosing a path you believe in, and the voice will be defeated.
I think it’s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. — Elon Musk
One of the most favorite Elon Musk career affirmations can be interpreted as a way to choose a career that pushes you to be extraordinary, stand out, and be the best you can be. Choosing this path starts with you, and once you decide, nothing can stop you.
It is never too late to be what you might have been. — George Eliot
As one of the most inspiring career affirmations so far, if you have a dream, choose to start investing in it at whatever stage in your life. While some people will figure out what they want to do in their 20’s, others find their true calling in the ’30s and ’40s. Don’t feel it is late to start over again. As long as you are on the right path, age should not make you hold back.
You’re a product of your choices not a victim of your circumstances. — Steven Covey
Life can throw in many different circumstances. Dropping out of school, not being able to go to college, or failing to get to your dream university should not deter you. Choose to be better, pursue your passion, and pursue a career you love, and your life will work out well, despite your circumstances.
Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. — Napoleon Hill
There is power in your thoughts, beliefs, and what you conceive in your mind. Choose to believe in your abilities, in your skills, and talents.
Passion is the difference between having a job or having a career. — Author unknown
Choosing your passion gives you the strength to push when things get tough, and this will enable you to build a long, fulfilling career.
The future depends on what you choose to do today. — Mahatma Gandhi
What do you want to achieve in the future? Where do you want to be in 5 years, and what legacy would you leave behind? Choose a career that will lead you to achieve your greatest desire.
One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself. — Shannon L Alder.
As you choose your career path, listen to your heart and choose a career that makes you happy.
It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. — J.K Rowling.
Ability is a hidden potential that might never amount to much unless you make the right choices that allow you to build a career out of your abilities.
We are our choices. — Jean-Paul.
When choosing a career, make a conscious decision to choose one that will make you happy.
Choose what you love, love what you choose. — Thomas Monson.
When picking a career, think about what makes you happy. That is the right career for you.
Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you. — John Maxwell.
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. — Nelson Mandela.
Don’t be driven by fear when making a career choice, but rather by hoping that things will work out.
The best way to predict your future is to create it. — Abraham Lincoln.
Whatever you want to achieve in life, your chances of improving when you pursue and take action.
Beliefs determine your choices, you choose your beliefs, and your beliefs determine your choices. — Ror T Bennett.
Career Affirmations About Career Growth
Good timber does not grow with ease: The stronger wind, the stronger trees; The further sky, the greater length; The more the storm, the more the strength. — J Willard Marriott.
When you face obstacles in your life, they are meant to build your character and resilience, which are great recipes for success.
Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation. — Anthony Robbins.
Always prepare to take advantage of the opportunities in your path by staying always ready for the next opportunity. This career affirmation explains that if you’re prepared and find the opportunity, you are competent, not lucky.
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. — Michael Angelo.
Always strive to be the best you can be in your career, regardless of what it takes.
24. It is better to move forward at a snail’s pace than to move backward at any pace. — Rhonda Begos.
Even if it takes a while to accomplish your career goals, keep moving forward. Growth takes time to achieve.
It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop. — Confucius.
Giving up is the biggest tragedy of your career. Keep moving forward, however slow.
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. — Henry Ford.
When you encounter obstacles in your career, don’t despair, appreciate the lessons learned and keep moving forward.
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. — Aristotle Onassis.
There is a silver lining in every situation, look for something positive, and you will sail through your darkest moments.
Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. — Francis of Assisi.
You don’t have to have everything figured out at the start. Begin with what you can do, and slowly move to the more complex tasks.
Rather than wait to be discovered, discover yourself. Whatever it is that you intend to do later, start doing it now, get good at it, and show people what you have done. — Rob Liano.
Don’t wait for a miracle or a savior. Put yourself out there and see what happens.
30. Desire! That’s the one secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire. — Johnny Carson.
While some people are talented, and others are highly educated, the primary determinant of success is your desire.
When asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em ‘Certainly I can!’. Then get busy and find out how to do it. — Theodore Roosevelt.
Don’t limit yourself to what you feel you know. Leave room to learn every day.
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. — Beverly Sills.
Be ready to put in the effort, time, and hard work to grow your career. Don’t try to maneuver around by doing unethical things to get ahead.
Start by believing in yourself, and everything else will fall into place. — Brad Henry.
Believe in your abilities, talents, and skills, and there is nothing you can’t accomplish.
Career Affirmations About Skill Development
Schooling doesn’t assure employment but skill does. — Amit Kalantri.
Don’t focus on education so much that you ignore skills. Focus on developing your skills, as this can guarantee you a living.
A gap in skills and abilities reveals a golden opportunity. — Abhishek Ratna.
Always strive to identify areas in your industry with the skills gap, and develop the required skills which can catapult your career.
Without sharpen your weapon; standing on the battlefield would not increase your chance of winning. — Ankit Sahay.
Always strive to improve your skills, as this is the determinant to landing the right opportunities.
Never chase opportunities. Let it come to you by creating value and building rare skillsets. — Johannes Larsson.
Employers will always struggle to attract you if you develop a rare skill set, giving you tremendous bargaining power.
Your calling should be a pointer for your skill development. — Sunday Adelaja
While you can’t control your calling, developing your skillset around your passion can make it easier to combine calling and skillset.
Your competition is training. — Korean saying.
While it may seem like you are competing with your peers, training and getting the right skillset is your competition.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. — Goethe.
To build a successful career, be more a doer than a dreamer or a planner.
You don’t learn to walk; by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over. — Richard Branson.
While developing your skills, you will make some mistakes, learn from them and keep moving.
Success isn’t always about greatness, it’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come. — Dwayne Johnson.
Developing skills takes time, patience, and consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success, which unlocks the doors for greatness.
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. — Henry Ford.
Continuous learning will enable you to develop your skills. Thus, don’t stop learning.
Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. — Mark Twain.
Training can transform your raw talent into a highly valued skillset.
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. — Bruce Lee.
Practice brings perfection, which leads to greatness.
Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to. — Richard Branson.
Don’t allow yourself to be stuck because of a lack of skills. Keep investing in yourself.
Career Affirmations About Change
Risk something or forever sit with your dreams. You must risk something, or you will seat with your dreams forever. — Herb Brooks
Take risks in your career to experience a truly fulfilling career.
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. — Milton Berle
Sometimes, you must get out of your comfort zone and build your opportunities rather than waiting to pump into great opportunities.
If something scares you, then it is a good thing to try. — Seth Godin.
Pursue the most uncomfortable career moves, as these are the steps that can build your career.
Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks. — Warren Buffet.
Don’t waste time making it work if you feel stuck in a particular career path. Take a leap of faith and take a different approach.
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. — Andre Gide.
To experience the true magic of growth, you must be willing to get out of your comfort zone.
You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself. — Alan Alda.
You only get there by hard work, but you will discover how wonderful it is when you do.
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, or work around it. — Michael Jordan.
Don’t let challenges deter you. Strive to find a way around the obstacles and keep moving.
Don’t chase money, chase your vision. When you have the vision and the goal, money will eventually follow you. — Tony Heisch.
If you want to make a career change, be motivated by your vision, not money.
If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on the rocket ship. — Sheryl Sandberg.
If you encounter a great opportunity in the course of making a change, don’t sweat the little details. Get on, and work from the inside to get the best position.
If something scares you, it is a good thing to try. — Seth Godin.
Great opportunities can be scary, don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from taking a great option.
If the grass looks greener on the other side. Stop staring. Stop comparing. Stop complaining and start watering the grass you’re standing on. — Cecil Selig.
Sometimes, you can make the most of your opportunity if you choose to invest in it. Don’t rush to change careers when you can achieve more in your current job.
A person who never made a mistake, has never tried anything new. — Albert Einstein.
It is okay to make mistakes in your career. Be kind to yourself and learn from your mistakes.
Even if you have a limited time on a job, by doing a great job, you can last there forever. — Idowu Koyenikan.
Sometimes, the best opportunities can come as an internship or short-term contracts. Do your best and give an employer a reason to employ you.
Be wise to stay focused on the goals you have set. — Germany Ken.
When making changes, keep your eyes on the goal. Don’t be distracted by money or power.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. — Zig Ziglar.
When making a change, don’t get overwhelmed by the little details, focus on starting, and everything will fall into place.
Failure is not our only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others. — Jules Renard.
When making a change, avoid laziness and procrastination. This not only limits your chances to succeed but helps others succeed.
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. — Pablo Picasso.
When making changes, don’t procrastinate, do something when you have the chance, as you might never get another opportunity to do it.
Success comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. — Henry David Thoreau.
When making a change, don’t focus on the outcome. Focus on the steps that you need to take to succeed.
Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. — Jim Rohn.
Choose the path less traveled by others when making a change, and you will find success in your career.
Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were better. — Jim Rohn.
When making tough career choices, strive to be better rather than wishing for an easier battle.
Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe. — Sumner Redstone.
Don’t be afraid of failure, frustration, or other challenges, as these are the factors that make you succeed.
You achieve success by developing your strengths, not focusing on eliminating your weaknesses. — Marilyn Vos savant.
When making a change, choose a career that enables you to build on your strengths, not merely eliminate weaknesses.
Career Affirmations About Career Development
Things work out best for people who choose to make the best of things. — Art Linkletter.
As you develop your career, look for opportunities to sharpen your skills, even in adversity.
It is not what happens to you but what you do with what happens. — Zig Ziglar.
Don’t be a victim of circumstances, but strive to make the most out of every situation.
Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. — Winston Churchill.
Don’t be over-excited when you achieve a goal. Set a new plan, and keep going.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. — Thomas Edison.
Don’t be afraid to put in the work, which determines your success.
Meeting of preparation and opportunity leads to an offspring called luck. — Anthony Robbins.
Always prepare to take advantage of opportunities in your path.
Happy people plan actions; they don’t plan results. — Denis Waitley.
Don’t spend time determining your results. Take the proper steps, and you will receive a favorable outcome.
Even a person going nowhere can reach his destination. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Even when in doubt, take the first step in faith, and the rest of the steps will become clear.
A person going nowhere can be sure of reaching his destination. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Even when in doubt, take the first step in faith, and the rest of the steps will become clear.
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its original dimension. — Oliver Wendell.
Don’t be afraid to experiment in your career. Even if you don’t get a favorable outcome, the experience can improve your skills.
Focus on your journey, not the destination. — Greg Anderson.
Joy is not found in getting to the top of the corporate ladder but enjoying the journey.
The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away. — B.B King.
Focus on sharpening your skills, and you will have the skills for eternity.
Self-confidence and preparation are important keys to success. — Arthur Ashe.
Invest in honing your skills, which will be critical to your confidence.
Every experience in life is meant to teach you something. — Brian Tracy.
Take lessons from your experience, and strive to improve.
The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply. — Dennis Waitley
Put your best effort, and you will witness magnificent results.
I cannot do it has never accomplished anything. I will try has performed miracles. — George Burnham.
Even when it seems impossible, put in an effort, and the universe will support your effort.
Forgive yourself for your faults, your mistakes, and move on. — Les Brown.
This career affirmation suggests you don’t dwell on the past but look into the future and forgive your mistakes.
Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is. — H Jackson Browne.
This is one of the career affirmations that many entrepreneurs can apply. Take risks in your profession, as the rewards can happen for those who do it. The fruit in the limb represents the opportunities on the adversities.
Career Affirmations About Starting a Career
Doubt killed more dreams than failure. — Suzy Kassem.
This is one of the classic career affirmations that incentivize risk-taking. Basically it says that not trying because you have doubts if it will work may kill your whole idea and therefore, your dreams.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. — Henry David Thoreau.
To live the life you imagined, follow your dreams. Never give up on a dream just because it’s time to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. Some goals require a long investment in time, don’t be intimidated by the time it will take.
If you don’t chase what you want, you will never have It. — Nora Roberts.
Have the courage to chase what your want, ask, seek, and pursue your career goals.
People respond well to those who are sure of what they want. — Anna Wintour.
Know what you want in your career, and seek the right people to help you get there.
Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. — Carol Burnett.
You have the power to take steps to change your career in the right direction.
It always seems impossible until it’s done. — Nelson Mandela.
Don’t be limited by your beliefs. Open your mind to opportunities around you.
Don’t wait for the right opportunity. Create it. — George Benard.
You have to step out and create the right opportunities.
Don’t wait, the time will never be just right. Start where you are. — Napoleon Hill.
Start where you are and the tools to get ahead in life.
Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy. — Robert Half.
Don’t count on your talents to get you ahead, out in work.
Chase your passion, not your pension. — Denis Waitley.
Don’t be motivated by monetary rewards to choose a career path, be driven by passion.
Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take a step. — Naeem Callaway
Rome was not built in a day; it will take time to get there. Don’t be afraid to start small. Take the small steps as they add up to bigger ones. Be patient, and trust the process.
When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. — Alexander Den.
When things in your career are not working well, fix your attitude, not your job. When taking significant steps, don’t overlook the people around you who can push you ahead. Aim high, but stay grounded—Korean proverb.
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. — Oprah Winfrey.
Have gratitude as you develop your career, as gratitude attracts more opportunities. Gratitude attracts the right people to your life, and these people will take you a step ahead in your career.
Never give up, for that is just the place and that time that the tide will turn. — Harriet Beecher.
Success in your career is closer than you think, don’t give up. Success is a mile away from the point where you give up. Be persistent, persevere, and dare to try again. Even the afterlife gives you a beating.
If they don’t feel it, flee from it. — Paul Devis.
Purpose to develop yourself where you are celebrated, not merely tolerated. Being tolerated will drain your energy, drive, and enthusiasm. Go where you are loved, valued, celebrated, and appreciated. Until you find a company that feels like home, keep looking.
A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course of victory. — Arthur Golden.
Don’t let doubt kill your focus. Self-doubt is the biggest obstacle to achieving success in your career. You must believe in yourself so that others can believe in you.
Don’t look outside for strength and confidence, it comes from within. — Anna Freud.
Find the strength and confidence within you to focus on your dreams. Sometimes, all you have is yourself, and you must be your cheerleader, biggest fan, and most significant source of confidence.
Before the world can believe your vision, you must believe in it, making it easy to sell to the world.
Christian has over ten years of experience in marketing agencies. Currently, he has been dedicating his time to a tech startup and also writing for major publications. He loves podcasts and reading to keep up with the latest trends in marketing.