Life can get serious, but laughter is the best way to stay motivated. A clever quote or witty one-liner can do wonders for our mindset—it lightens the mood, adds humor to our struggles, and sometimes even teaches life lessons wrapped in sarcasm.
In this collection of motivational quotes, you’ll find 80+ funny, witty, and slightly cheeky takes on success, work, failure, and everything in between. Each quote offers a blend of humor and truth that will make you smile and think twice.
1. Funny Motivational Quotes about Success
- “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” —Winston Churchill
- “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” —Groucho Marx
- “Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.” —Maryon Pearson
- “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” —Charles M. Schulz
- “I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.” —Jonathan Winters
- “The road to success is always under construction.” —Lily Tomlin
- “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” —Maya Angelou
- “I’m so good at sleeping I can do it with my eyes closed.” —Anonymous
- “Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it… or at least check their phone first.” —Unknown
- “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.” —Steven Wright
2. Motivational Quotes about Hard Work
- “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” —Thomas Jefferson
- “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” —Thomas Edison
- “Hard work never killed anyone, but why take the chance?” —Edgar Bergen
- “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” —Vidal Sassoon
- “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” —Alexander Graham Bell
- “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” —Bill Gates
- “Work until your bank account looks like a phone number.” —Unknown
- “If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter.” —John Gotti
- “When nothing goes right, go left.” —Anonymous
- “Dreams don’t work unless you do… but coffee helps.” —Unknown
3. Motivational Quotes about Failure
- “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie
- “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” —Truman Capote
- “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” —Herman Melville
- “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” —Samuel Beckett
- “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” —Colin R. Davis
- “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” —Dalai Lama
- “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” —Anonymous
- “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” —Winston Churchill
- “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.” —Michael Jordan
- “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” —Henry Ford
4. Witty Quotes about Life
- “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” —Unknown
- “If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments.” —Earl Wilson
- “Life is like a sewer… what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.” —Tom Lehrer
- “Age is of no importance unless you’re a cheese.” —Billie Burke
- “When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.” —Cathy Guisewite
- “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out of it alive.” —Elbert Hubbard
- “The first five days after the weekend are always the hardest.” —Unknown
- “Life doesn’t have any hands, but it can sure give you a slap sometimes.” —Unknown
- “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” —Steve Martin
- “Be happy—it drives people crazy.” —Unknown
5. Funny Quotes about Motivation and Laziness
- “I’m not lazy, I’m on energy-saving mode.” —Unknown
- “Procrastinate now, don’t put it off.” —Ellen DeGeneres
- “If you’re too tired to start anything, at least start by resting.” —Unknown
- “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas Edison
- “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’… unless it’s laundry.” —Unknown
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Coffee is what keeps you going.” —Unknown
- “You can’t have everything… where would you put it?” —Steven Wright
- “My bed is a magical place where I suddenly remember everything I forgot to do.” —Unknown
- “Work smarter, not harder… or ideally, not at all.” —Anonymous
- “I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.” —Unknown
6. Quotes about Goals and Ambition
- “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” —Tony Robbins
- “Goals are like magnets—they pull you toward them… unless you’re glued to the couch.” —Unknown
- “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars… and probably need a helmet.” —Les Brown
- “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” —Zig Ziglar
- “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” —Sam Levenson
- “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” —Jim Rohn
- “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” —Lawrence J. Peter
- “Dream big. Start small. Act now.” —Robin Sharma
- “Without dreams, we have nothing to chase—except maybe snacks.” —Unknown
7. Motivational Quotes about Time and Productivity
- “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” —Jim Rohn
- “Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.” —Louis Hector Berlioz
- “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” —Mark Twain
- “The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.” —Franklin P. Jones
- “I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early.” —Charles Lamb
- “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” —Muhammad Ali
- “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” —William Shakespeare
- “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” —John Lennon
- “Lost time is never found again.” —Benjamin Franklin
- “You may delay, but time will not.” —Benjamin Franklin
8. Quotes about Improvement and Growth
- “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” —Paulo Coelho
- “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” —Chinese Proverb
- “You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” —Rabindranath Tagore
- “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” —N.R. Narayana Murthy
- “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” —Jim Rohn
- “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving them.” —Zig Ziglar
- “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” —Tony Robbins
- “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” —William Butler Yeats
- “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” —Jim Rohn
- “Strive for progress, not perfection.” —Unknown
9. Sarcastic Quotes about Success and Failure
- “My boss told me to start every presentation with a joke. The first slide was my paycheck.” —Unknown
- “I’m not saying I’m Batman, but have you ever seen me and Batman in the same room?” —Unknown
- “Failure is not an option—it’s just a feature.” —Unknown
- “I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?” —Chandler Bing
- “I told my boss I needed a raise because three other companies wanted me. Turns out it was the electric, gas, and water companies.” —Unknown
- “I’m not lazy. I just rest before I get tired.” —Unknown
- “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.” —Oscar Wilde
- “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” —Bill Gates
- “If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.” —Unknown
- “A diamond is just a lump of coal that did well under pressure… unlike me.” —Unknown
Conclusion
Humor and motivation make a powerful mix. These witty motivational quotes remind us not to take life too seriously while still striving for progress. They help us laugh at our own struggles, find inspiration in failure, and stay focused with a smile.
Which of these quotes made you laugh or think the most? Share your favorites in the comments, or add your own funny motivational quotes.
Don’t forget to share this post with friends who need a little humor and motivation to brighten their day.