40 Personal Development Quotes to Inspire You to Invest in Yourself (2024)

The importance of personal development can’t be overstated. It’s the secret to separating yourself from the pack. It’s the bridge that carries you toward the goals you have yet to reach. And keeping inspirational personal development quotes handy to read regularly can make all the difference in empowering you to make a change.

We spend a ton of time investing in things that numb us to the reality of how short life is―things like scrolling the internet for hours on end or watching TV to the point of restlessness. Entertainment is fun, but how much time do we save for ourselves? How often do we set aside dedicated time for personal development, where we are learning and growing in a way that defines our existence?

To be well-rounded, find some time to invest in yourself. These 40 personal development quotes are a great way to start thinking about who you want to become.

Quotes To Inspire You To Invest In Yourself

• “Your income rarely exceeds your level of personal development. Sometimes we get lucky, but it takes a person of character and discipline to be successful for a long time.” —Jim Rohn

• “Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” —Brian Tracy

• “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” —Stephen Covey

• “Change equals self-improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.” —Pat Summitt

• “Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” —Brian Tracy

• “Self-worth is so vital to your happiness. If you don’t feel good about you, it’s hard to feel good about anything else.” —Sandy Hale

• “Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.” —Robin Sharma

• “In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.” —Lou Holtz

• “There’s only one investment that will never go down—an investment in yourself.” —Frank Sonnenberg

• “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.” —Benjamin Franklin

• “Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” —Doug Firebaugh

Related: How to Be Better at Asking Self-Improvement Questions

Personal Development Quotes To Promote Growth And Achievement

• “Every moment of one’s existence one is growing into more or retreating into less.” —Norman Mailer

• “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” —James Anthony Froude

• “Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.” —Morihei Ueshiba

• “Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” —B.R. Ambedkar

• “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.” —John C. Maxwell

• “Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time and energy needed to develop yourself.” —Denis Waitley

• “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” —Abraham Maslow

• “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” —Winston Churchill

• “Everyone possesses their own unique blend of weaknesses and strengths. However, it is our dedication to self-improvement that empowers us to harness these gifts, shaping them into tools for a brighter future.” —Megan Chelsea Alexandra Sumual

• “Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.” —Vaclav Havel

Related: 3 Reasons to Pursue Personal Growth

Empowering Quotes About Change And A Brighter Future

• We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” —Max De Pree

• “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” —Albert Einstein

• “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” —Mandy Hale

• “Just take any step, whether small or large. And then another and repeat day after day. It may take months, maybe years, but the path to success will become clear.” —Aaron Ross

• “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” —Germany Kent

• ”Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” —Leo Tolstoy

• “Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.” —Herbert A. Otto

• “In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.” —Lou Holtz

• “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw

• “The important thing is that we must be constantly moving forward—yes, the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. And our growth should never end.” —Og Mandino

• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Popular Growth Quotes For Personal Reflection

• “Every day is a day you can be a better person than you were yesterday. So do something today that your future self will thank you for.” —Oscar Auliq-Ice

• “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” —Mahatma Gandhi

• “Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.” —Bruce Lee

• “Change equals self-improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.” —Pat Summitt

• “Growth is the only evidence of life.” —John Henry Newman

• “Set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it until you grow into the person who can.” —Zig Ziglar

• “Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” —Andy Rooney

• “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” —Napoleon Hill

• “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.” —Vincent van Gogh

• “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” —Steve Maraboli

• “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.” —Mortimer Adler

Feeling inspired by these quotes?

Harness that inspiration to make a change in your life today. The Win the Day Accelerator is a comprehensive, 8-part personal development program designed to help you achieve extraordinary results, both in your career and personal life. Learn more and sign up today!

This article was updated July 2024. Photo by Look Studio/shutterstock.com