Learn to take personal accountability for everything in your life = you making shit really happen in your life.
You’re in control of 100% of your life.
Yes, there are things that happen to you that you’re not in control of…
But no matter what you always control your reaction to them, and you control your mindset.
You decide if you are going to…
Play defense (complain).
Or
Ply offense (attack)
It’s no surprise that the humans that shape or worlds play offense!
-NG
So I’m currently unemployed.
Yes, it’s amazing in many ways, especially because I’ve worked over 50 hours every week since I was 19 years old (save for vacations of course) and worked over 60 hours per week since I was 25 years old.
I’m now 34.
I’m decompressing and trying to discover who I actually am without Journeys to define me.
What I have learned about myself over the last 3 weeks of having no job is…
I’m damn close to the person that I thought I was!
I was told that I’d have identity crisis. Or that I’d have to find my self or my personality…
NOT TRUE.
Of course, some things in my head and in my actions are slightly different; I’m happier. Much more relaxed! 1000% more present in the moment without work to “worry” me or a work phone with never ending notifications nagging for my attention.
But all in all, I’m the same dude.
Still not super outgoing, but highly engaging once I’m in conversation.
Still not THAT funny, but kinda funny.
Still my same super power of sitting down at a table one-on-one with someone and having them ask me advice (an interview essentially).
Still a thinker.
Still a doer to the same level as before.
Maybe I’m more self-aware than I thought?
Maybe I’m more secure in who I am?
Shit, maybe I haven’t totally found myself yet and I will be someone different than I always thought? Who knows…
But what I will tell you is this…
It’s called Parkinson’s Law.
Basically, if you have 8 hours to do something, it’s going to take 8 hours.
If you have 8 hours to accomplish 2 things, it’s going to take 8 hours.
I have a quote that I got from somewhere a long time ago that has always been one of my favorites…
You know how that works! Your teacher in high school gives you 2 months to do a project, and what do you do? Wait until 3 days before it’s due to start.
As you struggle to finish, you say “I need more time!” and then your teacher (annoyingly) reminds you that the project was assigned 2 months ago.
That has become my life!
Now, I am for sure accomplishing more now than when I worked 60 hours per week, and the house is cleaner and I take the time to walk my son Boston to the bus stop every morning at 7:50am…
But I can’t finish as many things as I thought I could with all this free time! It’s been crazy!
I’m looking for the “life hack” to either overcome Parkinson’s Law, or how to add more things into the “time available for completion“.
I’m trying To Do Lists. They are getting more organized and robust, and that is going well.
I’m working on getting a LOOSE routine in place (mainly because routine drives me nuts).
I’m setting my alarm for 5:30am tomorrow and when that phone goes off, I’m GETTING UP.
This morning I set the stage so when I woke up, I had no pajamas to put on, only work out clothes. And Thursday is usually my rest day because I play indoor soccer on Wednesdays…But I put those clothes on, and then worked out once the fam was gone. I learned that trick from Jocko Willink.
It’s just odd not having any deadlines now!
Be interesting to see how this evolves đ
Thanks,
NG
These inspirational quotes are going to be a bit different than what you would think.
It’s not going to be a bunch of RA-RA cheerleader stuff…hell no.
These quotes focus on building relationships that will raise performance and SHOW employees that you appreciate them. Not just some words that say it.
Let’s get right to it…
These quotes are INSPIRATIONAL in that the goal is to inspire the employees to think for themselves, solve problems, and exploit opportunities!
They are not about cheering people on…
I call that kind of feedback MOTIVATIONAL because you’re trying to motivate people to try harder.
To use these inspirational quotes, you need a few things to be set up already:
Let’s take a quick look at each of these…
Why do you want inspired employees and why do you want to show them appreciation?
If the answer is…
…then we’ve got bigger issues to tackle my friend!
So, listen closely…
There is no number of inspirational quotes to fix a dysfunctional relationship with an employee.
And fixing a strained relationship is the toughest work that a leader will ever have to do!
Before venturing any further I suggest you read this post. It’s about how impactful a leader’s words can be, for the better and for the worse!
When your relationships with your employees are all healthy, they begin to resemble more of a partnership.
If that describes your connection with your team, then we’re on the right track!
Before we talk about the inspiration quotes for employee appreciation, some food for thought…
If your employees aren’t motivated, you’re going to need more than some badass quotes.
Here’s why…
Motivation = The Desire to Try
Inspiration = Feeling or Seeing the Leader’s Vision
Maybe you do the hiring, maybe you don’t…but this BONUS QUOTE cuts to the bone:
“If you want motivated people you have to find them, not motivate them.”
Let’s break that down a tad…
Face it, you just can’t motivate someone.
I know, that’s not a very popular take, but it’s true, and here’s why…
It’s the employee’s responsibility to bring the motivation to you. This would mean they are SELF-MOTIVATED.
From there you can inspire, by helping them pinpoint their dreams and goals, and then pushing them to achieve those goals by teaching, training, holding them accountable, and following up on progress.
I actually have another BONUS QUOTE that I like to use to make this point…
“I’d rather inspire my varsity team to championships than motivate my JV team to try”
If they don’t want to try, you’re going to waste your time!
That’s why I say that leaders don’t motivate, they inspire.
OK one last thing…
Before we get to the list of inspirational quotes for employee appreciation, I’ve got one last thing that I want to touch on, and that is R E S P E C T.
(high five if you spelled that out like the song)…
How Much Do Your Employees Respect You?
People work for people.
That means when someone quits, they didn’t quit the company, THEY QUIT YOU. This is true 80% of the time.
Tough to hear? Find yourself getting defensive?
Sure, there are employees that quit that weren’t a good fit and are better off leaving, but a majority of them quit the leader, not the organization
More food for thought: That’s STILL the leader’s fault for hiring the wrong person!
Check out THIS oldie but goodie (which is actually the 1st thing I ever published to the internet!) about garnering more respect from your team.
OK, OK…And now, without further adieu…
The key to performance isn’t about trying push new conversations about strategy in, but rather clearing out the clutter. -Book: 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is one of my favorite quotes because in business, we almost always look to ADD when we want to affect performance, yet most often we need to REMOVE so we can focus on what’s important.
There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. -Jocko Willink
This one is in here because it’s all about ownership. If you have employees that feel under appreciated, or uninspired, you need to own up to your mistakes before you can move on. This is in direct correlation with the 1st quote, as that “clutter” COULD be gossip about you!
Notice the difference between asking ‘Can I do this?’ And, ‘How am I going to do this?’Â -Book: Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? By Ben Hunt-Davis and Harriet Beveridge.
In both questions there is an unsure nature of how to start, but one comes with confidence and the other communicates doubt and fear.
Many people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. -Charles H. Brower
This quote is perfect for a time when a teammate is complaining about a process and not adding any value to the situation.
Tough times don’t last forever. Tough people do. –Â Robert H. Schuller
Great quote for showing appreciation when an employee as working super hard, or the work gets super hard. (Busy season, corporate visit, high pressure deadline, etc.)
If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing wrong. What holds us back is fear of failure. Just try…go…fail, and then adjust!! -Joe CallowayÂ
Joe wrote the book Be the Best at What Matters Most and it’s a book that I suggest. This quote means that if you’re going to screw up, do it with 100% conviction. I’d rather see an employee comitted to their dream and do it wrong, than do nothing at all.
Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of a desire to be exceptional. -John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
One of the most important leadership books ever written, and a quote that speaks volumes. Most people would rather find the excuse or reason they failed instead of working to be a success.
No matter how bad things are, you can always make them worse.
This is a funny one because it’s a positive statement said in a negative way. It’s a great reminder that things really aren’t that bad, even when they seem desperate. Stop worrying and go fix it!
If you aren’t in over your head, then how do you know how tall you are? –T. S. Eliot
The reason I LOVE this quote so much is because I’m a hustler. I like a lot on my plate and when I’m not working like a maniac, then I ask for more. You can’t grow unless you’re pushed!
Your abilities say win. What does your attitude say? -Nick Glassett (me!)
Smart, driven, and talented means nothing when the person is negative and toxic!
The essence of competitive advantage is doing different things, and doing things differently. -Book:Â 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is a great reminder that when “they” zig, you’ve got to zag! And the second quote from this book (it’s that good of a read, I suggest it to all leaders!)
Short term easy means long term difficult and short term difficult means long term easy. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
This is a discipline quote. Do what’s easy now, and you’re going to have to kill yourself later to catch back up. Do what’s hard now, and you’ll be ahead of schedule.
Successful people do what others don’t want to do and they in turn get extraordinary results. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
Another one from Rory! I call this, The Winning Formula: Do the things that cause winning. Simple, but not easy. It’s the studying, the practice, the rehearsal, and the work that causes great things to happen.
Get good at being a trouble maker and saying sorry when you really screw up. –Book: 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
This may seem like an odd quote to tell your employees…after all, you don’t want trouble makers do you? I don’t just say yes, I say HELL YES. It’s an empowerment and a trust thing. Nothing communicates “I trust you” like this Tim Ferriss Quote.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is taking action in the presence of fear. – David Cunningham, Landmark Forum Leader
I heard this when I did the incredibly powerful Landmark Forum, and I use it often. Anytime there is a situation that has one of my teammates nervous, this quotes causes action to take place (especially public sharing at a meeting).
Find the sense of who you are, then it will translate into an ease and confidence in how you come off to others. -Unsure of where I got this from
I firmly believe that when you help people be themselves, and not some “improved” or different version is when you truly get inspired action!
Change what you do so you can change how you feel. -Nick Glassett (me)
When people are failing, you would thing they would change what they are doing, but they don’t. Instead they double down and try harder instead of trying something else.
So there you have it, 17 of my favorite inspirational quotes for employee appreciation.
Many of them are different than your ordinary, optimistic, cheerleader stuff.
I hope you enjoyed it, and would love if you dropped a comment with your opinion and if you used any of these đ
Thanks,
-NG
Iâve embraced a lot of things in my life, from leadership to discipline to simplicity…all just feel like tactics compared to how impactful the power of optimism and positivity has been the last few months.
Tactic = A tip. An action. A life hack
Values = A religion. A ritual. An overall philosophy on everything.
I used to PUSH super hard to get compliance, or to get the team to care about this, or that, or more often try to build more culture.
Results varied from so-so, to good, but I never felt like IÂ accomplished what I set out to do, ya know.
I had created the opportunity for that to happen to him, because I had been in charge of what had become a negative culture. It happened because I filled it with negative attitudes. People thought there was an agenda to everything, or was skeptical of what we did.
NOT ANY MORE!
Now, we’ve begun to build the true team and it’s built on the foundation of the right things…
The foundation of PEOPLE đ
Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, and has also has been referred to as Lao-Tze, and Laozi.
His given name was actually named Li Er. Laozi is a honorary title, which was romanized in many different ways leading to our name-confusion.
Either way, it’s all the same guy!
He is the author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism….However, in the mid-twentieth century, an argument was made by scholars that the person known as Laozi is doubtful to have actually existed and that that the Tao Te Ching was “a compilation of Taoist sayings by many hands”.Â
Of course, many others argue the opposite, and there is actually no way to know for sure!
What we do know is, no matter what name he goes by, and whether or not he actually existed, there are some INCREDIBLE quotes that he’s credited for.
These quotes are all simple and elegant, but at the same time make you think about yourself and your own views in a very deep way.
When the best leaderâs work is done the people say, âWe did it ourselves.â -Lao Tzu
If you do not change direction, you may end up where your are heading. -Lao Tzu
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. -Lao Tzu
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -Lao Tzu
He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. -Lao Tzu
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. -Lao Tzu
Great acts are made up of small deeds. -Lao Tzu
He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty. -Lao Tzu
The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself. -Lao Tzu
He who talks more is sooner exhausted. -Lao Tzu
Act without expectation. -Lao Tzu
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu
Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere. -Lao Tzu
More quotes from Jocko Willink, Navy SEAL and all around badass
If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence. -Lao Tzu
Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. -Lao Tzu
I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. -Lao Tzu
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. -Lao Tzu
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. -Lao Tzu
To lead people, walk behind them. -Lao Tzu
The further one goes, the less one knows. -Lao Tzu
He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know. -Lao Tzu
When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you. -Lao Tzu
Remind yourself daily, there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. -Lao Tzu
He, who tries to shine, dims his own light. -Lao Tzu
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. -Lao Tzu
13 Bad Ass Connor McGregor Quotes
-NG
John Maxwell is the undoubted leadership expert.
His timeless book, âThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadershipâ has sold over 1 million copies!
The book’s well written stories guide you through the 21 laws and teach you how to apply each to your life. Along the way, there are many memorable quotes!
Here I have assembled…
âPeople don’t care what you know until they know what you care.â
âYou can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion…. The heart comes before the head.â
âLeaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed.
Leaders Who Develop Leaders . . . Want to Be Succeededâ
âAttitude is one of the most contagious qualities a human being possesses.â
âAnyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.”
âAlways touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.â
âItâs not the position that makes the leader; itâs the leader that makes the position.â
Reading The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership… John Maxwell says that âThe true meaning of Leadership is Influence- Nothing More. Nothing Less!â….. If you donât have influence, you will never be able to lead others â¤ď¸… Wow! Time to reflect! Growth Mindset! pic.twitter.com/83IkRt7Kmi
— Sherese Nix (@sherese_nix) February 11, 2018
“Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.â
“What is your personal plan for growth?”
“The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”
“What you attract is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.”
Check out our Chapter Summary of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
“To add growth, lead followers – To multiple, lead leaders.”
“Someday people will summarize your life in a single sentence. My advice: pick it now!”
“Improvement is impossible without change.”
“There are no Lone Range leaders. Think about it: if you’re alone, you’re not leading anybody are you?”
“Only you reach your potential as a leader do your people have a chance to read their potential.”
“Enlarging others makes you larger.”
Check out the complete 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership List.
“To push people down you have to go down with them.”
“Leaders always find a way to make things happen.”
-NG
There’s many times that we need to be patient
Then there is crucial times that we need to be AGGRESSIVE
Said differently…
“…thatâs not to say there isnât times that you just put on brass knuckles and deck life in the face.” -Tim Ferriss
My opinion has shifted on this subject recently…I used to be more the patient type to wait for people to grow, or to get the full picture, or to collec more data…
To hell with that!
Life is better when you keep those figurative brass knuckles in your pocket and you’re not afraid to use them.
And when you’re quick to use them!
-NG
He focuses on teaching the leadership principles that he learned as the Commander of the SEAL Task Unit Bruiser, where he was stationed in Iraq fighting in the Battle of Ramadi. He is the co-owner of the leadership consulting company, Echelon Front where he, along with Extreme Ownership Co-Author Leif Babin, provide practical solutions to create high performance success in professional teams.
In Discipline Equals Freedom, Jocko hones in more on his personal methods for life, and leadership.
The book is separated into 4 parts:
Discipline Equals Freedom is a phenomenal read, and it’s also a bad ass design.
The book is all black, with no dust cover. The pages are all black with white type, and each page has a black and white backdrop behind it.
(There is a picture of two of the passages down below so you can see how the book is laid out.)
The writing style is incredible, and as you read each passage, the whole book is practically narrated in Jocko’s distinct surly voice.
While Jocko is very well known for his aggressive style, rough exterior, and assertive attitude, he actually has a bachelors degree in English. This, combined with his extensive leadership experience, and take-action attitude, make him a phenomenal motivator and a role model for many.
The Way of Discipline – “THERE IS NO EASY WAY. There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline. DISCIPLINE.”
The Enemy – “I know that somewhere out there, another man is also preparing. That man is the enemy.”
Where Does Discipline Come From – “If you don’t think you are disciplined: It is because you haven’t decided to be disciplined. YET.”
Overcoming Procrastination – “Stop thinking about it. Stop Dreaming about it. Stop researching every aspect of it…Start doing it. Take that first step and make It happen. GET AFTER IT.”
The Person You Can Control – “The only person you can control is you. So focus on making yourself who you want to be: Faster. Stronger. Smarter. More humble. Less ego.”
Mind Control – “You have to decide that you are going to be in control, that you are going to do what YOU want to do. Weakness doesn’t get a vote. Laziness doesn’t get a vote. Sadness doesn’t get a vote. Frustration doesn’t get a vote. NEGATIVITY doesn’t get a vote. ”
Mind Control (2)- “You are declaring martial law on your mind: MIND CONTROL.”
Destroyer Mode – “Fight weak emotions with the power of logic; fight the weakness of logic with the power of emotion.”
Here is Jocko Willink reading the passage “Destroyer Mode” from Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual.
Fight – “Go out in a blaze of Glory, fighting with everything you’ve got, every ounce of energy, every bead of sweat, every drop of blood – until your last breath. And then – and only then- can you stand down, put down your sword and your shield, and rest: in peace.”
Default Aggressive – I don’t view aggression as an outward attitude. I view aggression as an internal character trait. A fire in your mind that says: I’m going to win”
Nature vs Nurture – “So to me, it is not about nature or nurture: It’s about choice”
Fear of Failure – I don’t want you to overcome fear of failure. I want you to be afraid of failure.
Sugar Coated Lies – Those donuts aren’t food. THEY ARE POISON. Same with the chocolate chip cookies, the chocolate cake, the can of soda, the bag of potato chips….All that junk isn’t going to make you stronger, faster, smarter or better. It’s going to do the opposite. And you know this. YOU KNOW THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANY OF THAT JUNK.
RELATED: How to Solve All Your Crummy Problems (and Truly Make a Difference
Not Feeling It – How do I handle those days when I’m just not ‘feeling it’? Those days when I am tired or worn out or just sick of the grind…What do I do on those days? I GO ANYWAY. I GET IT DONE.
Not Feeling It (2) – Don’t really want to workout? I work out. Don’t really want to hammer on the project? I hammer on the project. Don’t really want to get up and get out of bed? I GET UP AND GET OUT OF BED.
Focus – Embed that long-term goal in your mind. Burn it into your soul….but most important: do something about it. Every day. Every day: Do something that moves you closer towards that goal – that keeps the goal in sight and in focus.
Draw Fire – “Be the one who people look to. Absorb the impact – and the negativity. Draw fire – yes: Draw (enemy) fire.
Good – “When things are going bad: Don’t get all bummed out, don’t get startled, don’t frustrated. No. Just look at the issue and say “Good.”
RELATED: Read The Complete “GOOD” Transcript  by Jocko Willink
Every Day – “This isn’t a part-time gig. This isn’t punch the clock and go home for the day. You don’t get weekends off. No…this is an everyday gig. Everyday is a Monday…I love it.
No More – “No more excuses…Now is the time for strength. And through strength – and through will – and through unwavering discipline – I will become what I want to be. I will become who I want to be.
Staying Motivated – “Don’t expect to be motivated every day to get out there and make things happen. You won’t be. Don’t count on motivation. Count on discipline.”
Here is an example of two pages of Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual
Remain Vigilant – “It isn’t that you wake up one day and decide, that’s it: I’m going to be weak. No. It’s a slow incremental process. It chips at your will – It chips at your discipline.
Fear – “Step aggressively towards your fear – that is the step into bravery.”
Negative Talk from Negative People – “IGNORE AND OUTPERFORM. Yes. While you are over there watching me and talking about me – I’m working. Working hard. I’m taking things to the next level.”
Engage – “Weakness is strong. I must be stronger.”
Psychological Edge – “There are a slew of psychological advantages that come from early morning physical training. First, there is a psychological win over the enemy. Knowing that you are working harder than your adversaries gives you an advantage. It gives you confidence that you can overcome them in battle.”
Here is Jocko Willink reading the passage “Psychological Edge” from Discipline Equals Freedom: Field manual.
Sleep – “Go to bed at 9:55pm and you can get up at 4:55am, still get your seven hours, and be up before the enemy.”
The Workouts – “Everyone wants to know: what should a workout actually consist of? And first of all – let me say this: The most important thing to do is SOMETHING. ANYTHING.”
Addicted to Sugar – “The lies will come, and the will come from you. The lies you will tell yourself are: It’s no big deall. You can have just a little. It isn’t worth it to feel this bad. The body needs carbs. You will rationalize, and start to listen to these lies. DON’T.”
Fasting – “In this age, the food around you is actually trying to kill you. It is poison. Donuts? Poison. Soda? Poison. Potato Chips? Poison. YOU DON’T NEED IT.”
Dealing with Injuries and Illness – “If you are sick or injured, don’t use that as an excuse to skip workouts to stay in bed all day. Do what you can.”
Here I’ve got a great infographic full of great Jocko Willink Quotes from Discipline Equals Freedom.
BONUS FROM JOCKO PODCAST
Here is an excerpt from Jocko Podcast where Willink is discussing being a new leader and not knowing as much as your subordinates.
It’s been dubbed; The Leadership Comb-over.
Thanks for reading this collection of Jocko Willink Quotes Discipline Equals Freedom.
Which quote inspires you…which one speaks to you? Leave a comment below!
-NG
