50 Setback Quotes that are bound to Inspire You

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published April 13, 2023

The setback quotes listed here are inspiring enough to help you stay focused and continue pushing away the negative aspects of a setback.

If you want to cultivate and grow your mindset, these quotes can be more than helpful.

Apart from our setback quotes compilation, we have also discussed setbacks and how you can use them as a source of motivation.

So let’s dive in!

What is a Setback?

A setback is referred to as an event causing an unexpected delay in the achievement of a goal or results in the reversal of progress.

It could be a minor problem or a major obstacle that impedes the development or progress of an ongoing project.

You might encounter a setback in almost every aspect of life, such as professional, academic, or social.

Numerous factors (internal or external) can cause a setback.

These factors include failures, mistakes, and unexpected circumstances.

However, it is possible to deal with a setback by showing determination, resilience, and adaptability.

Can a Setback Motivate you?

No doubt, a setback can serve as motivation for you to overcome obstacles through hard work.

A setback offers you a chance to gain valuable knowledge and experience.

By taking into account what you have learned through a setback, it is possible to grow and improve.

Ways to Achieve Your Goal after a Setback

Below are the most noticeable ways to achieve your goals after a setback:

Once you have failed to achieve the goal due to a setback, think about breaking your main goal into smaller ones.
Don’t hesitate to seek support from your friends and family, as it can help you learn from their experience and move forward.
You must consider the setback as an opportunity for growth and set aside the negative aspects.
Always stay committed to your goal, irrespective of the prevailing circumstance.
Try to use the setback to fuel your determination and resilience and continue with your pursuit to achieve a goal.
Setbacks can offer you essential insight and feedback on what has gone wrong.
You can consider the setback as a blessing in disguise by learning from it and seeking powerful motivation for your success.
By taking into account the true causes of a setback, it is possible to identify the areas that need improvement.
Life is an ongoing learning process, so don’t hesitate to adapt to new strategies after facing a failure due to a setback.
By overcoming adversity and obstacles, you can develop mental strengths to get closer to your goal.
Make sure to celebrate even the most minor achievements and small successes.

Top 10 Setback Quotes

Here are the top 10 setback quotes for you to read and enjoy.

1. “Setbacks motivate me.” — Lindsey Vonn

2. “Every setback is a setup for a comeback!” — Joel Osteen

3. “Setbacks are just learning experiences.” — Beth Brooke

4. “Tonight is not a setback. It’s just a learning experience.” — Aaron Rodgers

5. “No human being is immune to adversity or personal setbacks.” — Hillary Clinton

6. “Setbacks in life are opportunities to perform at a new level.” — William Cranch Bond

7. “In every perceived failure or setback is the seed of success.” — Deepak Chopra

8. “Life’s greatest setbacks reveal life’s biggest opportunities.” — Robin Sharma

9. “Pursue your dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks.” — Steve Jobs

10. “New things have to experience difficulties and setbacks as they grow.” — Mao Zedong

Setback Quotes for Your Motivation

Empower yourself to overcome setbacks with these motivational quotes. Discover inspiring words from successful individuals who have faced challenges and come out on top.

11. “In all the setbacks of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy.” — John Piper

12. “You have to keep pushing toward those dreams no matter what setbacks happen.” — Anthony Hamilton

13. “Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.” — Les Brown

14. “Every setback might be the very thing that makes you carry on and fight all the harder and becomes much better.” — Les Paul

15. “Within every setback or obstacle or disadvantage, there is the seed of an equal or opposite or greater advantage or benefit.” — Napoleon Hill

16. “I don’t believe in failure; I believe there are setbacks that are put into our path to teach us something and move us in a different direction.” — Geri Jewell

17. “Living things have been doing just that for a long, long time. Through every kind of disaster and setback and catastrophe. We are survivors.” — Robert Fulghum

18. “Sometimes small setbacks are just blessings in disguise. They enhance your determination and whole-hearted dedication to achieving your goals.” — Robert Cheeke

19. “I never lost my belief, in the midst of setbacks which were not spared me during my period of struggle. Providence has had the last word and brought me success.” — Adolf Hitler

20. “I’m proud of the way I’ve dealt with setbacks. It’s hard when you feel down and you think, ‘Why is the world doing this to me?’ But you have to pick yourself up again. That’s what makes you a better athlete.” — Jessica Ennis

Rewarding Setback Quotes

Setbacks reward you for your struggle and make you strong. Let’s see some quotes about rewarding setbacks.

21. “The possibilities are endless, so never be discouraged by a setback, no matter how big.” — Tommy Hilfiger

22. “Setbacks are what build character. They are what separate the lucky from the truly successful.” — Cherie Carter-Scott

23. “You can tell a lot about a person not just by their successes, but by how they deal with their setbacks” — Sarah Mlynowski

24. “Your ability to face setbacks and disappointments without giving up will be the measure of your ability to succeed.” — Calvin Coolidge

25. “I think one of life’s great milestones is when a person can look back and be almost as thankful for the setbacks as for the victories.” — Bob Dole

26. “If you have a setback, and you’re not doing well, and then you overcome it somehow, it always sticks with you. You know it could happen again.” — Sam Donaldson

27. “Setbacks and losses are both inevitable and essential if you’re going to improve and become a good, even great, competitor. The art is in avoiding catastrophic losses in the key battles.” — Garry Kasparov

28. “Remember that setbacks are only challenges in disguise. Look at them as lessons . . . don’t waste time beating yourself up. Just get back on track and focus on what you want. It’s up to you, and you will do it!” — Jorge Cruise

29. “Every event has a purpose and every setback a lesson. Failure is essential to personal expansion. It brings inner growth and a whole host of psychic rewards. Never regret your past. Rather embrace it as the teacher it is.” — Robin S

30. “We all have an emotional home that we keep coming back to. Even if a foundationally angry or sad person has a good job and good family, they return to their emotional home, especially when experiencing life’s inevitable setbacks.” — Tony Robbins

Setback Quotes About Leadership

Leaders stay steadfast despite setbacks. Read these essential quotes on leadership and resilience to boost your determination and lead with conviction.

31. “If I don’t ask “Why me?” after my victories, I cannot ask “Why me?” after my setbacks and disasters.” — Arthur Ashe

32. “Enduring setbacks while maintaining the ability to show others the way to go forward is a true test of leadership.” — Nitin Nohria

33. “The ability to bounce back after a setback is the single most important trait an entrepreneurial venture can possess.” — Richard Branson

34. “Leadership always contains far more down cycles than ups. Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Wilson, and both Roosevelts” — Kevin Allen

35. “The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do professionally and personally, and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failures.” — Warren G. Bennis

36. “Setbacks and fear are inevitable. The thing that distinguishes the ultimate successes from the ultimate failures is this: What do you do with them?” — Blake Mycoskie

37. “Leaders must pick causes they won’t abandon easily, remain committed despite setbacks, and communicate their big ideas over and over again in every encounter.” — Rosabeth Moss Kanter

38. “Leadership always contains far more down cycles than ups. Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Wilson, and both Roosevelts experienced setbacks that would have discouraged (the) less resilient.” — James O’Toole

39. “Great leaders inspire. They maintain a hopeful attitude, even in the face of discouraging setbacks, constant criticism, and abundant opposition. People don’t follow discouraged leaders. They follow those who persist with hope.” — Rick Warren

40. “Buoyant leadership is not a management technique; it’s a leadership principle based on the belief that leading isn’t presiding, it’s taking people on a journey, and on any hero’s journey, there will be a setback. I think whether you’re having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude.” — Colin Powell

Setback quotes that will help make you successful

Setbacks should not be a hurdle on your way to success. You must bear setbacks and rise again to get successful. The following quotes can help you become a successful person.

41. “Exceptional people convert life’s setbacks into future successes.” — Carol S. Dweck

42. “One of the secrets of success is to refuse to let temporary setbacks defeat us.” — Mary Kay Ash

43. “Our ability to respond positively to setbacks fuels our creativity and lays the foundation for future successes.” — Stacy Allison

44. “The most successful families embrace and elevate their family history, particularly their failures, setbacks, and other missteps.” — Bruce Feiler

45. “Failing can provide invaluable lessons, and making mistakes and experiencing setbacks is part of the DNA of every successful entrepreneur.” — Richard Branson

46. “Success is not a pie with a limited number of pieces. The success of others has very little bearing on your success. You and everyone you know can become successful without anyone suffering setbacks, harm, or downturns.” — Denis Waitley

47. “Live the Life of Your Dreams When you start living the life of your dreams, there will always be obstacles, doubters, mistakes, and setbacks along the way. But with hard work, perseverance, and self-belief, there is no limit to what you can achieve.” — Roy. T Bennett

48. “Success is not achieved by winning all the time. Real success comes when we rise after we fall. Some mountains are higher than others. Some roads steeper than the next. There are hardships and setbacks, but you cannot let them stop you. Even on the steepest road, you must not turn back.” — Muhammad Ali

49. “When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately expect to have success in your efforts. An optimistic, positive mind is far more likely to come up with creative solutions than a mind that dwells on setbacks and difficulties. Bottom line: expect success, and you can achieve it!” — Zig Ziglar

50. “Let me conclude by saying in my experience, the glittering prizes in life come more to those who persevere despite setbacks and disappointment than they do to the exceptionally gifted who, with the confidence of the talents bestowed upon them, often pursue the tasks leading to success with less determination.” — Bryce Courtenay