60 When the Going Gets Tough Quotes To Keep You Inspired

Look at these when the going gets tough quotes to motivate you to get through the tough times!

However, when the going gets tough, you have a choice.

You can keep going, look for the positive, and identify the lessons learned.

Share your favorite when the going gets tough quote with us in the comment section below.

What are the benefits of reading these when the going gets tough quotes?

Conversely, you can quit, focus on everything that went wrong, and choose the same behavior you usually choose.

These when the going gets tough quotes, will offer you some perspective!

Of course, facing challenge after challenge and staying positive is difficult.

It takes work and conscious redirection of your thoughts to keep going in the face of adversity.

However, when all that perseverance pays off, it will be more than worth it.

Perseverance can help you:  

• reach your goals and grow
• build confidence and self-esteem
• build better relationships

Unfortunately, we do not have a crystal ball that shows us how much we need to persevere before we end up winning.

If we did, it would be much easier to get through those tough times!

What we have, though, is the ability to choose to keep going and learning. 

The success you are hoping for might be years or even decades away.

It will be worth the wait and the struggle if you get there!

Keep reading through these when the going gets tough quotes to inspire you to dig deep and keep going.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration.

Check out our inspirational quotes category page for more inspirational life quotes.

Short but powerful when the going gets tough quotes

Often when we are in a tough situation, we don’t have the energy or the time to read a book. Instead, look at these short but powerful quotes to motivate you!

1. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” ― H. G. Wells

You will also enjoy our article on hard times quotes.

2. “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” — Robert H. Schuller

You will also enjoy our article on tough times.

3. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” — Joseph Kennedy

You will also enjoy our article on unappreciated quotes.

4. “Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines.” — Robert Schuller

5. “Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

6. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Confucius

7. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

8. “Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” — Unknown

9. “You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” — Mary Tyler Moore

10. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene

Inspirational when the going gets tough quotes to help you keep going

Tough times require inspiration for you to get through them. Take a look at the next set of quotes to be inspired to keep pushing through!

11. “When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. Don’t give up.” — Roy T. Bennett

12. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas Edison

13. “Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.” — Napoleon Hill

14. “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet.” — William Frederick Halsey, Jr.

15. “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” — John Quincy Adams

16. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

17. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

18. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin to Pooh, A. A. Milne

19. “In life, I’m like Molly Brown. I’ve had tough times along the way and gone through experiences that many women have gone through. But I ain’t down yet.” — Debbie Reynolds

20. “When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.” — Malcolm S. Forbes

When the going gets tough quotes about fear and success

Don’t let fear keep you from pushing through hard times. We often find success on the other side of hard times, as evidenced by the quotes below.

21. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” — David Brinkley

22. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” — Les Brown

23. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” — Carl Bard

24. “I get it now; I didn’t get it then. That life is about losing and about doing it as gracefully as possible… and enjoying everything in between.” — Mia Farrow

25. “No one is going to hand me success. I must go out and get it myself. That’s why I’m here. To dominate. To conquer. Both the world, and myself.” — Unknown

26. “Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path, and you will find you have crossed the mountain.” — Unknown

27. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

28. “Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” — Earl Nightingale

29. “When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

30. “When the going gets tough, I’m not always sure what you do. I’m not saying that I know how to fix everything when the going gets tough, but I do know this: when the going goes tough, you don’t quit. And you don’t fold up. And you don’t go in the other direction.” — John Madden

Things to keep in mind when the going gets tough quotes

Sometimes to get through hard times, we need the wise words of those that have experienced the tough times themselves. Look at the collection of quotes below.

31. “In tough times, everyone has to take their share of the pain.” — Theresa May

32. “The good life is not built on a foundation of ease… it’s the hard times that give us a rock-solid foundation.” — Richie Norton

33. “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.” — Epictetus

34. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be a reality.” — Lao Tzu

35. “Nothing good comes cheaply, so we shouldn’t be surprised when we meet the hard while going for the best. Hard times are not quiet times.” — Terry Mark

36. “Life can be tough sometimes. But I think it just starts with admitting, ‘Okay, the world’s not perfect, how do we live our lives within that and not be miserable?’” — Amy Lee

37. “Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” — Leroy Satchel Paige

38. “If you are feeling low or trampled, unappreciated or forgotten, and you are reading this, realize it is an illusion. The hope is real, you are valued, and what lies ahead is brilliance.” — Tom Althouse

39. “I learned there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead; others come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.” — Dr. Seuss

40. “Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up, as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky, Notes From Underground

Why it is important to carry on when the going gets tough quotes

The man or woman that is a quitter will accomplish nothing. The best things are on the other side of tough times, so keep pushing!

41. “Remember that guy that gave up? Neither does anyone else.” — Unknown

42. “To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.” — Gail Sheehy

43. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” — Joshua J. Marine

44. “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” — Bernice Johnson Reagon

45. “The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every challenge encountered, there is opportunity for growth.” — Unknown

46. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” — Dale Carnegie

47. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” — Maya Angelou

48. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

49. “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” — Randy Pausch

50. “And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” ― Haruki Murakami

51. “When the going gets tough, the prospect of delegating half your responsibilities to a willing volunteer, either to play a supporting role or take over the breadwinning, certainly holds allure.” ― Mariella Frostrup

52. “I believe that when the going gets tough, you should just hit pause. Assimilate what is happening for 10 minutes. Your thoughts will be much clearer.” ― Shreya Ghoshal

53. When the going gets tough, the tough take a coffee break.” ― Stephen Hawking

54. “Trump appeals to right-wingnuts because when the going gets tough, they wig out.” ― Michael R. Burch

55. A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must….be undaunted when the going gets tough.” ― Ronald Reagan

54. “Perhaps the greatest display of self-discipline is persisting when the going gets tough. Persistence is self-discipline in action.” ― Brian Tracy

55. “Being a successful trader also takes courage: the courage to try, the courage to fail, the courage to succeed, and the courage to keep on going when the going gets tough.” ― Michael Marcus

56. “Character produces endurance and persistence when the going gets tough, and life truly is an endurance race, not a sprint.” ― Zig Ziglar

57. “You carry on no matter what are the obstacles. You simply refuse to give up – and, when the going gets tough, you get tougher. And, you win.” ― Vince Lombardi

58. “Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don’t give up even when others say, It can’t be done.” ― James E. Faust

59. When the going gets tough, the tough reinvent.” ― RuPaul

60. “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” ― Hunter S. Thompson

Here are a few tips to help you keep going when times are hard

The first thing that will help you make it through tough times is to be as adaptable as possible.

This means you accept things will change and learn to expect it.

Nothing in life is permanent. 

Next, recognize that everything is a choice, and those choices are within your control.

How will you react to something?

Will you choose to look at the positive or stew on the negative?

When you learn to view your behaviors, emotions, and actions as choices, you can play a more active role in your life. 

Finally, try not to get caught up in your past.

You can learn things from your past, but if you change how you do things, the past will not repeat itself.

If your regrets and past emotions rule your life, then you are doing the present and future a disservice.

Each day is a new day to try again! 

There is a when the going gets tough sweatshirt out there for everyone and nearly every hobby.

I liked “When the going gets tough, the tough get reading.”

Which of these when the going gets tough quotes, did you find the most inspiring?

Share with your friends and post your thoughts with us in the comment section below.