The Quotation IndexThe trusted reference for quotations and the sources behind them
Tag Tag Discipline
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Benjamin Franklin Poor Richard’s Almanack · 1732-1758

Quotes

“Focused, hard work is the real key to success. Keep your eyes on the goal, and just keep taking the next step towards completing it. If you aren’t sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better.”

John Carmack · Re: Definitions of terms, 2002 · Primary source

“If anything, I now believe even more strongly that reliability is essential for progress in life and while quantum mechanics is unlearnable for a vast majority, reliability can be learned to great advantage by almost anyone.”

Charlie Munger · Poor Charlie’s Almanack, 2005 · Primary source

“That is just it, work is my element; I was born and made for it. I have found the limits of my legs; I have found the limits of my eyes; but I have never been able to find the limits of my labour.”

Napoleon Bonaparte · The Memorial of Saint Helena, 1824 · Secondary source

“It’s never too early to start winning.”

Ian Fleming · Goldfinger, 1959 · Primary source

“A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood!”

George S. Patton · War As I Knew It, 1947 · Primary source

“Above all, I did not allow anything to be done which I did not myself understand. It worked!”

Tony Hoare · The Emperor’s Old Clothes, 1981 · Primary source

“Drive thy business, or it will drive thee.”

Benjamin Franklin · Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1732-1758 · Primary source

“Have you something to do tomorrow; do it today.”

Benjamin Franklin · Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1732-1758 · Primary source

“Reading was the only amusement I allowed myself.”

Benjamin Franklin · The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1771-1790 · Primary source

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Thomas Edison · Professor gets Many Autographs: Edison, Other Great Men Respond, 1932 · Secondary source

“I have no luck anymore. But who knows? Maybe today. Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”

Ernest Hemingway · The Old Man and the Sea, 1952 · Primary source

“But I must drop one word of caution; for, next to cowardice and treachery, overconfidence, leading to neglect or slothfulness, is the worst of martial crimes.”

Winston Churchill · Give us the tools, 1941 · Primary source

“He was a secret agent, and still alive thanks to his exact attention to the detail of his profession.”

Ian Fleming · Casino Royale, 1953 · Primary source

“Although he had not got to bed until two, Bond walked into his headquarters punctually at ten the next morning.”

Ian Fleming · Moonraker, 1955 · Primary source

“If a man has failed, you will find he has dreamed instead of working. There is no way to success in our art, but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad, all day and every day.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson · Power, 1860 · Primary source

“Practice is nine tenths.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson · Power, 1860 · Primary source

“Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Discharge your duties faithfully and well. Step by step you get ahead, but not necessarily in fast spurts. But you build discipline by preparing for fast spurts. Slug it out one inch at a time, day by day, and at the end of the day—if you live long enough—like most people, you will get out of life what you deserve.”

Charlie Munger · Poor Charlie’s Almanack, 2005 · Primary source

“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”

Leonardo da Vinci · The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, 1888 · Primary source

Related Tags

Risk 29 Initiative 21 Learning 19 Persistence 19 Industry 17 Understanding 15 Achievement 15 Reading 14 Preparation 13 Execution 13 Self-control 13 Reliability 12 Duty 11 Consistency 10 Leadership 9 Procrastination 9 Experimentation 9 Productivity 9 Time management 8 Complacency 8 Leisure 7 Endurance 7 Risk management 7 Personal development 7 Health 6 Hard work 6 Creativity 6 Overconfidence 6 Preparedness 6 Continuous improvement 6 Self-education 5 Momentum 5 Skill development 5 Self-development 5 Readiness 4 Practice 4 Recovery 3 Management 3 Routine 3 Military judgement 3 Professionalism 3 Strategy 3 Temptation 3 Prevention 3 Habits 3 Iteration 2 Luck 2 Work ethic 2 Punctuality 2 Craftsmanship 2 Repetition 2 Mastery 2 Project management 1 Organisation 1 Workload 1 Early rising 1 Goal focus 1 Precision 1 Personal capacity 1 Attention to detail 1 Winning 1 Golf 1 Trustworthiness 1 Training 1 Casualty prevention 1