Although a new year is just a continuation of your journey, it still is a significant landmark for change, something to look forward to and take advantage of. The promises that you give to yourself on the brink of the upcoming year should not be made lighthandedly, as it’s you that is responsible for making them come true. And there’s probably no greater disappointment than that of letting yourself down. So, it would be an excellent start to make those vows actually doable (how about starting with something small and building it up as you go?), but if you still need some reassurance and a guiding hand, we’ve gathered a list of famous people’s quotes on New Year. Not only will these wise words give you some food for thought, but they might also inspire you to keep on going with bettering yourself and sticking to your plans no matter what.
Honestly, this might be our most inspiring list as of yet - these New Year quotes aren’t the ones to stick it to you with some hackneyed cliches, but rather encourage you to think for yourself. And that’s exactly what you’d want from motivational messages! To make it even more worthy of your time and your thoughts, these smart quotes come from famous people from all paths of life - singers, movie stars, writers, scientists, and so on. And with such names as Lady Gaga, Rainer Maria Rilke, and David Bowie - people who paved their path by themselves and just the way they wanted - you just know that the wisdom of their words comes from hands-on experience.
So, before you scroll down below to check out these wise words for yourself, grab a pencil and a notebook to write down the smart quotes that’ll be your upcoming year’s motto. After you finish reading these gems, vote for the ones that resonated with you the most and share this article with your friends who might be suffering from New Year’s blues. These motivational quotes are bound to make them feel better!
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“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” —Pablo Picasso
“Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” —Neil Gaiman
“Every single year, we’re a different person. I don’t think we’re the same person all of our lives.”—Steven Spielberg
“I think the more unexpected something is, the more there is to learn from it.” —Michael J. Fox
“Next time you are discussing an important issue with someone, ask yourself, ‘Is this a monologue or dialogue?’ Personally, I’m only interested in the latter.” —Reese Witherspoon
“When we get home at night, we plug in our phones. But we don’t think of ourselves as phones that need to be recharged. You need to make sure you’re getting back up to 100 percent.” —Bobby Berk
“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” —Bill Vaughan
NYE celebrated with besties + our combined 4 kids (ages 7, 4, and 2 years + 8 weeks). Odds were on 4yo as only person awake for the ball drop.
“He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; he who makes one is a fool.” —F.M. Knowles
“I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” —Simone Biles
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” —Socrates
“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” —Shauna Niequist
“There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis
When I became a Christian, it became possible for me to believe this.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Gandhi
“You have those moments where you reflect and say, ‘No matter what I’m going through at the moment, you know what? Life ain’t bad.'” —Dwyane Wade
“Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” —David McCullough Jr.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.” —T. S. Eliot
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” —Maya Angelou
“Life’s not about expecting, hoping and wishing, it’s about doing, being and becoming.” —Mike Dooley
“Plant seeds every single day that you know who you are, you know what you’re about, and you know what goals you’ve set for yourself.” —Stephen Curry
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” —Neil Gaiman
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” —Carl Bard
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake.” —Francis Bacon Sr.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” —Eleanor Roosevelt
“We either make ourselves miserable or make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” —Carlos Castaneda
“I could give example after example of how doing the right thing ended up making us more money.” —Yvon Chouinard
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“When you’re young, you’re encouraged to try new things. At a certain age, nobody says that to you anymore. If you’re lucky enough to be alive, why not say yes to all of it at any age?” —Mary Steenburgen
“Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.” —Oscar Wilde
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” —Joseph Campbell
“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection – a time to release old thoughts and beliefs and forgive old hurts. Whatever has happened in the past year, the New Year brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future.” ―Peggy Toney Horton
“A year of ending and beginning, a year of loss and finding… and all of you were with me through the storm. I drink your health, your wealth, your fortune for long years to come, and I hope for many more days in which we can gather like this.”―C.J. Cherryh
“New beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way.” —Oscar Auliq-Ice
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
“The way I look at it, every day that I’m moving forward is a day I’m not moving backward.” —Bobby Bones
“It’s a myth that you can’t have it all. You can have it all—just maybe not all at the same time.” —Eva Longoria
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“You can always put on a pretty dress, but it doesn’t matter what you wear on the outside if your mind isn’t strong.” —Angelina Jolie
“We’re at our best when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes but when we help each other to grow.” —Joaquin Phoenix
“I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.” —Juansen Dizon
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” —Andy Warhol
“Be the hardest-working person you know. If you’re not, someone else will be.” —Ian Brennan
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” —Dr. Seuss
Uh... no. Being in love might be exciting, but it shouldn't cause insomnia.
“I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s going to rain, it will.” —Clint Eastwood
“Each day is a new beginning, the chance to do with it what should be done and not to be seen as simply another day to put in time.” –Catherine Pulsifer
“Many years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to never make New Year’s resolutions. Hell, it’s been the only resolution I’ve ever kept!”―D.S. Mixell
“Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.” —Sarah Ban Breathnach
“It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.” —Mandy Hale
“Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year.” —John R. Dallas Jr.
“Remove ‘shoulds’ from your vocabulary this year. Start your journey of self-love now.” —Kelly Martin
“We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.” —Hillary DePiano
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” —William E. Vaughan
“Don’t be scared if you don’t do things in the right order. I didn’t think I’d have dessert before breakfast today, but hey, it turned out that way and I wouldn’t change a thing.” —Mindy Kaling
“Don’t wait your turn. Bet on yourself and have the confidence to stand up and say, 'my time is now.'” —Robert F. Smith
“My best ideas come to me when I’m bored. I’d love to be bored more, but there just isn’t time.” —Sam Reich
“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” —Helen Keller
“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” —Vern McLellan
“On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world.” ―Akilnathan Logeswaran
“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” —Helen Keller
“We joyfully pray with grateful heart’s to welcome blessings in New Year.” ―Lailah Gifty Akita
“Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come.” —Melody Beattie
“Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” —Joanne Raptis
“With dawn of the new year on the horizon, I resolved to exert my will on the world.”―Holly Black
“The attraction of New Year is this: The year changes, and in that change we believe that we can change with it. It is far more difficult, however, to change yourself than turn the calendar to a new page.” ― R. Joseph Hoffmann
“Making New Year resolutions is one thing. Remaining resolute and seeing them through is quite another.” —Alex Morritt
“The book is called Opportunity, and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” —Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“It is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.” —Larry Page
“Happiness was always important to me, even at a young age. People would ask, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I’d tell them, ‘I just want to be happy.'” —Goldie Hawn
“Whenever it feels uncomfortable to tell the truth, that’s often the most important time to tell it.” —Jennifer Lopez
“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.” —Doug Larson
“If you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, fantastical things can happen.” —Sheryl Crow
“I’m deciding to be my own individual self, and it looks nothing like what anyone else is doing. There’s something so powerful about being unique.” —Alicia Keys
“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas.” —Charles Kettering
“There are more people doing good stuff and moving us forward than there are people sowing division. I surround myself with people who have faith.” —Maria Shriver
“I strive to be a skeptic, in the best sense of that word: I question everything, and yet I’m open to everything.” —Amy Tan
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” —Dan Millman
“When juggling as much as you are, remember that some balls are glass, and some are rubber. You can’t drop the glass balls.” —Nora Roberts
“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” —Germany Kent
“New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.” —Alex Morritt
“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul…” —Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” —Nido Qubein
“Life is about change, sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s beautiful, but most of the time it’s both.” —Kristin Kreuk
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” —Hal Borland
“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” ―Germany Kent
“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” —Melody Beattie
“The New Year is a painting not yet painted; a path not yet stepped on; a wing not yet taken off! Things haven’t happened as yet! Before the clock strikes twelve, remember that you are blessed with the ability to reshape your life!” ―Mehmet Murat ildan
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” —Benjamin Franklin
“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” —Paulo Coehlo
“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” —Anne Frank
“This year, be structured enough for success and achievement and flexible enough for creativity and fun.” —Taylor Duvall
“Cheers to a gracious New Year. May we uphold the fullness of God’s grace, goodness and goodwill.” ―Lailah Gifty Akita
“The priceless lesson in the New Year is that endings birth beginnings and beginnings birth endings. And in this elegantly choreographed dance of life, neither ever find an end in the other.”―Craig D. Lounsbrough
“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you.” —Eckhart Tolle
“This bright new year is given me to live each day with zest to daily grow and try to be my highest and my best!” —William Arthur Ward
“A year from now, you’re gonna weigh more or less than what you do right now.” —Phil McGraw
“Past and Present I know well; each is a friend and sometimes an enemy to me. But it is the quiet, beckoning Future, an absolute stranger, with whom I have fallen madly in love.” —Richelle E. Goodrich
“You can find inspiration in everything. If you can’t, then you’re not looking properly.” —Paul Smith
“It is your right to choose what you do and don’t do, to choose what you believe in and don’t believe in. It is your right to curate your life and your own perspective.” —Lady Gaga
“The ‘success’ parts of life look good to others, but the best parts are actually the simple, daily experiences. This is true whether you’re an actor or a teacher or a waitress. I know because I’ve been all three.” —Lauren Graham
“Life’s not about expecting, hoping, and wishing; it’s about doing, being, and becoming.” —Mike Dooley
“Some people feel confusion and uncertainty and do nothing. Don’t do nothing.” —Alex Dimitrov
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P. Morgan
“Approach the new year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.” —Michael Josephson
“Let our New Year’s resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.” —Göran Persson
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.” —Alfred Lord Tennyson
