50 Inspiring Quotes for Unmotivated Freelancers

Are you a freelancer working from home?

Have you had enough of whatever it is you're working on?

I'm so over the whole inspirational quotes thing - but, hear me out: I've compiled a list of realistic, inspirational, and funny quotes all related to the freelance lifestyle.

Why should your read quotes? Well, it's a good way to pass the time, but more importantly, you can see what others are saying about this type of work and gain some new insight or perspectives.

Inspiration and motivation kind of go hand in hand.

I've previously posted 20 funny quotes about life as a freelancer but for this post, I'm focusing on serious, inspiring, and unique quotes you won't find boring.

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. The Recluse Hub is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commission from qualifying purchases.

50 best quotes for freelancers

1. Freelance isn't for everyone - you've got to be aggressive and enjoy working alone. But you could make more money than you ever imagined. - Nicole Williams

2. The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps. - Robert Benchley

3. I'm pretty freelance. A freelance meditator. I float from one thing to the other. - Alex Ebert

4. Freelancing is tough. It can be very difficult, in fact. It can wear people down, making them lose sight of what they used to love because they have to do everything else just to get by. - Mason Hipp

5. No matter how much experience you have, how many degrees you have, or how well known you have become — there is always something new to learn. Don’t rest on your past experiences. If you do nothing to improve your skills, you won’t stay where you are. - Laura Spencer

6. If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. - Jim Rohn

7. Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. – Pele

8. We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. – Arianna Huffington

9. I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself. – Wayne W. Dyer

10. Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window. ― William Faulkner

11. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. – Fred DeVito

12. Flowers grow back even after the harshest winters. You will too. – Jennae Cecilia

13. Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. – Bill Gates

14. Freelancing can be hard and also unpredictable: you must find customers, convince them to hire you, make sure to deliver a product that is of the required standards and, potentially, keep the customer for a long time. - (freelancingjournal.com)

15. I don't just wake up and write. I like being forced to make decisions on the spot. I think that's why I've done so many things as a freelancer. — Njena Reddd Foxxx

16. The key to success is to start before you are ready. – Marie Forleo

17. Freelancing is supposed to offer flexibility but it doesn't always give you that. Don't stress about it so much - work at your own pace and negotiate your time with clients. (thereclusehub.com)

18. You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined. –Unknown

19. Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. – Mary Kay Ash

20. If we have the attitude that it’s going to be a great day it usually is. – Catherine Pulsifier

21. I didn’t get there by wishing for it, but by working for it. – Estee Lauder

22. The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine. – Mike Murdock

23. Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want. – Ken Poirot

24. Motivation may be what starts you off, but it’s a habit that keeps you going back for more. – Miya Yamanouchi

25. Don’t stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done. – Unknown

26. When I win and when I lose, I take ownership of it, because I really am in charge of what I do. – Nicki Minaj

27. Do something today that your future self will thank you for. –Unknown

28. Being self-employed means you work 12 hours a day for yourself so you don't have to work 8 hours a day for someone else. ― Oliver Markus Malloy

29. Home-work grew-up and became work-from-home. ― Vikrmn

30. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. - Helen Keller

31. Most people who work for themselves have achieved work-life imbalance.― Mokokoma Mokhonoana (& you know what? it's ok to lose balance sometimes - you just need a new strategy)

32. Right state of mind is an extremely important trigger to support, sustain and scale-up remote work or WFH. ― Dax Bamania

33. I didn’t learn to be quiet when I had an opinion. The reason they knew who I was is because I told them. – Ursula Burns

34. At the end of the day we can endure much more than we think we can. – Frida Kahlo

35. Blogging is harder than it seems and very time-consuming but it's a great way to ease yourself into working from home. (thereclusehub.com)

36. Making things better requires that you understand how people feel in response to what you do. ― Betty Johnson

37. If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. – Katharine Hepburn

38. Empathy greases the wheels of productivity. - Betty Johnson

39. Focus on being productive instead of busy. - Tim Ferriss

40. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. - Dale Carnegie

41. Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. - Stephen King

42. Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. – Maya Angelou

43. Efficiency is doing better what is already being done. - Peter Drucker

44. Either you run the day, or the day runs you. – Jim Rohn

45. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. - Stephen Covey

46. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. - Stephen Hawking (I'm not sure I agree on this but it depends on what we consider "work")

47. Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. ― Jen Sincero

48. You’re already a financial trader. You might not think of it in just this way, but if you work for a living, you’re trading your time for money. Frankly, it’s just about the worst trade you can make. Why? You can always get more money, but you can’t get more time. – Tony Robbins

49. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. - Tony Robbins

50. A good reputation is more valuable than money - Publilius Syrus

To end on a high note, just think about what your reputation means to you as a freelancer. It's true that if your clients like your work, you'll earn more and get referred for more work. So, instead of doing a lot of work for bad clients, focus on doing excellent work for the types of clients who appreciate and pay a fair price for your work.