If you are looking to obtain success either in your personal or professional life, there is no better place to look to for inspiration than athletes. Whether you are training for your own personal health and wellness needs or if you are looking for some extra motivation at work, then looking to some of the most motivational quotes for athletes can give you that extra boost you need to dig deep, work hard and find the success you have been looking for. Here are three of the most motivational quotes for athletes by athletes that can make a difference in your life.

“If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.”- Herschel Walker

Training and working hard is important no matter what field you may be in. Having that competitive nature is important, but it is even more important to put in the hard work and effort to back up that competitive drive. The above quote was made famous by retired professional football player Herschel Walker. He was known for his hard work, drive and his competitiveness, so much so that he was a three-time All-American in college, won the 1982 Heisman Trophy and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His messages on working and training hard are not only applicable to those who play competitive sports like football, but they can also apply to any person working in virtually any position. The message is all about the work you put in.

“I don’t celebrate because I’m only doing my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?”- Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli’s quote on humility has a message that you won’t find from many athletes. While many of today’s athletes focus on over-the-top TV-worthy celebrations for whenever they score or make a big play, Balotelli takes a different approach. There is a great deal to be learned from this quote about hard work, humility and keeping to yourself. As Balotelli puts it, he has a job to do, and that’s what his focus is. This is something that any person can use to apply to their lives. You should work hard, do your job, accomplish what is expected of you and then stay focused on the next task ahead of you. Getting caught up in celebrating and rewarding yourself can only get you off-track and distract you from your larger overall mission.

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.”- Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice is one of the most famous names in professional football. The wide receiver played 20 seasons in the NFL and is considered to be one of the greatest in the game’s history. In fact, NFL Network named him as the greatest player in the history of the NFL. He is still the all-time leader in receptions, touchdown receptions and yards and was in the Pro Bowl 13 different times. His quote is all about going the extra mile and doing what others aren’t willing to do not only for your own benefit, but to inspire others as well. His goal was to accomplish what others couldn’t, and he more than did that with his numerous records and accolades within the league. While his quote was specifically applicable to football, his message for fans and others is timeless and can be applied to a variety of industries and situations.

Keep these inspiring quotes from some of the world’s best athletes in mind next time you need some extra strength to power you through your personal or professional endeavors. The right quotes and the right words of inspiration can not only motivate other athletes but they can also motivate others to do their best. This is because some of today’s most successful athletes know that whether you are talking about physical endeavors or business endeavors, success can all come down to a few key characteristics and the right attitude.

What All Successful Athletes Have in Common

All three of the athletes listed above have something in common, besides being features on this post. All of these athletes are extremely successful. No matter how you want to specifically measure success, these athletes have found it. These words of wisdom can go a long way in helping any individual find their own measure of success, but so can learning about what makes so many athletes so successful.

The first and most obvious thing that these athletes have in common is physical skill and a certain amount of physical success. However, what really sets them apart from others who may have the same natural physical talents is their mindset. In fact, mental strength is the number one thing that most successful athletes have in common.

Persistence

While different successful athletes tend to all have different personalities, one of the big things that binds them together is persistence. In order to make it to the professional level in any sports, you must have persistence. This means persisting through the hard work each and every day as well as persisting through the hurdles, challenges and naysayers.

Whether they are facing an injury or overcoming many who think they won’t “make it” if you look at any professional athlete, they will have persistence. This is a great trait for athletes and a great trait for any professional in any sphere who wants to find their own individual level of success. You can be motivated by these inspirational quotes, but if you also have persistence you can harness the power you need to push through and find success.

Humility

The defining characteristic of humility is to having a mindset that keeps you hungry to keep improving. The most successful professional athletes may seem like they are on the top of the world, but chances are they are actually very humble on the inside. They do not overestimate their abilities and they know that no matter how good they may seem on paper, that there is always room for improvement, the know that they can always get better.

This is a great trait for any individual to have, no matter what field they may be in because it can remind you and motivate you to always do more and do better, no matter how much you have achieved. You should never get to a point where you think you can’t get better. This is not the attitude that successful athletes have and it isn’t the attitude that successful individuals should have either.

Focus

Being a successful athlete means having the focus in order to keep your eye on the prize and to not get distracted by outside influences. It can be easy to get distracted by fame or parties or just wanting to relax and not work so hard, but successful athletes know they have to stay focused.

This is a very important trait for any successful individual or entrepreneur to have. If you want to be the best of the best at what you do, then you need to have focus and you can’t get distracted. This may mean giving up some weekends and working hard while your friends are out having fun, but it can be all of the difference in the world when it comes to the amount of success that you have and the amount of success that they have, and ultimately it all comes down to focus.

If you want to be successful in today’s world then looking at some of the most successful athletes in history can be a great place to start. These individuals have not only delivered some of the most inspirational quotes of all time, but they also have some very important key traits in common that make them so inspirational to so many people today.