Jim Rohn was a major force in the personal development world. He taught us that being successful is a choice, and even further, he taught us how to achieve success. When he passed away in 2009, we continued to spread his remarkable philosophy―because it’s just that monumental.
No matter how tough the road to personal achievement gets, we will always have some guidance in the form of Rohn’s wisdom. Celebrate his life and legacy today with 70 of his most insightful quotes.
Jim Rohn Quotes On Success
- “Whether we are working to improve our health, wealth, personal achievement, or professional enterprise, the difference between triumphant success or bitter failure lies in the degree of our commitment to seek out, study and apply those half-dozen things.”
- “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”
- “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
- “Success is the continual unfolding of the design of our life and pulling it off. That’s what success is.”
- “The major key to your better future is you.”
- “The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives, it is called today.”
- “Discipline has within it the potential for creating future miracles.”
- “Take time to gather up the past so that you will be able to draw from your experiences and invest them in the future.”
- “Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.”
- “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.”
- “If there is one critical ingredient for your successful quest for both wealth and happiness, it is discipline.”
- “Start reading, and especially read the kinds of books that will help you unleash your inner potential.”
- “Your income rarely exceeds your level of personal development. Sometimes we get lucky, but it takes a person of character and discipline to be successful for a long time.”
- “Successful people have libraries. The rest have big screen TVs.”
- “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.”
- “You cannot succeed by yourself. It’s hard to find a rich hermit.“
- “Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.”
- “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future, it is something you design for the present.”
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Jim Rohn Quotes On Goals
- “The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them.”
- “The difference between a goal-directed individual and someone without goals is like the difference between a Wimbledon champion and a kid batting a tennis ball around on a court with no net, no opponent to bring out the best in him, and no way of keeping score.”
- “Goals are like a magnet. They pull, and the stronger they are, the more purposeful they are, the bigger they are, the more unique they are, the stronger they pull.”
- “We all need lots of powerful long-range goals to help us past the short-term obstacles.”
- “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
- “Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.”
- “We cannot move casually into a better future. We cannot casually pursue the goal we have set for ourselves. A goal that is casually pursued is not a goal; at best it is a wish, and wishes are little more than self-delusion.”
- “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.”
- “When you know what you want, and you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it.”
- “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
- “If you don’t sow, you don’t reap. You don’t even have a chance.”
- “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”
- “How long should you try? Until.”
- “For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward.”
- “We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value.”
- “The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.”
- “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
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Jim Rohn Quotes On Change
- “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”
- “I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.”
- “Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got.”
- “It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”
- “Character is a quality that embodies many important traits such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you are born with and can’t change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing.”
- “If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.”
- “Start from wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got.”
- “Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors.”
- “Without constant activity, the threats of life will soon overwhelm the values.”
- “You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.”
- “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”
- “You have two choices: You can make a living or you can design a life.”
- “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”
- “Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.”
- “Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.”
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Jim Rohn Quotes On Leadership
- “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.”
- “Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation. And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can.”
- “The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.”
- “Invest in yourself, invest in your own self-education and then take that knowledge and use it to help others get what they want and need out of life. In the process, you will acquire power and financial freedom.”
- “Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.”
- “Some people plant in the spring and leave in the summer. If you’re signed up for a season, see it through. You don’t have to stay forever, but at least stay until you see it through.”
- “What works is the fourth philosophy, which I like to call the philosophy of performance and productivity. With this philosophy, you do what is necessary to improve yourself and your capabilities. You learn to do more and be more.”
- “Don’t say, ‘If I could, I would.’ Say, ‘If I can, I will.’”
- “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”
- “Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book.”
- “Don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.”
- “The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized—never knowing.”
- “Don’t bring your need to the marketplace, bring your skill. If you don’t feel well, tell your doctor, but not the marketplace. If you need money, go to the bank, but not the marketplace.”
- “Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.”
- “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”
- “Things that I felt absolutely sure of but a few years ago, I do not believe now. This thought makes me see more clearly how foolish it would be to expect all men to agree with me.”
- “Labor gives birth to ideas.”
- “Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said.”
- “Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.”
- “Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.”
Jim Rohn FAQs
Who Is Jim Rohn?
Jim Rohn was a world-renowned business philosopher considered to be America’s foremost authority on success. His timeless knowledge and expertise in the fields of motivation and personal achievement are highly regarded by a global audience.
How Did Jim Rohn Make His Money?
Jim Rohn earned the majority of his money through hosting seminars, writing books and public speaking. His estimated total worth was approximately $500 million. Some of his most popular books include The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle, The Art of Exceptional Living and Twelve Pillars.
What Was Jim Rohn Best Known For?
Most people recognize Jim Rohn for his enduring philosophies on success as well as his many published works. He’s also known for receiving numerous industry awards including the National Speakers Association CPAE Award and the Master of Influence Award.
How Many Books Did Jim Rohn Write?
He wrote over 25 books and guides which include the aforementioned books as well as The Keys to Success, The Seasons of Life and Leading an Inspired Life.
How Did Jim Rohn Make His First Million?
Despite being best known for his books and philosophies on success, Jim Rohn earned his first million in revenue by working for Nutri-Bio, a food supplement company, under the direct mentorship of Rich Schnackenberg and Earl Shoaff.
This article originally appeared on JimRohn.com and has been republished with permission. Updated July 2024. Photo by fizkes/Shutterstock.com
