5 Quotes to Remind You to Act With Urgency Time is of the essence in entrepreneurship -- take action fast and consistently.
By Adam Toren
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Operating with a sense of urgency is part of the entrepreneurial mantra. The tireless work ethic and willpower of successful entrepreneurs are often the key skills that determine their achievement and sets them apart.
Stamina can take you a long way in life. When you treat each day and every moment like it's urgent, your life tends to move in leaps vs. steps. However, there are times when even the most driven among us wants to give up, or at least, feels like they are slowing down.
Being an entrepreneur is tough work. It takes not just the physicality of long hours of work, but the mental fortitude to keep going through the slumps and tough times. When the going gets rough, just remember, you aren't alone.
Related: What Inspires Entrepreneurs to Work as Hard as They Do
Here are five inspiring quotes that emphasize time is truly of the essence to help motivate and inspire you to keep pushing full steam ahead.
1. Progressive improvement beats delayed perfection. -- Mark Twain
This quote from prolific, esteemed American author Mark Twain has a beautiful simplicity. Moving forward toward your vision in progressively improving increments will take you much further than waiting for the perfect moment to start trying.
Entrepreneurs know that every day counts. Sure, there will be days when you don't make the same headway as others, but the continued commitment on your part to push forward toward your goals will beat the hell out of waiting for the right time to get started. Now is all we have, so do what you can with what you have.
2. Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. -- Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn is perhaps one of the best motivational speakers the world has been blessed to have. His simple, witty words always cut to the heart of the matter. Operating with a sense of urgency will push your desires forward. Keep your intentions on the way forward and achieve.
3. I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Being willing is not enough. We must do. -- Leonardo da Vinci
From the artist that sketched out early plans for flying machines, drew the Vitruvian man and painted the Mona Lisa, da Vinci's life was a monument to his philosophy of doing.
Da Vinci couldn't know or research all the ways to paint a masterpiece, he had to put brush to canvas. What is perhaps the coolest thing about da Vinci is that he was an artist and a man of science.
In fact, he wasn't just an artist and a scientist, he had a staggering array of accomplishments as a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer (a map maker), botanist and a writer.
Next time you want to trick yourself into thinking you're too busy to move with urgency, think of the incredible achievements of those who stay motivated.
Related: Working on a Good Idea Beats Dreaming About a Perfect Idea
4. You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life. -- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Are you sensing a theme yet? You don't go from good to great overnight. It takes incremental, daily actions.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is a New York Times bestselling author and motivational speaker who shares insight on actions toward personal development.
You aren't going to sustain an ever-increasing growth curve if you don't treat each day like it matters. When you get lazy, when you postpone or procrastinate, those are all habits that take away your power as a person and as an effective entrepreneur.
Train yourself now to see each day as the important moment it is. You're amplifying your opportunities today and actively creating your better tomorrow. Cultivate an inner drive that makes each moment feel both special and urgent.
5. Everyone should have a sense of urgency -- it is getting a lot done in a short period of time in a calm, confident manner. -- Bob Proctor
Sometimes, when certain entrepreneurs talk about a sense of urgency, it can appear more like they're creating a sense of emergency. As an entrepreneur you'll need to keep your inner fire lit, but you'll also need the cultivated wisdom to discern urgency and what's important.
Urgency doesn't mean everything is an emergency and that's what's insightful about this quote from the great Bob Proctor. Urgency can be achieved with a sense of calm and purpose. Running around frantic doesn't mean you're being productive or accomplishing anything, you're mostly just stressing yourself out.
A true sense of urgency is a respect for time that says I'm going to do the best I can and the most I can, but I respect time enough to plan and pause when that's the best decision, too.
Urgency, more than anything else, is really a respect for the continuum of time, both now and down the road, that you're going to push ahead but do the best you can along the way. It's not about being sloppy, it is about staying motivated and driving yourself and you business ever onward.
