45 Lazy People Quotes to Motivate Hard Work

We all enjoy a lazy day now and then. To kick back, release the pressure, and do absolutely nothing.

It’s good to unwind. To find that comfy spot on the sofa and indulge in a little ‘You’ time.

Some people, however, take this to an extreme. Laziness becomes a full-time pursuit. And the avoidance of any hard work, their clear goal.

In some ways, it sounds idyllic. But for most people, it’s just not enough.

For them, the idea of a better, brighter future is all the motivation needed to push through the lazy spells. And these lazy people quotes show exactly why.

Is Being Lazy All That Bad?

A summer break is the perfect time to sit back and relax. To do as little as possible and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

But it can’t last forever. At some point, the holiday bags have to be unpacked. The early morning alarm reset. And the motivation found to get on.

And that’s where it can get tough. You have to dig deep and remind yourself that nothing good ever came from laying around and wasting the days away.

Nothing ever grew from excuses. From a lazy attitude, or a can’t-be-bothered outlook on life.

To get where you want to be, you have to work hard. You have to make sacrifices and push yourself when you’d really rather not. You have to get up early, knowing that it’s cold and miserable outside. Or work late, when you’d planned a night off to do nothing.

Because your goals and dreams won’t just be handed to you on a plate. They won’t be granted because you asked nicely. Or given to you out of pity.

Life just doesn’t work like that.

You can, however, choose to work hard. You can choose to put your time and energy into what’s really important, whether that’s your work, your relationships, or your personal goals. And make that your number one priority.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t take breaks and unwind. But keeping those lazy days to a now and then will put you on the right path to achieving those life-long ambitions.

Now, let’s take a look at these lazy people quotes, as they reinforce the importance of hard work and motivation.

45 Lazy People Quotes to Motivate Hard Work

1. “Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.” – Jules Renard
2. “Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.” – Anne Frank
3. “Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy.” – Tchaikovsky
4. “You don’t get lucky while sitting in the sofa with arms crossed doing nothing. You can be lucky only when you are prepared.” – Nesta Jojoe Erskine
5. “Stay away from lazy parasites, who perch on you just to satisfy their needs, they do not come to alleviate your burdens, hence, their mission is to distract, detract and extract, and make you live in abject poverty.” – Michael Bassey Johnson

Stay away from lazy parasites, who perch on you just to satisfy their needs, they do not come to alleviate your burdens, hence, their mission is to distract, detract and extract, and make you live in abject poverty.” – Michael Bassey Johnson

6. “Laziness is a secret ingredient that goes into failure. But it’s only kept a secret from the person who fails.” – Robert Half
7. “Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes it.” – Benjamin Franklin
8. “You make name for yourself when you overcome pain, weakness, laziness and ignorance.” – Sunday Adelaja
9. “The lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master.” – Khalil Gibran
10. “Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.” – Jimmy Lyons
11. “Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it.” – Lord Chesterfield
12. “Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do.” – Elbert Hubbard
13. “Laziness is the mother of all evils.” – Sophocles

14. “Work is not a shame. Laziness is a shame.” – Hesiod
15. “You are only as lazy or lacking in willpower as you think you are.” – Ken Christian
16. “The lazy man claims he is too heavy for light work and too light for heavy work.” – Evan Esar
17. “Lazy people tend not to take chances, but express themselves by tearing down other’s work.” – Ann Rule
18. “Doing nothing is very hard to do… you never know when you’re finished.” – Leslie Nielsen
19. “Time is a created thing. To say, ‘I don’t have time,’ is to say, ‘I don’t want to.’” – Lao Tzu
20. “Failure is not our only punishment for laziness, there is also the success of others.” – Jules Renard

Failure is not our only punishment for laziness, there is also the success of others.” – Jules Renard

21. “A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends.” – Cyril Connolly
22. “The pursuit of greatness means that laziness has no place in your life.” – Pat Conroy
23. “Laziness will stop your progress in your spiritual practice.” – Renuka Singh
24. “Time is a created thing. To say, ‘I don’t have time,’ is to say, ‘I don’t want to.’” – Lao Tzu
25. “Fanatic is often the name given to people of action by people who are lazy.” – Bryant H. McGill
26. “Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choice you’ve made and start making new choices to change your life.” – Roy T. Bennett
27. “The only time a lazy man ever succeeds is when he tries to do nothing.” – Evan Esar

28. “The trouble with the world is that laziness is seldom curable and never fatal.” – Evan Esar
29. “I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.” – Denzel Washington
30. “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso
31. “Laziness in my biggest pet peeve of all time. Get up, make a plan, do the work, and love yourself, people!” – Dove Cameron
32. “If we don’t start today, it will be too late for tomorrow.” – Anthony T.Hincks
33. “The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, productivity. You can be, too.” – Norman Vincent Peale
34. “We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” – Nelson Mandela
35. “Laziness isn't merely a physical phenomenon, about being a couch potato, stuffing your face with fries and watching cricket all day. It's a mental thing, too, and that's the part I have never aspired for.” – Shah Rukh Khan

Laziness isn't merely a physical phenomenon, about being a couch potato, stuffing your face with fries and watching cricket all day. It's a mental thing, too, and that's the part I have never aspired for.” – Shah Rukh Khan

36. “Hard work – I mean, does anybody use that term anymore? Laziness doesn't fly. It's all in the practice. It does take work and it ain't easy – but man, the rewards!” – Susan Powter
37. “You can have the results you want, or you can have excuses. You can’t have both.” – Clyde Lee Dennis
38. “Run away from laziness; work hard. Touch intuition and listen to the heart, not marketing directors. Dream.” – Alber Elbaz
39. “We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” – Thomas A. Edison
40. “Curiosity, rationalization, and laziness are no match against courage, self-control, and mental toughness.” – John Bytheway
41. “Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence.” – James Cash Penney

42. “If you are going to quit anything, quit being lazy, quit making excuses and quit waiting for the right time.” – Unknown
43. “It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty while virtue gets all the credit.” – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
44. “When we hold back out of laziness, that is when we tie ourselves into knots of boredom.” – Walter Annenberg
45. “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln

Final Thoughts on Being Motivated to Work Hard

If you want to reach those big ambitions, you have to work hard. There’s no getting around it. No shortcuts or free passes.

But we all know that staying motivated can be a struggle.

That’s why it’s important to look for inspiration, be it from friends, colleagues, or quotes, to help you get through the tough times.

Dig deep. You know what you want out of life. And with a lot of hard work, you’ll get there.

For more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 65 Fearless Quotes to Find Your Hidden Courage
• 51 Inspirational Breathe Quotes to Help Find Your Center
• 45 Mental Abuse Quotes to Deal with Your Emotional Trauma

Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.