50 inspirational quotes to celebrate the start of the New Year

New Year. New beginnings. New resolutions. As you big a whole new year, be grateful for what you have achieved and set new goals for yet another year. Every year, people set resolutions but very few follow through with them. This year, remember to set realistic long-term, short-term goals that you can easily follow without taking a step back.

Continue to follow your dreams and ambitions, discover new things and meet new people. Here are some inspirational quotes that will help you along the way.

“No one can ever take your memories from you – each day is a new beginning, make good memories every day.” – Catherine Pulsifer, Author

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” — C. JoyBell C., Author and Poet

“I discovered that a fresh start is a process. A fresh start is a journey – a journey that requires a plan.” – Vivian Jokotade, International Visual Artist, Creative Entrepreneur, and Speaker

“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.” — Mandy Hale, Blogger and Author 

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King

“Begin today. Declare out loud to the universe that you are willing to let go of struggle and eager to learn through joy.” –Sarah Ban Breathnach, Author, Philanthropist and Public Speaker 

“Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.” – Marsha Petrie Sue, Author, Motivational Speaker and Public Speaker 

“Every day is a fresh beginning, Every morn is the world made new.” – Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, Children’s Author

“Perhaps that is where our choice lies — in determining how we will meet the inevitable end of things, and how we will greet each new beginning.” ― Elana K. Arnold, Children and Young Adult Author

“It turned out that sometimes it’s enough to start doing things differently now.” ― Laini Taylor, Author 

“Sometimes we can only find our true direction when we let the wind of change carry us” ― Mimi Novic, Motivational Speaker and Author 

“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” —Mary Pickford, Actress and Producer 

“The beginning is always today.” - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Novelist

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched." - Ellen Goodman, Journalist and Columnist

"Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties." - Helen Keller, Author, Activist and Lecturer

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt, former US First Lady, Diplomat and Activist 

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet.” - Anne Frank, Author

“When you are trying to motivate yourself, appreciate the fact that you are even thinking about making a change. And as you move forward, allow yourself to be good enough.”  - Alice Domar, Executive Director of Domar Center for Mind/Body Health

“Today is the first day of the rest of it. Of course there will be other first days, but none exactly like this.” - Ysra Daley Ward, Writer, Model and Actor

“Life is about the choices we make, the moments we don’t see coming and the strength to do what’s best for ourselves despite how much it may hurt.” - Samantha King, Performer and Songwriter

“The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better.” - Barbara Pletcher, Author 

“I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect and beautiful journey of my life.” - Kerry Washington, Actress

“The whole sky is yours/ to write on, blown open/ to a blank page.” - Rita Dove, Poet and Essayist

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope, running down it’s hallways, touching the walls on both sides.” - Barbara Kingsolver, Novelist, Essayist and Poet

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.” - Dr. Maya Angelou, Poet and Civils Rights Activist 

“Why you? Because there’s no one better. Why now? Because tomorrow isn’t soon enough.” - Donna Brazile, Political Strategist and Author 

“I think we’d like life to be a train, but it turns out to be a sailboat.” - Barbara Brown Taylor, Episcopal Priest, Author and Professor

“I have gone ahead, despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back.” - Erica Jong, Novelist, Satirist and Poet

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." - Karen Kaiser Clark, educator, lecturer and author 

“Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come.” - Melody Beattie, Writer 

“You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind.” ―Hillary DePiano, Author 

“Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” —Joanne Raptis, Illustrator

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” —Shauna Niequist, Author

“A New Year has tiptoed in. Let’s go forward to meet it.”―Anusha Atukorala, Author 

Whatever has happened in the past year, the New Year brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future.” ―Peggy Toney Horton, Author

“With dawn of the new year on the horizon, I resolved to exert my will on the world.”―Holly Black, Writer and Editor

“Remove ‘shoulds’ from your vocabulary this year. Start your journey of self-love now.” —Kelly Martin, Actress

“I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.” - Louisa May-Alcott, Author

“Dear world I am excited to be alive in you, and I am thankful for another year.” - Charlotte Eriksson, Writer 

“We can change our lives. We can do, have and be exactly what we wish.” - Unknown

“Look for a way to lift someone up. And if that’s all you do, that’s enough.” - Elizabeth Lesser, Co-Founder, Omega Institute 

“A New Year brings new grace for new accomplishments.” - Lailah Gifty Akita, Founder, Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

“But there’s a beginning in an end, you know? It’s true that you can’t reclaim what you had, but you can lock it up behind you. Start fresh.” – Alexandra Bracken, Writer 

“I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.”– Helen Fielding, Writer

(Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan)

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