Sometimes life can get tough, but these inspiring challenge quotes are sure to motivate you through the hard times. If one of these quotes inspired you, share it with us in the comments below.

All of us will face challenges in our lives.

If someone lives such a charmed life that they never have to face adversity, they should consider themselves an exceptional unicorn.

Challenges show themselves in many ways.

The way you face a challenge says a great deal about you.

While some people struggle to overcome challenges, others seem to meet them with confidence.

Facing challenges head-on can bring a sense of satisfaction and can be very fulfilling.

If you are someone who has a tendency to shy away from hardship, perhaps you can gain some motivation and perspective from these inspirational challenge quotes.

Also, check out our selection of quotes about being strong.

Challenge quotes about life, love and work

1. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein

2. “ Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. “The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he’s dead.” – Bette Davis

4. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

5. “Only those who confront unusual challenges can flaunt unusual success.”― Vincent Okay Nwachukwu

6. “I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.” – Nadia Comaneci

7. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese proverb

8. “You see a mousetrap; I see free cheese and a fucking challenge!” – Scroobius Pip

9. “There is a tendency at every important but difficult crossroad to pretend that it’s not really there.” – Bill McKibben

Challenge quotes to inspire you to better accept and meet your hardships

10. “Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of survival quotes to motivate you to keep going.

11. “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” – Paulo Coelho

12. “Hope and change are hard-fought things.” – Michelle Obama

13. “Remember, rainbows have never been attracted to cloudless days. They only follow the storms.”― Richelle E. Goodrich

14. “Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.” – Amelia Earhart

15. “It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.” – Abigail Adams

16. “I like the challenge of trying different things and wondering whether it’s going to work or whether I’m going to fall flat on my face.” – Johnny Depp

17. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” – John F. Kennedy

Don’t forget to also read these resilience quotes and sayings that will inspire your next comeback.

Challenges Quotes To Tell Yourself

18. “To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.” – Gail Sheehy

19. “To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up.” – Dalai Lama

20. “Embracing each challenge can turn it into a privilege.”― Tonmoy Acharjee

21. “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.” – Margaret Thatcher
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Margaret Thatcher quotes about strong will and leadership.

22. “If you compared your troubles, or challenges, with those of others, you would surely find that there are those whose troubles make yours look like minor inconveniences.” – Catherine Pulsifer

23. “Challenges contain the seeds of our glory.”― Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel

24. “Understand that it is ok to be scared or uncertain, however right beyond those barriers ultimately lies your dreams.” – Josh Hinds

25. “By cultivating gratitude you eventually expand your internal sense of what is possible, regardless of seeming obstacles and challenges you go through.” – Veronica Smith, Loving Yourself

26. “A life filled with vicissitudes, uncertainty, and hard lessons provides us with skills to better approach new challenges that come along.” – Vivian Eisenecher, Recovering Me, Discovering Joy

27. “We must allow ourselves to be adorned by lessons derived through hardships and challenges.” – Tony Narams, Top Secret: You Can Fly Like An Eagle

Don’t forget to also check out these depression quotes on mental health to help you feel understood.

More challenge quotes about life and work

28. “It isn’t the challenge that defines you. It’s what you do with it.”― Sharon Pearson

29. “Part of the challenge that comes with striving for success is how the entire journey comes with its own fair share of failures and disappointments.” – Rupert Johnson, Build for Success

30. “I have also worked with leaders who have a positive outlook, and the morale is so different. Even when faced with challenges, the people looked for solutions.” – Byron and Catherine Pulsifer

31. “Expect obstacles and face them head-on. They are going to come up, so the way you handle them is what makes all the difference.” – Lance Dale, A Shot of Positivity: Overcoming Obstacles

32. “Challenges are an opportunity to test you and rise to the next level.” – Angelica Montrose, 7 Steps To Getting A Promotion

33. “Until you dare to take on new challenges you wouldn’t discover your full potential.”― Bernard Kelvin Clive

34. “A comfort zone is the most dangerous area anyone can stay in. It is a place of no growth and no challenges.” – Brian Cagney, Fear: The 7 Laws Of Fear

35. “Smiling is a wonderful way to get a boost of happiness. The next time life presents you with a challenging situation, take a deep breath and smile.” – Morris Pratt, The Secret of Positive Thinking

36. “Life is not merciful; it throws a challenge at you when you are least prepared.”― Dr. Prem Jagyasi

You might also like these second chances quotes and sayings that will inspire you to take life by the horns

More Beautiful Challenge Quotes

37. “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” – Molière

38. “The opportunity to develop resilience comes through difficult circumstances that both highlight and challenge existing mindsets.” – Devra Davis, Through Grief and Beyond: What We Don’t Get Told

39. “What we choose to do on a daily basis prepares us for the greater things God has in store; those faith challenges that will take us into our promised land.” –  Lisa Cook, 30 Days of Strength for a Woman’s Heart

40. “But that’s the challenge – to change the system more than it changes you.” – Michael Pollan

41. “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” – T.S. Eliot

42. “Face your challenges head-on rather than surrendering your dreams to fear.”― Frank Sonnenberg

Don’t forget to also read our collection of quotes about losing a loved one to help you express the feelings behind loss.

43. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

44. “Always, always break through the challenges.”― Prof. Salam Al Shereida

45. “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson Reagon

46. “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” – Helen Keller

47. “A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.” – Ray Davis

Challenge quotes to remind you of your strength

48. Being Challenged In Life Is Inevitable, Being Defeated Is Optional. – Roger Crawford

49. Success Is Due To Our Stretching To The Challenges Of Life. Failure Comes When We Shrink From Them. – John C. Maxwell

50. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of Viktor Frankl quotes on life, suffering and success.

51. No dream is too big. No challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach. – Donald Trump

52. “When you see an obstacle approaching, grab your courage and speed up.” – Angela Lynne Craig

53. “I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” – George Burns

54. “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” ― Seneca

55. “Happiness is not the absence of problems; it’s the ability to deal with them.” ― Steve Maraboli

56. “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges that ordinary people rise to meet.” – William Frederick Halsey, Jr.

57. “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” – Nelson Mandela

58. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn

59. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

60. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”– Vince Lombardi

If you’re enjoying this article, make sure to also check out our collection of superhero quotes to inspire the best version of you.

Inspiring challenge quotes to give you strength

61. “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” – George S. Patton

62. “Your character is formed by the challenges you face and overcome.” – Nick Vujicic

63. “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert H. Schuller

64. “Learn from the stories of people who faced challenges you haven’t yet experienced.” – Joanna Barsh

65. “Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew.” – Cicely Tyson

You might also like these Remember the Titans quotes from the inspiring movie.

66. “Expect obstacles and face them head-on. They are going to come up so the way you handle them is what makes all the difference.” – Lance Dale

67. “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” – Arnold Palmer

68. “Real difficulties can be overcome; it is the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.” – Theodore Newton Vail

69. “To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like.” – Mike Kafka

70. “It’s too easy to walk away quitter never wins so you should better stay look challenges straight in the eye.” – Z. Vujcic

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of walk away quotes to help you find the motivation and courage you need to change your life.

Other inspirational challenge quotes

71. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou

72. “Just be prepared for a long and often uncertain journey. The good stuff doesn’t come easy.” – Tim Westergren

73. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” – J. M. Barrie

74. “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” – Stephanie Bennett-Henry

75. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

76. “Much of life isn’t fair. It’s how you live that matters. It’s how you deal with the bumps in the road.” – Maya Banks

You might also like these pain quotes will help you channel your warrior within.

77. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock

78. “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

79. “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” – Tony Robbins

80. “Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker

If you’re enjoying this article, you might also like these domestic violence quotes for support and strength.

More challenge quotes and sayings

81. “Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.” – Roy T. Bennett

82. “The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph but whether he can overcome obstacles.” – Garth Stein

83. “Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

84. “Go make your mark on the world. Be a world changer! Live bold for Christ no matter the cost.” – Crystal Woodman Miller

85. “Some fish love to swim upstream. Some people love to overcome challenges.” – Amit Ray

86. “You have come a long way and have won many battles. Whenever you’re faced with a difficult or challenging situation, you’ll overcome it. Yes, you can.” – Roy T. Bennett

87. “Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it.” – Amit Ray

88. “Be a bit of a challenge; not because you’re playing games but because you realize you’re worth the extra effort.” – Mandy Hale

89. “The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” – Benedict Cumberbatch

90. “Comfort is your biggest trap and coming out of comfort zone your biggest challenge.” – Manoj Arora

Don’t forget to also read out the handpicked collection of Monday motivation quotes to start your week off on the right track.

Challenge quotes to help you during this difficult time

91. “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant

92. “Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky.” — Sonia Gandhi

93. “Even when life challenges us, it’s a gift beyond all measure.” — Parker Palmer

94. “We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.” — Tim Berners-Lee

95. “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.” — Muhammad Ali

96. “Challenge is the pathway to engagement and progress in our lives.” — Brendon Burchard

97. “Sometimes the hurdles aren’t really hurdles at all. They’re welcome challenges, tests.” — Paul Walker

98. “Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got to keep going.” — Chantal Sutherland

99. “You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.” — Michelle Obama

100. “No matter what kind of challenges or difficulties or painful situations you go through in your life, we all have something deep within us that we can reach down and find the inner strength to get through them.” — Alana Stewart

Challenge quotes to help you overcome obstacles

101. “It was the hardest time of my life, but the best part of my journey.”― Ellen DeGeneres

102. “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” — Barack Obama

103. “Hard times don’t come to break you. They come to prepare you.”― Garima Soni

104. “Life’s greatest challenge comes from within.”― J.R. Rim

105. “Don’t just visualize success at the end. Visualize the process. Don’t just picture yourself winning. Picture the steps it takes to get there.” — Dean Bokhari

106. “Don’t be afraid to do something you’re not qualified to do.” — Dan Carlin

107. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin

108. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso

109. “Accept the presence of thorns, but let the rose inspire you.” — Steve Pavlina

110. “Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.” – Horace

Embrace the challenge quotes

111. “If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” – Pat Riley

112. “I enjoy competition. I enjoy challenges. If a challenge is in front of me and it appeals to me, I will go ahead and conquer it.” – Conor McGregor

113. “We all have challenges. We have to face them, embrace them, defy them, and conquer them.” – Victoria Arlen

114. “Hard times are like each of the four seasons which comes around and goes away.” ― Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu

115. “Meeting challenges in our lives define our character.”― Cecilia Kaelin

116. “The most challenging times bring us the most empowering lessons.” – Karen Salmansohn

117. “Challenges in life always seek leaders and leaders seek challenges.” – Wayde Goodall

118. “The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”― Evan Winter

119. “Confidence confers on you the courage to conquer challenges.” – Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

120. “If there’s no challenge in your life, then there’s no enjoyment in your life.”― David Tian Ph.D

Challenge quotes from song lyrics about overcoming obstacles

121. “What only makes us stronger is overcoming the challenges—of damages inflicted.” — Dj Nate, Africa

122. “The challenge keeps me going. Overcoming gives meaning. We shall live to the fullest. We won’t be the victims.” — All For Nothing, Under a Different Sun

123. “You held me down, but I got up. Already brushing off the dust. You hear my voice, you hear that sound—like thunder, gonna shake the ground.” — Katy Perry, Roar

124. “You can overcome the enemy, yes you can. You can say that I’m a winner, yes I am. You can overcome poverty—overcome sickness.” — Jekalyn Carr, Overcomers

125. “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be a uphill battle—Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose.” — Miley Cyrus, The Climb

126. “The fear that you feel, it is a struggle with yourself. Do not count on others.  Begin to realize your actions. The way to victory is through overcoming—overcoming yourself.” — The Jackals, Devisee

127. “I will not let you affect my life. I’m tired of living in your ways. I will stand tall and stay tall. But I will take this challenge and make something of myself.” — Onward to Olympas, This World is Not My Home

128. “It’s a long road, when you face the world alone; No one reaches out a hand for you to hold… You can find love if you search within yourself and then the emptiness you felt will disappear.” — Mariah Carey, Hero

129. “We focus on our goals, ignoring competition. Overcoming obstacles from every angle and position. Armed to the teeth, our words the ammunition. We execute the mission with articulate precision.” — The Reminders, If You Didn’t Know

130. “You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I’m made of glass. Like I’m made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down. I will be rising from the ground—like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper.” — Demi Lovato, Skyscraper

Thought-provoking challenge quotes for tough times

131. “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington

132. “Every adversity brings new experiences and new lessons.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

133. “Going through challenging things can teach you a lot, and they also make you appreciate the times that aren’t so challenging.” – Carrie Fisher

134. “There have been some hard times, people around me supported me.” – Laure Manaudou

135. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

136. “People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

137. “Difficult times will come. It’s a fact of life, isn’t it? There are good times and bad times in everybody’s life.” – Raj Kosaraju

138. “I say find one true friend to help you get through the tough times.” – Kelly Osbourne

139. “You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.” – Robin Williams

140. “It’s easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Challenge Quotes To Give You Hope

141. “Challenge is what forces evolution to happen, and with these challenges there is change. Change is an inevitable necessity for growth.” — Lily Sanders

142. “Courage comes while we are facing challenges and because we are facing challenges! Courage takes our hand as we step up.” — C. Cooper

143. “Just because you know where you want to end up doesn’t mean you will not be faced with obstacles, or challenges along the way. Instant success rarely happens.” — Catherine Pulsifer

144. “Remember all the challenges that you have overcome in the past and take pride in your success. You are a fighter and you know it. This will give you more faith that you can handle whatever is yet to come.” — Ashley Rosebloom

145. “The momentary challenges, the delays, the minor frustrations of this day will yield great benefit in the future, if only we learn to remain strong and peaceful through them.” — Joshua DuBois

146. “Life is full of challenges but it is how you interpret and use challenges to better yourself, to view challenges as opportunities for personal and professional growth, and to utilize your learning experiences to assist others to accomplish more, and to lead a much richer and wholesome life.” — Byron Pulsifer

147. “There isn’t a person on this planet that hasn’t experienced a few bumps along the way to achieving the level of success that they desire.” — Lisa Marie Stringer

148. “Perseverance is the ability to keep going in the face of continuous challenges. It is the ability to disregard distractions and to stay focused.” — Catherine Pulsifer

149. “Regardless of the challenges you face, you have within you what it takes to get through any challenge.” — Kelly Stone

150. “You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned: through overcoming challenges come growth and strength.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Did these challenge quotes help?

The most successful people in the world have faced some of the most significant challenges. But they have persevered and become achievers because of the way they handle adversity.

They have learned from their failures. They know not to fear a challenge, but to embrace it as a chance to grow and improve continually.

As they say, it is not how many times you fall down; it is how many times you get back up. Hopefully, these challenge quotes have inspired you to better accept and meet your challenges, whatever they may be.

Did you enjoy these challenge quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below.