We’ve all heard the quote, “Work hard, play hard,” but what does that really mean, and why is it important?
Telling ourselves to work hard so that we can play hard is a way for us to know that there’s a reward coming after all of the hard work has been put in. After all, with no reward, why are we doing what we’re doing?
You may be a team leader, or you may be your own boss. No matter what role you play, you can find motivation in these motivational ‘work hard, play yard’ quotes that will get you going.
43 Motivational Work Hard Play Harder Quotes
- “The goal is not simply to ‘work hard, play hard.’ The goal is to make our work and our play indistinguishable.” – Simon Sinek
- “I cannot face with comfort the idea of life without work; work and the free play of the imagination are for me the same thing, I take no pleasure in anything else.” – Sigmund Freud
- “I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true–hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.” – Ray Bradbury
- “When you play, play hard. When you work, don’t play at all.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Study hard. Work hard. Play harder. Don’t be bound by rules. Don’t hurt anybody and never ever live somebody else’s dream.” – Shah Rukh Khan
- “I work hard, and I tend to play hard. I very seldom rest hard.” – Jacqueline Bisset
- “Practice hard, train hard, work hard, and play harder.” – Alcurtis Turner
- “Work hard, play hard, dream big, love loads, laugh as much as you can, and give back.” – Deirdre O’Kane
- “By working hard, you get to play hard guilt-free.” Jim Rohn
- “Somebody said the key to life is to work hard, play hard, rest hard, and I’ve pretty much adopted that.” – James Patterson
- “Play hard, work hard, love hard… the bottom line for me is to live life to the fullest in the here-and-now instead of a hoped-for hereafter, and make every day count in some meaningful way and do something, no matter how small it is, to make the world a better place.” – Michael Shermer
- “I work hard, but I play hard, too.” – Pitbull
- “Once practice starts, we work hard, and that’s the best conditioning there is. Everything counts. Every little thing counts. Run hard, play hard, go after the ball hard, guard hard. If you play soft (what I call signing a non-aggression pact with your teammates), you won’t ever get into shape.” – Pete Carril
- “Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “I work hard, but I play hard.” – Kenny Chesney
- “Me and my band have always lived by the code ‘Work hard, play harder,’” – Kenny Chesney
- “Work hard. Play hard. Be kind.” – Harry Styles
- “The world’s most successful entrepreneurs play hard, but they work even harder.” – Ben Parr
- “I’ve always had a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude to life. I still do. But sometimes you can get involved in something that needs a calm, methodical approach.” – Damian Lewis
- “All work and no play will make you sad and grey.” – Habeeb Akande
- “When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really played.” – Dr. Seuss
- “No matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder.” – Elon Musk
- “Life balance is a myth. It’s an illusion, and the very pursuit of it is driving us crazy. For me, it’s about proportion. It’s really a work hard, play hard equation.” – Danielle LaPorte
- “I work hard, and I play hard, too. There is nothing wrong with that.” – Vijay Mallya
- “Remember the motto: ‘Work hard, play hard.’ Regard your personal time as just as important as your work time and give as much attention to planning it as you do to planning your work. What are you working for if you don’t have a personal life?” – Mark Forster
- “As far back as I can remember, I am one of those guys that works hard and plays harder. I have to have both.” – Bret Michaels
- “Work harder than you think you did yesterday.” Alex Elle
- “Work hard so you can shop harder.” – Unknown
- “Work hard in silence. Let your success be your noise.” – Unknown
- “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.” – Barack Obama
- “I dream it. I work hard. I grind till I own it. I slay.” – Beyonce
- “There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.” – Alain de Botton
- “Work hard…have fun…be nice…play fair…dream big. We only get one chance at this life. If you’re going to play this game, play it to win.” – Robert Herjavec
- “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien
- “I work hard so I can play harder.” – Dean Winters
- “Work hard, have fun, make history.” – Jeff Bezos
- “Work like a captain. Play like a pirate.” – Unknown
- “Do what you have to so you can do what you want to.” – Unknown
- “Men play harder than they work; women work harder than they play.” – Mary Roberts Rinehart
- “Work hard now. Play harder later.” – Unknown
- “Don’t give up because things are hard, but work harder when you think of giving up.” – Anthony Liccione
- “The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.” – Unknown
- “Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.” – Ed Bradley
Final Thoughts
We hope these 43 motivational work hard play hard quotes are just what you needed today to tackle the day. If you know someone struggling with becoming motivated or someone who works harder than they play, share one of these quotes with them.
Whether it’s for you or someone you know, it’s important to keep these motivational work hard play hard quotes nearby to serve as a reminder that it’s OK to play, too.