Elon Musk is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur, and philanthropist who co-founded and leads Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
Having been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2018, Musk was ranked 25th on the Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People and joint-first on the Forbes list of the Most Innovative Leaders of 2019. He became the 9th-wealthiest person in the world on July 29, 2020, according to Forbes.
1 If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day, otherwise, it’s not. -Elon Musk
Visualising a better future can help you turn your thoughts into actions. When you think positively, you become motivated to work towards your goals and achieve them even if that requires facing the most difficult challenges in life.
2 When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor. -Elon Musk
Develop the courage to pursue what’s important to you even if it seems impossible to achieve. You need to have the grit and determination to manipulate situations into your favour and overcome challenges to become successful.
3 People work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working. -Elon Musk
When we have a goal to achieve, we are motivated to work towards it while also dealing with challenges. However, when we don’t have an aim to pursue, we don’t enjoy working because everything becomes meaningless.
4 I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself. -Elon Musk
Dedicate yourself to your goals. Don’t just think about achieving them but also try to plan ahead and prepare yourself to effectively tackle all the obstacles. Once you start focusing on all the aspects of your goals, you will become much more productive.
5 When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, ‘Nah, what’s wrong with a horse?’ That was a huge bet he made, and it worked. -Elon Musk
Instead of worrying about the outcome of your efforts, try doing the best you can. It can be very easy to get discouraged by fearing failure but, in order to keep moving forward, focus on learning from even the worst experiences of your life.
6 Really, the only thing that makes sense is to strive for greater collective enlightenment. -Elon Musk
We need to work collectively in order to make the world a better place. It’s not right to think about yourself all the time, try to look at the bigger picture. We should strive to positively contribute to society.
7 It is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. -Elon Musk
Everybody is born with great potential. Successful people are able to reach great heights because they identify their talent and utilize it properly. They don’t blame factors that they cannot control, instead, they tend to make the most out of every situation by learning from them.
8 The first step is to establish that something is possible then probability will occur. -Elon Musk
Begin with believing that nothing is impossible. When you realise that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, you become confident about pursuing your goals. Don’t focus on whether you will be successful or not, just give your best.
9 Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience, it’s a tough lesson. -Elon Musk
Being patient in the face of confusion and adversity is an important skill that’s not easy to practice. Most people end up making the wrong decisions because they are unable to respond to stressful situations in a calm manner.
10 Life is too short for long-term grudges. -Elon Musk
Rather than holding on to grudges, it is much better to set yourself free by letting them go. Focusing on your past will only prevent you from moving on with your life. Don’t spend your precious time by being consumed by negativity. Once you stop worrying about the things you have no control over, you’ll be able to live a more fulfilling life.
11 I take the position that I’m always to some degree wrong, and the aspiration is to be less wrong. -Elon Musk
Recognising your mistakes will not just allow you to learn from them but also make you more open minded. You should aspire to never repeat your mistakes and become a better person than you were before.
12 People should pursue what they’re passionate about, that will make them happier than pretty much anything else. -Elon Musk
There may be many reasons why we pursue oykur goals. But nothing in the world will make us happier than being motivated to work towards something that we’re passionate about. We don’t want to be stuck in a rut by doing something that doesn’t give us life satisfaction.
13 Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up. -Elon Musk
Being persistent will help you carry on despite the most difficult challenges. You’ll become more resilient once you overcome your fears. It is better to create a better future than to keep on suffering from problems.
14 I could either watch it happen or be a part of it. -Elon Musk
Don’t do anything half-heartedly. Give it your best shot and achieve your goals. If you’re not willing to work hard for what you want, don’t complain about what you lose.
15 I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. -Elon Musk
If you don’t get the opportunity to realise your positive and negative aspects, then you won’t be able to improve yourself. Not getting feedback will hinder you not just from giving your best but also make you less productive.
16 Don’t confuse schooling with education, I didn’t go to Harvard but the people that work for me did. -Elon Musk
There’s a big difference between education and schooling. You cannot learn about life within the four walls of your school. For that, you need to get out of there and see the real world. Tenacity, persistence, curiosity, and hard work are what matters.
17 You want to have a future where you’re expecting things to be better, not one where you’re expecting things to be worse. -Elon Musk
You need to be optimistic in life. Hope for a future where things will be right, not where things go downhill. Hope is what gives us the will to live better each day.
18 Great companies are built on great products. -Elon Musk
Great companies are built on great products. For a company to survive, they have to constantly evolve, innovate and give their customers what they ask for.
19 Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not. -Elon Musk
Great ideas are often considered insane because of the fact that they are often ahead of their time. Only when the ideas are realized do people finally believe in them.
20 If you’re trying to create a company, it’s like baking a cake, You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion. -Elon Musk
Making a company needs more than just wishful thinking. There’s a lot that goes into it. You have to have every ingredient in its right place and in the right proportions. It’s like clockwork where every gear has to work correctly for the entire system to run smoothly.
21 It’s ok to have your eggs in one basket, as long as you control what happens to that basket. -Elon Musk
They will tell you to tread softly and refrain from taking risks. But here’s the thing, if you do not risk loss, you can never find anything meaningful in life. Put all your eggs in the same basket if you are sure you can protect the basket.
22 I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. -Elon Musk
Only you get to decide what your dreams will be like. You have every right to choose to be extraordinary and rise above mediocrity. No one can decide what your dreams should be. So have the courage to dream big.
23 Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster. -Elon Musk
Change is inevitable. You cannot fight against it. You need to embrace change and accept it. Adapt, evolve and innovate. That’s the only way to remain in the race.
24 Failure is an option here, If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough. -Elon Musk
Failure is never a bad thing. It is the result of change, innovation, and curiosity. These are what will take you ahead in life. If you do not face failure, all it means is that you are not innovating as much as you should.
25 My motivation for all my companies has been to be involved in something that I thought would have a significant impact on the world. -Elon Musk
Nothing you do should be without a good enough motive. If you are in the position and power to bring about a change in the world, it is your duty to do it. Make an impact in the world and leave a legacy behind that you can be proud of.
26 I don’t create companies for the sake of creating companies, but to get things done. -Elon Musk
Do not do things just for the sake of it. Money and fame are useless endeavors. Create things that leave an impact on the world.
27 Take risks now and do something bold, You won’t regret it. -Elon Musk
Get out of your couch and do something bold every day. Take risks and do something that lights a fire in your soul every day. There’s no way you will regret doing any of it.
28 If the rules are such that you can’t make progress, then you have to fight the rules. -Elon Musk
If the rules are holding you back and stopping you from progress, the only thing left for you to do is to break those rules. Nothing should stop you from progress and success.
29 If something’s important enough, you should try, even if, the probable outcome is failure. -Elon Musk
If you think something is important to you, then you should do it and not give up. Even if the probability of you succeeding is minuscule, do it. You would never regret it later even if you fail because you will have the gratification that you have tried.
30 Any product that needs a manual to work is broken. -Elon Musk
A product has to be easy enough for the user to use. It should be made with the comfort of the user in mind. If there’s a need for the manual for it to work, it has failed its most important purpose.
30 Best Inspiring Elon Musk Quotes About Success and Work
1. If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day, otherwise, it’s not. -Elon Musk
2. When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor. -Elon Musk
3. People work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working. -Elon Musk
4. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself. -Elon Musk
5. When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, ‘Nah, what’s wrong with a horse?’ That was a huge bet he made, and it worked. -Elon Musk
6. Really, the only thing that makes sense is to strive for greater collective enlightenment. -Elon Musk
7. It is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. -Elon Musk
8. The first step is to establish that something is possible then probability will occur. -Elon Musk
9. Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience, it’s a tough lesson. -Elon Musk
10. Life is too short for long-term grudges. -Elon Musk
11. I take the position that I’m always to some degree wrong, and the aspiration is to be less wrong. -Elon Musk
12. People should pursue what they’re passionate about, that will make them happier than pretty much anything else. -Elon Musk
13. Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up. -Elon Musk
14. I could either watch it happen or be a part of it. -Elon Musk
15. I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. -Elon Musk
16. Don’t confuse schooling with education, I didn’t go to Harvard but the people that work for me did. -Elon Musk
17. You want to have a future where you’re expecting things to be better, not one where you’re expecting things to be worse. -Elon Musk
18. Great companies are built on great products. -Elon Musk
19. Good ideas are always crazy until they’re not. -Elon Musk
20. If you’re trying to create a company, it’s like baking a cake, You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion. -Elon Musk
21. It’s ok to have your eggs in one basket, as long as you control what happens to that basket. -Elon Musk
22. I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. -Elon Musk
23. Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster. -Elon Musk
24. Failure is an option here, If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough. -Elon Musk
25. My motivation for all my companies has been to be involved in something that I thought would have a significant impact on the world. -Elon Musk
26. I don’t create companies for the sake of creating companies, but to get things done. -Elon Musk
27. Take risks now and do something bold, You won’t regret it. -Elon Musk
28. If the rules are such that you can’t make progress, then you have to fight the rules. -Elon Musk
29. If something’s important enough, you should try, even if, the probable outcome is failure. -Elon Musk
30. Any product that needs a manual to work is broken. -Elon Musk