Brian Tracy

Best 54 Brian Tracy Quotes on Motivational Brain Tracy Quotes, Famous Quotes about productivity by Brian Tracy, and Brain Tracy Time Management Quotes

Born: 1944
Nationality: Canada
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Brian Tracy is a world-renowned personal development author and motivational speaker. Most famous Brian Tracy quotes revolve around his philosophies on time management, productivity, self-discipline, and goal-setting, and sales mainly focussing on business.

Best Brian Tracy Quotes

This curated list compiles the most famous and highly-rated quotes by Brian Tracy. Rated by our community for clarity, depth, and real-world impact, these selections represent the very best of Brian Tracy's wisdom on success, leadership, and personal growth.

  1. “The best time to fire a person is the first time it crosses your mind.”
  2. “You are fully responsible for everything you are, everything you have, and everything you become.”
  3. “If someone likes you when you are living a lie, remember - he likes the lie, not you.”
  4. “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.”
  5. “The rule is that people decide emotionally and then justify logically.”

Table of Contents

Short Brian Tracy Quotes

Looking for something short and memorable? These short Brian Tracy quotes are brief yet packed with wisdom. Perfect for quick reading, social media posts, or daily reminders.

“
#1
Hire slowly, fire quickly.
— from Hire and Keep the Best People
“
#2
To earn more, you must learn more.
— from The Psychology of Selling
“
#3
When in doubt, don’t hire. Keep looking.
— from Hire and Keep the Best People
“
#4
Hire for character, train for competence.
— from Hire and Keep the Best People
“
#5
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth scheduling.
— from How to Master Your Time

About Brian Tracy

Biography: Brian Tracy is a world-renowned personal development author and motivational speaker. Most famous Brian Tracy quotes revolve around his philosophies on time management, productivity, self-discipline, and goal-setting, and sales mainly focussing on business.

Career: Since 1984, Tracy has served as the chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, the Vancouver-based firm.

Achievements and Awards: CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, Inc. Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speakers. Addressed more than 5 million people across 5,000 talks in 70+ countries.

Academic Background: Self-educated in business, sales, and economics. No publicly verified university degree.

54 Brian Tracy Quote Average Score Analytics

To help you find the most impactful quotes, each quote is scored across five core performance metrics. Below are the average ratings for all quotes displayed on this page:

💡
91.5/100 Clarity Score

Measures how clear, direct, and easy to understand the quote's phrasing is.

🧠
78.6/100 Depth Score

Measures the intellectual depth, wisdom, and philosophical value of the quote.

⚡
79.0/100 Impact Score

Measures the emotional resonance, power, and memorable impact of the quote.

🏃
73.2/100 Action Score

Measures how actionable, practical, and inspiring the quote is for daily life.

🔥
72.1/100 Virality Score

Measures the potential of the quote to be shared, liked, and resonate on social media.

Top 5 Brian Tracy Quotes Breakdown by Theme

Category Topic Style Audience
Business (112) Sales (24) Motivational (198) Entrepreneurs (221)
Productivity (92) Focus (21) Inspirational (78) Everyone (215)
Career (46) Learning (21) Conversational (39) Self Improvers (149)
Growth (36) Time management (17) Philosophical (32) Students (102)
Education (24) Success (10) Reflective (18) Managers (81)

Brian Tracy Quotes by Themes

Dive deep into themed collections of Brian Tracy's quotes. These categories highlight core teachings on performance, strategy, self-discipline, and leadership, curated to help you apply these principles to your daily routine.

Motivational Brain Tracy Quotes

“
#6
Luck is predictable: the harder you work, the luckier you get.
productivity effort
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 80
“
#7
The fact is that whatever got you to where you are today is not enough to keep you there.
— from TurboStrategy, Chapter: Chapter 19, Section: Total Quality Management

🧠 This warns against resting on past achievements and coasting on early momentum.

📜 The surrounding text stresses that competitors are constantly working to surpass your current quality levels.

🏃 Perfect for motivating highly successful teams to keep pushing for better results.

growth improvement
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 65
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72
“
#8
If you believe you can do it, you will. If you believe you can’t, you won’t.
— from The Psychology of Selling
personality self-belief
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 65
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 85
“
#9
Stop doing what you can, and start doing what you must.
— from Focal Point
productivity action
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 88
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 85
“
#10
Only by stretching yourself can you discover how much you are truly capable of.
— from The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success, Chapter: Chapter Two: The Laws of Success, Section: 15. The Law of Forced Efficiency

🧠 This advocates for pushing beyond comfortable limits to realize potential.

📜 The author notes that taking on heavy workloads reveals true capacity.

🏃 Use to inspire teams to embrace challenging projects.

growth potential
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

Famous Quotes about productivity by Brian Tracy

“
#11
Don’t confuse movement with progress. Activity is not accomplishment.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity progress
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 78
“
#12
Every time you say yes to something unimportant, you say no to something important.
— from Focal Point
productivity priority
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 80
“
#13
The very worst use of your time is to do very well what need not be done at all.
— from The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success, Chapter: Chapter Eight: The Laws of Time Management, Section: 89. The Law of Priorities

🧠 Efficiency is useless if applied to the wrong tasks.

📜 Success requires concentrating only on activities that contribute genuine value.

🏃 Use to eliminate busywork in corporate environments.

productivity time management
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 65
“
#14
Time is the only resource you can’t replace. Spend it where it truly counts.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72
“
#15
If you don’t set your own priorities, someone else will set them for you.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity priority
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 85
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 72

Brain Tracy Time Management Quotes

“
#16
If you don’t take control of your time, someone else will.
— from Be a Sales Superstar: 21 Great Ways to Sell More, Faster, Easier in Tough Markets
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 85
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 78
“
#17
You can’t get your time back, but you can always get better at using what remains.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 78
🏃 Action 75
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70
“
#18
The key question to ask all day long is, ‘What’s the most valuable use of my time right now?’
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 75
🏃 Action 90
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 65
“
#19
You can always find time for what matters most—if you stop wasting time on what doesn’t.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 75
🏃 Action 81
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 78
“
#20
You cannot add more hours to your day, but you can add more value to your hours.
— from How to Master Your Time
productivity time management
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 75
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70

Powerful Brain Tracy Quotes for Entrepreneurs

“
#21
Every great success is the result of hundreds of small efforts that no one ever sees or appreciates.
— from Maximum Achievement
growth effort
🧠 Depth 80
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 60
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70
“
#22
To discover new continents, you must be willing to lose sight of the shore.
— from Great Little Book on Effective Leadership, Chapter: Unknown, Section: Unknown

🧠 Growth requires leaving comfort.

📜 The author uses the metaphor of losing sight of the shore to encourage discovery.

🏃 Perfect for innovation talks.

growth risk taking
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 78
“
#23
Decide exactly what you want, and then resolve to persist until you get it.
— from The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success
productivity persistence
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 88
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 78
“
#24
Clarity is everything. You can’t hit a target you can’t see.
— from The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success
productivity clarity
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 75
💡 Clarity 98
🔥 Virality 78
“
#25
The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely you are to achieve security.
— from Maximum Achievement
life security
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 65

Quotes from Brian Tracy books

Explore key excerpts and famous quotes extracted from the published books and works of Brian Tracy. These accordions detail ideas and lessons straight from the original chapters and pages.

The Psychology of Selling
“
#31
People don’t buy products or services, they buy emotions and feelings.
— from The Psychology of Selling
business consumer behavior
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 78
🏃 Action 60
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

Close That Sale
“
#32
Many people don't realize how badly they want something until you suggest to them that they can't have it.
— from Close That Sale, Chapter: 17. The Take Away Close, Section: Unknown

🧠 Scarcity and the possibility of loss often trigger a stronger emotional desire to buy.

📜 The author compares this psychological tactic to playing hard to get in social relationships.

🏃 Use when discussing limited-time offers or high-demand inventory situations.

life desire
🧠 Depth 81
⚡ Impact 78
🏃 Action 50
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

TurboStrategy
“
#33
Always define your product or service in terms of what it “does” for your customers, versus what it “is.”
— from TurboStrategy, Chapter: Chapter 12, Section: What Do You Sell?

🧠 This urges a focus on customer benefits over product features.

📜 The author warns against assuming current offerings remain ideally suited for shifting markets.

🏃 Use during product development or sales messaging workshops.

business value proposition
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 68
🏃 Action 85
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 52

The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success
“
#34
The power is on the side of the person who can walk away without flinching.
— from The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success, Chapter: Chapter Seven: The Laws of Negotiating, Section: 86. The Walk Away Law

🧠 Willingness to abandon a deal provides ultimate leverage.

📜 Being polite but prepared to leave forces the other side to make their best offer.

🏃 Build confidence in procurement negotiations.

relationships power
🧠 Depth 82
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 60
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

Hiring and Firing
“
#35
One poor player on a team can demoralize the entire team.
— from Hiring and Firing, Chapter: SEVENTEEN The Two Main Reasons for Employee Failure, Section: Lack of Motivation or Lack of Competence?

🧠 This illustrates the contagious nature of low performance within groups.

📜 The text reminds leaders that it is their job to protect their best workers from carrying dead weight.

🏃 Quote this when advising managers on team dynamics.

relationships morale
🧠 Depth 69
⚡ Impact 72
🏃 Action 50
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 60

The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires
“
#36
Every act of courage increases your courage and capacity for courage in the future.
— from The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires, Chapter: Success Secret 20: Never Allow Failure to Be an Option, Section: Unknown

🧠 Courageous behavior builds the habit and strength of character required for future challenges.

📜 The text explains that bravery is cumulative and grows with each risk taken.

🏃 Use in resilience training or character development programs.

personality courage
🧠 Depth 80
⚡ Impact 78
🏃 Action 85
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70

Advanced Selling Strategies
“
#37
The teaching takes place with the words, but the learning takes place in the silences.
— from Advanced Selling Strategies, Chapter: Chapter 9: How to Make Powerful Presentations, Section: THE PRESENTATION PROCESS

🧠 Prospects need quiet intervals to absorb information and make internal evaluations.

📜 Tracy advises salespeople to become comfortable with silences rather than continuously talking.

🏃 Excellent for communication skills and active listening training.

education learning
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 78
🏃 Action 60
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 55

12 Disciplines of Leadership Excellence
“
#38
The answer is that people are 100 percent emotional. They decide emotionally and then justify logically.
— from 12 Disciplines of Leadership Excellence, Chapter: 9. THE DISCIPLINE OF CARING ABOUT PEOPLE, Section: Unknown

🧠 Asserts that human behavior and decision-making are primarily driven by feelings rather than cold facts.

📜 The text explains that a person's performance is determined by how they feel about their boss and company.

🏃 Use to teach managers about the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence in leadership.

psychology emotion
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 65
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

Great Little Book on Effective Leadership
“
#39
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first, and often it's worth doing poorly several times until you master it.
— from Great Little Book on Effective Leadership, Chapter: Unknown, Section: Unknown

🧠 Mastery takes persistence.

📜 Doing things poorly at first is presented as a necessary step to eventual success.

🏃 Use in skill development training.

growth mastery
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 88
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70

Accelerated Learning Techniques for Students
“
#40
Learning how to think is far more valuable than learning what to think.
— from Accelerated Learning Techniques for Students
education thinking
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 70
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 68

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
“
#41
Action without thinking is the cause of every failure. Thinking without action is the cause of every frustration.
— from Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
life action
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 65

Be a Sales Superstar: 21 Great Ways to Sell More, Faster, Easier in Tough Markets
“
#42
Invest in yourself more than in anything else; it pays the best dividends.
— from Be a Sales Superstar: 21 Great Ways to Sell More, Faster, Easier in Tough Markets
wealth investment
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 75
🏃 Action 78
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70

The Psychology of Achievement
“
#43
If you don’t set your own goals, you’ll end up working to achieve someone else’s.
— from The Psychology of Achievement
productivity goal
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 72

How to Master Your Time
“
#44
The true test of character is how you use your time when no one is watching.
— from How to Master Your Time
personality character
🧠 Depth 85
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 69
💡 Clarity 95
🔥 Virality 72

Focal Point
“
#45
Your daily habits predict your future more than your intentions do.
— from Focal Point
productivity habit
🧠 Depth 81
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 78

Maximum Achievement
“
#46
You can’t control the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
— from Maximum Achievement
life adaptation
🧠 Depth 72
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 70
💡 Clarity 92
🔥 Virality 78

Hire and Keep the Best People
“
#47
Employees don't leave companies, they leave poor managers.
— from Hire and Keep the Best People
career management
🧠 Depth 75
⚡ Impact 80
🏃 Action 65
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 72

Get Paid More and Promoted Faster
“
#48
Treat everyone as if they were the most important person in the world, because they are—to themselves.
— from Get Paid More and Promoted Faster
relationships respect
🧠 Depth 80
⚡ Impact 82
🏃 Action 72
💡 Clarity 90
🔥 Virality 70

What You Seek Is Seeking You
“
#49
Don't fight your thoughts. Allow them to come, but don’t cling to them. The small gaps between thoughts create the power in meditation.
— from What You Seek Is Seeking You
spirituality meditation
🧠 Depth 78
⚡ Impact 72
🏃 Action 70
💡 Clarity 85
🔥 Virality 55

Frequently Asked Questions about Brian Tracy quotes

What is Brian Tracy's most famous quote about time management?

His most famous time management advice is known as the 'Eat That Frog' principle, which states: 'If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!' The 'frog' represents your most challenging and important task. The quote comes from his bestselling book Eat That Frog! and is widely shared for overcoming procrastination.

What does Brian Tracy say about setting goals?

Brian Tracy emphasizes that writing down goals is critical for success. His most frequently cited quote on this topic is: 'Committing your goals to paper increases the likelihood of your achieving them by one thousand percent.' He also teaches that if you don't set your own goals, you may end up achieving someone else's, as captured in another popular quote: 'If you don't set goals for yourself, you are doomed to achieve the goals of someone else.

What is Brian Tracy's best quote about personal responsibility?

One of his most asked-about quotes on personal growth and responsibility is: 'Your life only gets better when you get better.' This quote reflects his core philosophy that self-improvement is the key to a better life. A closely related and highly popular quote is: 'You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you.

What are the most famous quotes by Brian Tracy?

Some of the most popular and impactful quotes by Brian Tracy include: "The best time to fire a person is the first time it crosses your mind.", "You are fully responsible for everything you are, everything you have, and everything you become.", and "If someone likes you when you are living a lie, remember - he likes the lie, not you.". These quotes emphasize the power of taking action, setting clear goals, and maintaining a positive attitude to achieve personal and professional growth.

What are the main themes of Brian Tracy's quotes?

Brian Tracy's quotes cover a wide range of topics, primarily focusing on Motivational Brain Tracy Quotes, Famous Quotes about productivity by Brian Tracy, and Brain Tracy Time Management Quotes. Through these themes, Brian Tracy shares actionable advice on time management, productivity, self-discipline, and career success.