Prioritizing yourself is a difficult task these days, especially with the rise of social networks. That it has become much more difficult to focus on discovering and developing your true self.
We all have different personas in different aspects of our lives, including social media, family and friends, and work or business relationships.
Sometimes these personas are not aligned, and we struggle to maintain what we truly value; the principles, beliefs, and habits we have clash within us, leaving us stuck in one place. Neither improving nor moving forward.
To become the best version of yourself, you must first figure out how to prioritize yourself for a better you and then take action.
Expect a long and arduous journey. And that it will almost certainly require consistent practice, self-respect, and compassion, as well as confidence in your abilities.
Moreover, it will need your commitment to the journey of self-improvement.
So, to keep you motivated to prioritize yourself, here are 80 quotes to give you the drive you need to strive for a better you.
80 Quotes To Prioritize Yourself
Prioritize yourself quotes
1. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.
– Bernard Baruch
2. Know what matters most to you and be unwilling to compromise those priorities at almost any price.
– Frank Sonnenberg
3. Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4. When you prioritize yourself, everything else will fall into its place.
– Rachel Jo
5. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
– Maya Angelou
6. When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
– Jean Shinoda Bolen
7. Whenever you feel compelled to put others first at the expense of yourself, you are denying your own reality, your own identity.
– David Stafford
8. You have to be self-interested in order to be selfless. You have to put yourself first if you want to be of use to other people.
– Rachel Bartholomew
9. Don’t wait for a crisis to realize what matters most. Put yourself first right now. Because right now is all we have.
– Brittany Burgunder
10. You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, unapologetically – to say NO to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger YES burning inside.
– Stephen Covey
Make yourself better quotes
1. You have a right to be you. It is a privilege for others to be around you.
– Janna Cachola
2. If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.
– Masaru Emoto
3. Where’s your will to be weird?
– Jim Morrison
4. You should endeavor to give your body what it needs to be healthy, your mind what it needs to be peaceful and focused, and your soul what it needs to feel content.
– Dedeker Winston
5. If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
– David Carradine
6. Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.
– M. Scott Peck
7. The only one you should compare yourself to is you. Your mission is to become better today than you were yesterday. You do that by focusing on what you can do today to improve and grow.
– John Maxwell
8. Never allow your mind to wander untamed like a wild animal that exists on the basis of survival of the fittest. Tame your mind with consistent focus on your goals and desires.
– Stephen Richards
9. Just look at yourself in the mirror and focus on what you need to do to get better.
– Choo Freeman
10. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.
– T.D. Jakes
Quotes to improve yourself
1. Let us cultivate our garden.
– Voltaire
2. Your personal growth is the only thing that matters. You own and write your story; no one else does. Believe in your unique steps up the mountain.
– Brittany Burgunder
3. The biggest lie we fall for is that it doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter. Your choices don’t matter. Your influence doesn’t matter. Your existence doesn’t matter. You don’t matter. It is the worst, most destructive lie we ever believe, and in consequence, it wreaks extensive damage to more lives than your own. Don’t fall for that evil lie. Don’t forget that everything about you absolutely does matter.
– Richelle E. Goodrich
4. It’s always ‘until,’ my dear. Until you value yourself. Until you find someone who values you. Until you stop letting your past dictate your future.
– Melanie A. Smith
5. I’ve tried to become someone else for a while, only to discover that he, too, was me.
– Stephen Dunn
6. The woman I was yesterday, introduced me to the woman I am today; which makes me very excited about meeting the woman I will become tomorrow.
– Poetic Evolution
7. Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.
– Louise Hay
8. And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
– Haruki Murakami
9. I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.
– Steve Maraboli
10. If you don’t workout, sleep, meditate, relax, or do whatever special things you need to do for you, you won’t be the best version of yourself. When you’re not your best version of yourself, you can’t do things for others. In a way, it’s actually selfless to take great care of yourself because it allows you to be more present for your family and friends.
– Heather Monahan
Prioritize your TO-BE quotes
1. Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.
– Marcus Aurelius
2. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
– George Bernard Shaw
3. Don’t dare to be different, dare to be yourself – if that doesn’t make you different then something is wrong.
– Laura Baker
4. When within yourself you find the road, the right road will open.
– Dejan Stojanovic
5. All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter another.
– Anatolè France
6. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all.
– Rita Mae Brown
8. Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.
– Judy Garland
9. The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
– Friedrich Nietzsche
10. Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
– Oscar Wilde
Making yourself a priority quotes
1. Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honoring them.
– Kristi Ling
2. By taking care of myself I have so much more to offer the world than I do when I am running on empty.
– Ali Washington
3. Until ‘you’ FULLY embrace who ‘you are’, no amount of money, no person, or external things will EVER make you happy or bring you peace.
– Yvonne Pierre
4. Respect, Love, and Value yourself. Always remember to be good to yourself by taking care of yourself. Make yourself a priority and know that it’s okay. Don’t feel guilty for loving yourself, first! You’re just as important as anybody else.
– Stephanie Lahart
5. Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.
– Eleanor Brown
6. If you want to have enough to give to others, you will need to take care of yourself first. A tree that refuses water and sunlight for itself can’t bear fruit for others.
– Emily Maroutian
7. If someone does not want me it is not the end of the world. But if I do not want me, the world is nothing but endings.
– Nayyirah Waheed
8. Putting yourself first allows you to meet your needs in the most skillful way. This, in turn, increases your happiness, joy, and capacity to love, so you can give freely and create healthy relationships.
– Aziz Gazipura
9. Always choose yourself first. Women are very socialized to choose other people. If you put yourself first, it’s this incredible path you can forge for yourself.
– Rebecca Traister
10. Choose to put yourself first and make you a priority. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary.
– Keysha Jade
Take care of yourself before others quotes
1. Unless you fill yourself up first, you have nothing to give anybody. Therefore, it is imperative that you tend to your joy first. People are responsible for their own joy. When you tend to your joy and do what makes you feel good, you are a joy to be around and you are a shining example to every child and every person in your life. When you are feeling joy, you don’t even have to think about giving. It is a natural overflow.
– Rhonda Byrne
2. As you embrace this idea that you own your life, you begin to exercise dominion over it.
– Amy Leigh Mercree
3. People pleasing and putting others first literally diminished my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. Overwhelmingly, most emotionally wounded people demonstrate this trait. Many of us have been programmed to put others first; to be of service to others before we serve ourselves.
– Christopher Dines
4. The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.
– Ernest Hemingway
5. Don’t think about making life better for other people who don’t even deserve you, rather, focus on making your life the best, for yourself and those who love you.
– C. JoyBell C.
6. I also learned what I and many other wives were doing wrong. We were neglecting ourselves. We were born women yet were taking care of our roles as mom, employee or wife before we took care of ourselves. But in order to adequately fulfill those roles, we have to put ourselves first.
– Elona Washington
7. Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of others.
– Jennifer Williamson
8. It’s not selfish, but selfless to be first, to be as good as possible to you, to take care of you, to keep you whole and healthy, that doesn’t mean that you disregard everything and everyone, but you gotta keep your cup full.
– Iyanla Vanzant
9. Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every single day and the rest will fall into place.
– Unknown
10. Always putting others first creates deep resentment, destroys your happiness, and is unsustainable.
– Aziz Gazipura
Spend time for yourself quotes
1. Solitude is where I place my chaos to rest and awaken my inner peace.
– Nikki Rowe
2. Spending time alone in your own company reinforces your self-worth, and is often the number one way to replenish your resilience reserves.
– Sam Owen
3. Enjoying your own company is a chain of different actions, little steps you must make towards yourself. Learn to love who you are, and you will automatically start enjoying your own company.
– Rachel Jo
4. Do not let a day go by without taking some time for yourself.
– Napoleon Hill
5. Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
– Anne Lamott
6. Sometimes I need to go off on my own. I’m not sad. I’m not angry. I’m recharging my batteries.
– Kristen Butler
7. It is hard to love yourself if you never spend time with yourself. ‘Alone Time’ is Necessary.
– Izey Victoria Odiase
8. It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.
– Diane Von Furstenberg
9. Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.
– Oprah Winfrey
10. Whether your me-time consists of reading, meditating, journaling, or simply relaxing with your thoughts, why not make it a permanent part of your routine?
– Link Hoang
Love yourself quotes
1. You don’t need to live to fulfill others’ expectations. Live for yourself, love yourself, and do not let them tell you that it is selfish.
– Mridula Singh
2. When you start loving yourself and respecting your time and energy, things will change. Get to know your worth, and your value will go up.
– Germany Kent
3. Looking after yourself is the greatest act of kindness you can give the world. Loving yourself first is the best way to spread love.
– Holly Bourne
4. Write it on your heart you are the most beautiful soul of the Universe. Realize it, honor it and celebrate life.
– Amit Ray
5. Even when it seems that there is no one else, always remember there’s one person who never ceased to love you – yourself.
– Sanhita Baruah
6. God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.
– William Shakespeare
7. I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever only rejoices me, and the heart appoints.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. Don’t let others box you into their idea of what they think you should be. A confined identity is a miserable way to exist. Be you and live free. Trust that in living true to yourself, you will attract people that support and love you, just as you are.
– Jaeda deWalt
9. When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits – anything that kept me small. My judgment called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.
– Kim McMillen
10. When you are compassionate with yourself, you trust in your soul, which you let guide your life. Your soul knows the geography of your destiny better than you do.
– John O’Donohue
What is self-prioritization?
Taking care of others is an important character trait that should be developed in all of us as humans. It contributes so much to making the world a better place.
However, when taking care of others comes at the expense of taking care of yourself, you are doing yourself a disservice.
You can’t pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes. And continuing to do so will result in you giving nothing of value to the other person while you slowly die inside.
Self-prioritization is just as important as taking care of others. And it involves devoting time and attention to your needs, happiness, and satisfaction.
So, in order to remain the vibrant, compassionate, loving, and giving individual that you are, you must also give some to yourself. Prioritize your needs and growth first so that you can share something with others.
How to prioritize yourself
When you neglect yourself, you really don’t have much value to impart. You only drain yourself and expose those around you to the same stress and exhaustion you’re experiencing. Not only do you lose yourself in the process, but you will also allow your inner critic to defeat you and all the good you’ve done so far.
Keep in mind that you, mind and body, are a vessel that needs constant maintenance so that you can be of great service to others.
It is not selfish to prioritize yourself, it is a need. A foundational requirement for physical and mental health.
If you are finding it hard to prioritize yourself, here are some ways you can start:
- Schedule a time for yourself each day to clear your mind and recharge your energy.
- Learn to recognize your feelings and emotions. This way you will be able to channel your emotions and respond in healthy, intelligent ways rather than allowing your emotions to take over and undermine us.
- Build yourself up. Replace negative self-talk with words of encouragement. Tell yourself that you are strong, you are enough, and that you are always getting better.
- Limit your time on social media.
- Learn to say no. Set boundaries for yourself. Soon enough others will learn to understand and respect you for it.
- Live a healthy lifestyle. Eat, drink, exercise, and sleep in the best manner for your body.
- Keep reading, learning, and improving.
- Smile and laugh.
- Connect with nature.
- Appreciate yourself and the things you have.
Why is it important to prioritize yourself
When you prioritize yourself, you recognize your importance in the grand scheme of things. That you don’t exist merely to serve. But rather to become the best version of yourself for you, your relationships, and your community.
Taking the time to recenter and reenergize yourself will improve your life in every way. You can especially benefit from:
- Improved physical health.
- Better mental health.
- Stress reduction.
- Increased self-esteem.
- Improved relationships.
Is it selfish to prioritize yourself?
It is a good thing to serve and care for others. However, this does not necessarily mean that you should neglect yourself and your needs.
Always giving and not taking care of yourself is comparable to a candle providing light to others while burning itself out.
When you neglect yourself in the process of giving. Saying yes to everything, trying to always be productive, and pushing yourself to the limit for others. You, not only hurt and limit yourself, but you also negatively affect the people you care about and serve.
Admittedly, when you focus on yourself, your needs, and your happiness it is all too easy to label these actions as selfish.
However, by making time for yourself, your wants, and your needs, you become more mindful, giving, and compassionate.
Prioritizing yourself is thus not selfish in the least, but rather the most generous thing you can do- for yourself and others.
Maintaining a positive self-image and providing yourself with the tender loving care that you deserve. These are essential components of creating a good life for yourself. And the people who are most important to you.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about the 80 Inspirational Quotes To Prioritize Yourself For A Better You in the comments below.
Outside reference/s:
87 Quotes to Inspire You to Always Prioritize Yourself
77 Prioritize Yourself Quotes To Remember You Matter
