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Steve Jobs · Stanford Commencement Address, 2005
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Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.
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Who said it?
Often credited to Walter Elliot, but no source such as The Spiritual Life has been documented for it.
Elliot was a Scottish politician writing in the 19th century. The image is useful: you don't have to survive the whole week. Just today. Then tomorrow.
More misattributed quotes · How we verify quotes
From the collection: 21 Monday Motivation Quotes That Make the Week Worth Starting
About this quote
Meaning
The quote means that long-term persistence is easier to sustain when you treat a big goal as a series of smaller efforts that can each be finished. Its central image is that progress happens in bursts, and each completed stretch gives you a reason to keep going.
Origin
The quote is commonly credited to Walter Elliot, but it is not documented as his. No book, speech, or other source has been identified for this wording, and a title such as The Spiritual Life has not been confirmed as its home. What is known is that the line circulates widely in motivational collections and social media, and the attribution rests mostly on repetition rather than on any traceable text.
Why it resonates
Many people feel discouraged when they look at a distant finish line and cannot see how they will ever reach it. The idea that perseverance is a sequence of manageable sprints makes effort feel less daunting. It shifts attention from the whole journey to the next step, which is often the most practical way to keep working through a difficult stretch.
Frequently asked questions
Who said "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the…"?
Often credited to Walter Elliot, but no source such as The Spiritual Life has been documented for it.
What does "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the…" mean?
The quote means that long-term persistence is easier to sustain when you treat a big goal as a series of smaller efforts that can each be finished.
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