--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach…" description: "\"Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals without it.\" — Henry Cloud" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png" --- # Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals… ![“Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals without it.” quote by Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png) > “Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals without it.” [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving goals requires consistent effort; diligence is the necessary foundation despite its difficulty. **In simple terms:** Hard work is essential for success. Key Takeaway Cultivate steady effort. Themes discipline goal-setting perseverance Mood determined focused Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - academic study - personal fitness - entrepreneurship Key Concepts habit formation self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What small daily habit can you improve? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Diligence alone may not guarantee success without strategic planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diligence/) [Diligence Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diligence-easy-4720834/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Persevere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persevere/) [Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach/) [Reach Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-goals/) [Workplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workplace/) ## Related quotes > [We know from research that growth is actually contagious, so if you want to reach your goals, you've got to get around people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-know-from-research-that-growth-is-actually-contagious-so-if-you/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Your vision of your future will help you press forward. Take a few minutes to envision where you want to be in one year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-s-dalton/your-vision-of-your-future-will-help-you-press-forward-take-a-few/) [Elaine S. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-s-dalton/) > [How do you give smart, accomplished, ambitious women the same opportunities as men to reach their goals? What about universal preschool and after-school programs?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/how-do-you-give-smart-accomplished-ambitious-women-the-same/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [With expectations, when you throw that stuff out there, when you put a bunch of pressure on yourself to reach those goals, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-pagano/with-expectations-when-you-throw-that-stuff-out-there-when-you-put-a/) [Chuck Pagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-pagano/) > [I want to reach my goals and make my family proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinicius-junior/i-want-to-reach-my-goals-and-make-my-family-proud/) [Vinicius Junior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinicius-junior/) > [It's rewarding to know that I have young people in the gym who have the same goals as I had, and now I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaycie-phelps/it-s-rewarding-to-know-that-i-have-young-people-in-the-gym-who-have/) [Jaycie Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaycie-phelps/) > [Partnership is a necessity if we are to reach our goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-adams/partnership-is-a-necessity-if-we-are-to-reach-our-goals/) [Eric Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-adams/) > [Against the backdrop of people who avoid work, cut corners, and do half-hearted jobs, a diligent man stands out. Practicing diligence is an excellent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/against-the-backdrop-of-people-who-avoid-work-cut-corners-and-do-half/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-of-sense-is-never-discouraged-by-difficulties-he-redoubles-his/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Joy and patience are far above our strength... We must persevere in prayer that he may not permit our hearts to faint... Prayer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/joy-and-patience-are-far-above-our-strength-we-must-persevere-in/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Honor is self-esteem made visible in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/honor-is-self-esteem-made-visible-in-action/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [People are responsible adults at home. Why do we suddenly transform them into adolescents with no freedom when they reach the workplace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-semler/people-are-responsible-adults-at-home-why-do-we-suddenly-transform/) [Ricardo Semler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-semler/) > [Every kid wants to reach their goals in life and be the best. During my Bruce Lee phase, I wanted to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-hosoi/every-kid-wants-to-reach-their-goals-in-life-and-be-the-best-during/) [Christian Hosoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-hosoi/) > [Most people don't reach their goals because reaching their goals requires them to do things that they don't want to do. You might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/most-people-don-t-reach-their-goals-because-reaching-their-goals/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I want people to know that you can have dyslexia and still reach your goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-ryan/i-want-people-to-know-that-you-can-have-dyslexia-and-still-reach-your/) [Rex Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-ryan/) ## More by Henry Cloud > [The amount of truth a relationship can handle is proportional to the amount of perceived love that's present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-amount-of-truth-a-relationship-can-handle-is-proportional-to-the/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Are we paying attention to what is important, inhibiting the things that will not help or will hurt us, and keeping current?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/are-we-paying-attention-to-what-is-important-inhibiting-the-things/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Neglecting them leads to spiritual and emotional problems; having them met, however, frees us to meet the needs of others cheerfully and without resentment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/neglecting-them-leads-to-spiritual-and-emotional-problems-having-them/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“we need people to whom we can talk and who will understand without invalidating our feelings by saying the following: You shouldn’t feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-need-people-to-whom-we-can-talk-and-who-will-understand-without/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Leadership is not taken, it is given. People give leadership to those that they trust. They allow people that they trust to have influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/leadership-is-not-taken-it-is-given-people-give-leadership-to-those/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“What appear to be dangerous and even bad periods in some lives can actually bring them closer to the Lord, because these individuals honestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/what-appear-to-be-dangerous-and-even-bad-periods-in-some-lives-can/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“We are drawn to Jesus because “he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). People who are growing up are also drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-are-drawn-to-jesus-because-he-learned-obedience-from-what-he/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [If you want to become healthy, you have to surround yourself with a group of people that are getting healthy, and you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/if-you-want-to-become-healthy-you-have-to-surround-yourself-with-a/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Dont use all-or-nothing thinking. Take each day as its own day, and dont worry about it if you mess up one day. The most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/dont-use-all-or-nothing-thinking-take-each-day-as-its-own-day-and/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Faith goes beyond reason. It goes beyond what you can see. But it is as real as anything you can touch or feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/faith-goes-beyond-reason-it-goes-beyond-what-you-can-see-but-it-is-as/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [Boundaries are basically about providing structure, and structure is essential in building anything that thrives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/boundaries-are-basically-about-providing-structure-and-structure-is/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Forgiveness and opening up to more abuse are not the same thing. Forgiveness has to do with the past. Reconciliation and boundaries have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/forgiveness-and-opening-up-to-more-abuse-are-not-the-same-thing/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“The old saying, “Don’t get mad. Just get even” isn’t accurate. It’s far better to say, “Don’t get mad. Set a limit!” Myth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/the-old-saying-don-t-get-mad-just-get-even-isn-t-accurate-it-s-far/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“When we fail to express our needs, we remain islands unto ourselves—detached, alone, arrogant, and proud. But when we expose our needs, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/when-we-fail-to-express-our-needs-we-remain-islands-unto-ourselves/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) > [“Receiving forgiveness when we know we’ve truly blown it is a humbling and growth-producing experience. It’s the only thing better than forgiving someone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/receiving-forgiveness-when-we-know-we-ve-truly-blown-it-is-a-humbling/) [Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) [Explore all 251 Henry Cloud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/) ## More Diligence quotes > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“Anytime I see a rainbow, what comes into my mind is how skillful and talented someone was to create an ark that didn't leak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/anytime-i-see-a-rainbow-what-comes-into-my-mind-is-how-skillful-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [She spent hours drawing on her own, trying to perfect her craft. And when she got into music, she had that same diligence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/she-spent-hours-drawing-on-her-own-trying-to-perfect-her-craft-and/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [Watch yourself with all diligence, lest the enemy steals near and robs you, depriving you of this great treasure, which is inner peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-scupoli/watch-yourself-with-all-diligence-lest-the-enemy-steals-near-and-robs/) [Lorenzo Scupoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-scupoli/) > [“Diligence does not work if there is a lack of innate talent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/diligence-does-not-work-if-there-is-a-lack-of-innate-talent/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Diligence, above all, is the mother of good luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/diligence-above-all-is-the-mother-of-good-luck/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [LAOCOON, n. A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/laocoon-n-a-famous-piece-of-antique-scripture-representing-a-priest/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in. and the best of me is diligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/that-which-ordinary-men-are-fit-for-i-am-qualified-in-and-the-best-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [ If he \[Thomas Edison\] had a needle to find in a haystack, he would not stop to reason where it was most likely to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-he-thomas-edison-had-a-needle-to-find-in-a-haystack-he-would-not/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Building our homes as fortresses of righteousness for protection from the world takes constant labor and diligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/building-our-homes-as-fortresses-of-righteousness-for-protection-from/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [People underestimate the importance of dilligence as a virtue. No doubt it has something to do with how supremely mundane it seems. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/people-underestimate-the-importance-of-dilligence-as-a-virtue-no/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [What the world needs is not dogma but an attitude of scientific inquiry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/what-the-world-needs-is-not-dogma-but-an-attitude-of-scientific/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Go out of the house to see the moon, and 't is mere tinsel; it will not please as when its light shines upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/go-out-of-the-house-to-see-the-moon-and-t-is-mere-tinsel-it-will-not/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Browse all 360 Diligence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diligence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals without it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Cloud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach-our-goals-without-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diligence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach-our-goals-without-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/henry-cloud-1322_diligence_diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach_2182599.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Diligence is not easy, but we can't reach our goals without it.” — Henry Cloud", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Cloud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Diligence is not easy, but we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach-our-goals-without-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/diligence-is-not-easy-but-we-can-t-reach-our-goals-without-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```