---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As hard as it was to get on top, it’s…"
description: "\"“As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay there.”\" — Tabatha Coffey"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg"
---

#  As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay…

![“As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay there.” quote by Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg)

> ““As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay there.””

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Achieving success is difficult, but maintaining it is even more challenging, requiring constant effort and vigilance.

**In simple terms:** Staying successful is harder than getting there.

Key Takeaway

Commit to continual improvement.

Themes

success maintenance challenge

Mood

motivational cautionary

Type

advisory inspirational

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- business management
- personal health
- skill retention

Key Concepts

sustainability resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- What habits keep you at the top?
- How do you guard against stagnation?

A Different Perspective

Complacency can erode hard-won success.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ladder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladder/)

## Related quotes

> [It's hard to stay at the top. There's a cheesy saying isn't there: it's easy to get to the top but once you're there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/it-s-hard-to-stay-at-the-top-there-s-a-cheesy-saying-isn-t-there-it-s/)

[Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/)

> [People say it's hard at the top, but it's even harder at the bottom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/people-say-it-s-hard-at-the-top-but-it-s-even-harder-at-the-bottom/)

[Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/)

> [The minute we think we went hard, go harder. We gotta work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/the-minute-we-think-we-went-hard-go-harder-we-gotta-work/)

[DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/)

> [“Sometimes we try to hard to be something we are not, perhaps being ourselves is harder than we think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-brearley/sometimes-we-try-to-hard-to-be-something-we-are-not-perhaps-being/)

Carol Brearley

> [It takes far less courage to kill yourself than it takes to wake up one more time. It is harder to stay where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-perelman-rossner/it-takes-far-less-courage-to-kill-yourself-than-it-takes-to-wake-up/)

[Judith Perelman Rossner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-perelman-rossner/)

> [It's harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb, Continue to seek new goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/it-s-harder-to-stay-on-top-than-it-is-to-make-the-climb-continue-to/)

[Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/)

> [“The trouble with entering the upper echelon is you have to work harder to stay there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay-osborn-jr/the-trouble-with-entering-the-upper-echelon-is-you-have-to-work/)

John Jay Osborn Jr

> [It's even harder to stay at the top in sports than it is to get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-didrikson-zaharias/it-s-even-harder-to-stay-at-the-top-in-sports-than-it-is-to-get-there/)

[Babe Didrikson Zaharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-didrikson-zaharias/)

> [You have to love what you do because it's really, really hard work to get to top and it's even harder to stay there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stoney/you-have-to-love-what-you-do-because-it-s-really-really-hard-work-to/)

[Casey Stoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stoney/)

> [Of course, it is difficult to arrive at a big team in the first place, but it is even harder to stay there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ander-herrera/of-course-it-is-difficult-to-arrive-at-a-big-team-in-the-first-place/)

[Ander Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ander-herrera/)

> [The more we consume, acquire, and elevate our status, the harder it is to stay happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/the-more-we-consume-acquire-and-elevate-our-status-the-harder-it-is/)

[Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/)

> [“I need to be gone before she gets up. Seeing her will only make it harder to stay away from her. A man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/i-need-to-be-gone-before-she-gets-up-seeing-her-will-only-make-it/)

[M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/)

> [It's harder to stay strong than it is to give up. Giving up doesn't get you anywhere.. Only makes you weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/it-s-harder-to-stay-strong-than-it-is-to-give-up-giving-up-doesn-t/)

[Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/)

> [It is hard to be number one, and it is even harder to stay there because everyone is trying to knock you off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-mcnish/it-is-hard-to-be-number-one-and-it-is-even-harder-to-stay-there/)

[Allan McNish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-mcnish/)

> [Lying to yourself is easy, too. I know. It's much harder to stay and deal with consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/lying-to-yourself-is-easy-too-i-know-it-s-much-harder-to-stay-and/)

[Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/)

## More by Tabatha Coffey

> [I define success by personal growth; if you don’t continue to grow, you can’t continue to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/i-define-success-by-personal-growth-if-you-don-t-continue-to-grow-you/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [We should all feel confident in our intelligence. By the way, intelligence to me isn't just being book-smart or having a college degree; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/we-should-all-feel-confident-in-our-intelligence-by-the-way/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [“Build loyalty up over multiple visits or purchases and then reward it with something special, something the clients might not have bought for themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/build-loyalty-up-over-multiple-visits-or-purchases-and-then-reward-it/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [If you walk into my wardrobe, it's kind of hilarious. It's a sea of black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/if-you-walk-into-my-wardrobe-it-s-kind-of-hilarious-it-s-a-sea-of/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [During a color consultation, I like to reference food as a visual. Hot fudge and orange marmalade paint a clearer picture and helps prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/during-a-color-consultation-i-like-to-reference-food-as-a-visual-hot/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [I'm really proud that the LGBT community has gotten behind me because, as I said, I am part of the community, so I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/i-m-really-proud-that-the-lgbt-community-has-gotten-behind-me-because/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [Like a therapist hairdressers are in a position of trust. We are transforming not just how a person looks but how they feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/like-a-therapist-hairdressers-are-in-a-position-of-trust-we-are/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [I thought Steve Jobs was amazing. He was such a great businessman. Someone that has just been really continually successful with their brand and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/i-thought-steve-jobs-was-amazing-he-was-such-a-great-businessman/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [I love the Cannes Film Festival. From the lavish parties and events to the red carpet attire, this star-studded week-long event is where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/i-love-the-cannes-film-festival-from-the-lavish-parties-and-events-to/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [Being in the beauty industry has taught me that most of us are never satisfied with how we look. We all wish we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/being-in-the-beauty-industry-has-taught-me-that-most-of-us-are-never/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [My parents actually ran drag clubs in Australia, which is how I grew up. It was normal for me. It was my normal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/my-parents-actually-ran-drag-clubs-in-australia-which-is-how-i-grew/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [By the way, intelligence to me isn't just being book-smart or having a college degree; it's trusting your gut instincts, being intuitive, thinking outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/by-the-way-intelligence-to-me-isn-t-just-being-book-smart-or-having-a/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [Sometimes, in order to follow our moral compass and/or our hearts, we have to make unpopular decisions or stand up for what we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/sometimes-in-order-to-follow-our-moral-compass-and-or-our-hearts-we/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [“If being positive all the time prevents you (as in this owner’s case) from seeing what’s wrong and leads to people walking all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/if-being-positive-all-the-time-prevents-you-as-in-this-owner-s-case/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

> [“shalt care about your customer. They need to feel like they are important and you care about their needs. If you prove that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/shalt-care-about-your-customer-they-need-to-feel-like-they-are/)

[Tabatha Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

[Explore all 41 Tabatha Coffey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/)

## More Hard quotes

> [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/)

[Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/)

Out Spoken

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/)

[Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/)

> [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/)

[Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/)

[An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/)

> [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/)

[Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/)

Browse all 29,826 Hard quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay there.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tabatha Coffey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-even-harder-to-stay-there/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hard"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-even-harder-to-stay-there/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/tabatha-coffey-15956_quote_as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-eve_1322620.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As hard as it was to get on top, it’s even harder to stay there.” — Tabatha Coffey",
                "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": "Tabatha Coffey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-coffey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“As hard as it was to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-even-harder-to-stay-there/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-coffey/as-hard-as-it-was-to-get-on-top-it-s-even-harder-to-stay-there/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
