Christmas is almost upon us, which means many people are beginning to think about the New Year. This is the time where take stock of what we have accomplished and what we plan to in the coming year.

The idea of the “New Year” is a powerful one because it gives us the opportunity to think about what is most important in our life and business:

Am I getting what I want?

Am I moving in the direction I want to be?

Are my ideas and plans sound?

Our businesses are intimately tied to who we are as they are a reflection of what we believe to be true. They represent an idea to a problem that we decided to solve via our product or service.

Unfortunately, many people’s ideas never come to fruition because they lose momentum through either defeat or negative beliefs. The most important asset your company has is your mindset and ability to push through adversity.

This is why it is important to set aside enough time each day and week and sharpen your tool. And one of the best ways to do that is by reading motivational quotes and sayings. These words have the power to completely turn around any self-doubt that could creep in and take hold of your mind.

Here are 15 quotes you can use to help lift your spirits when times get hard or seem insurmountable:

Never give up hope. Situations can change over night, problems can dissolve in the light of a new day’s sun. – Leon Brown

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. – Martin Luther King

Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. – Earl Nightingale

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie

Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world. – Jane Addams

Don’t give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don’t listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself. – Sidney Sheldon

Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you. – Frank Tyger

Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done. – Paul Hawken

When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope. – Pittacus Lore

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them. – George Bernard Shaw

When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way. – Paulo Coelho

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. – Newt Gingrich