86 One Day at a Time Quotes to Live By

On days when life feels particularly challenging, you might be asking yourself, “How can I live one day at a time?” 

Reading through these one day at a time quotes is a great place to start, but I will also include some tips at the end!

Are you living your life to the fullest?

Have you ever wondered where the term, “one day at time comes from?” It is a belief from AA, that each individual has 24 hours of sobriety.

It can apply to any challenge and can become a personal mantra for anybody who is trying to live their best life! These quotes help put everything in perspective and can help you focus on living life to the fullest!

Also, read these living life in the moment quotes that will inspire you to make the most of your time.

one day at a time quotes about the future

1. “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” – Abraham Lincoln

2. “I never have planned a whole lot of future. It’s one day at a time.” – Darrell Royal

3. “Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.” – Dean Acheson

4. “I try to live my life one day at a time, and if I look too far in advance, I get really stressed.” – Hope Solo

5. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. Actually, that’s a total lie. I always think about what’s in front of me.” – Julianne Hough

6. “The future comes one day at a time [so don’t fear and try to solve all the worries and problems of the future today].”– Dean Acheson

7. “I believe that the best way to prepare for a Future Life is to be kind, live one day at a time, and do the work you can do best, doing it as well as you can.” – Elbert Hubbard

8. “Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.” – John Archibald Wheeler

9. “No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.” – Bob Parsons

10. “My philosophy is to take one day at a time. I don’t worry about the future. Tomorrow is even out of sight for me.” – Bobby Darin

11. “Everyone is lonely, we have to remember that life is to be lived one day at a time. You cannot worry about the past or future. Happiness is in the now.” – Claudia Gray

one day at a time quotes about success and winning

12. “Everybody is looking for instant success, but it doesn’t work that way. You build a successful life one day at a time.” – Lou Holtz

13. “A good friend of mine once told me that each morning when you wake up, think about winning the day.  Don’t worry about a week from now or a month from now – just think about one day at a time. If you are worried about the mountain in the distance, you might trip over the molehill right in front of you.  Win the day!” – Drew Brees

14. “You just try to take it one day at a time, … You step on the basketball floor and just play. It’s fun. I’m comfortable with it.” – Kobe Bryant

15. When you wake up, think about winning the day. Don’t worry about a week or a month from now — just think about one day at a time.” – Drew Brees

16. “I’ll never worry about not being successful. I’ll just take it one day at a time, one season at a time. And play as hard as I can.” – Bo Jackson

17. “Wholeheartedly do what it takes to awaken your clear-seeing intelligence, but one day at a time, one moment at a time. If we live that way, we will benefit this earth.” – Pema Chodron
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of Pema Chödrön quotes about finding peace in life.

18. “Dream big, my friend, and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace the positive attitudes, perspectives, principles, and truths I share, and you, too, will overcome.” – Nick Vujicic

19. “Big things are built one brick at a time. Victories are achieved one choice at a time. A life well-lived is chosen one day at a time.” – Lysa TerKeurst

Also read these memory quotes and sayings that will motivate you to create new and wonderful memories every day.

Motivational one day at a time quotes

20. “Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything’s possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.” – Day Marie Lu

21. “One day at a time is all we do. One day at a time is good for you.” – John Lennon

22. “We do the best we can in life, we take things one day at a time and sometimes we all just need a simple reminder of that.” – Demi Lovato

23. “Live one day at a time. Keep your attention in present time. Have no expectations. Make no judgments. And give up the need to know why things happen as they do. Give it up!” – Caroline Myss

24. “I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time.” – Charles M. Schulz

25. “Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece.” – Dale West

26. “I believe in one day at a time; you’ve got TODAY, that’s what you’ ve got.”- Al Pacino

27. “Life is like an ice-cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time.” – Charles M. Schulz

28. “Life’s so full that you just take it one day at a time.”– Sheryl Crow

29. “I just live one day at a time.” – Rick James

30. “I remind myself every day just how lucky I am to do what I love! I feel so fortunate and I’m just trying to take my life one day at a time.” – Misty Copeland

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Misty Copeland quotes for a life of passion.

31. “Now is now, and I live everything one day at a time. The fact that I’m still on the planet and able to still make music is such a miracle.” – Ronnie Milsap

32. “My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?” – Rafael Nadal

33. “Live one day at a time, unless you can figure out how to live two.” – Dik Browne

34. “Take one day at a time. Allow yourself to change.” – Paul Henderson

You might also like these life is short quotes about happiness, death, and more.

Motivational one day at a time quotes

35. “One breath at a time. One day at a time. Wake up, and be shredded. Cry for a while. Then stop crying and go about your day. You’re not okay, but you’re alive, and you will be okay, someday.” – Jasinda Wilder

36. “Live one day at a time, and never be afraid.” – Tammy Faye Bakker

37. “I try to take it one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” – Ashleigh Brilliant

38. “Take life one day at a time because every day is a different day with new challenges.” – Penny Streeter

39. “A lot of things have been thrown at me in life, and I’ve got through it all without a rule book, taking it one day at a time.” – Yoko Ono

If you’re enjoying this article, make sure to also check out these new month quotes that inspire new beginnings.

40. “How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” – Fred Brooks

41. “I’ve been sober now for a couple of years and I’m taking my sobriety very seriously – one day at a time and I am moving forward in my career.” – Daniel Baldwin

42. “There is magic in knocking down your most important domino day after day. All you have to do is avoid breaking the chain, one day at a time until you generate a powerful new habit in your life.” – Gary W. Keller

43. “I’m trying to stay as calm as possible and focus one day at a time, but when reality sets in, I feel everything: anxiety, excitement, nerves, pressure, and joy.” – Shawn Johnson

44. “It won’t do you any good to run if you’re running the wrong way. I’ve developed a new philosophy…I only dread one day at a time.” – Charles M. Schulz

45. “We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.” – Darrell Royal

46. “I’m not a legend or a hero, I don’t slay dragons, I don’t do any of the things that a real hero can. But I can make things better, one day at a time, for most of the kingdom.” – Mercedes Lackey

47. “All we can do is try, do our best. Give as much time as we have to give, one day at a time. One breath at a time.” – Jasinda Wilder

48. “I still find it almost impossible to relax for more than one day at a time.” – Gene Kelly

49. “Now I’m starting, relatively, to think straight again. I live one day at a time, one hour at a time. What makes it all worthwhile is my children.” – Paula Yates

50. “The road to recovery will not always be easy, but I will take it one day at a time, focusing on the moments I’ve dreamed about for so long.” –Amanda Lindhout

Don’t forget to also read these free spirit quotes for those with a wild heart. 

More one day at a time quotes and sayings

51. “The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived – not always looked forward to as though the “real” living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.” – Elisabeth Elliot

52. “You never know where life is going to take you. So everything I do, I just take it one day at a time, and it always leads you to the right place.” – Kyle Massey

53. “Take life on life’s terms – one day at a time. And have fun while you’re doing it.” – Joe Perry

54. “The one thing we know about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” – Jeff Rich

55. “I live one day at a time, one day at a time. Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow is blind, so I live one day at a time.” – Willie Nelson

56. “I believe in past lives but I know nothing about mine and I don’t want to know. I live in the present, taking one day at a time.” – Uri Geller

57. “When people go through something rough in life, they say, ‘I’m taking it one day at a time.’ Yes, so is everybody. Because that’s how time works.” – Hannibal Buress

58. “Saving lives, one day at a time, just like always.” – Spencer Smith

59. “Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules.” – Wayne Dyer

60. “I like my life. I’ve had a good life. I think the reason is my parents taught me that life is a burden. But if you take it one day at a time, it’s an easy burden.” – Andrew Young

61. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” — Mitch Albom

62. “Live one day at a time; better yet, make the most of this moment.” — Joel Osteen

63. “I still follow that model: just go hard every day, and take it one step at a time.” — Ace Hood

64. “I try not to worry about the future – so I take each day just one anxiety attack at a time.” — Tom Wilson

65. “Big achievements come one small advantage at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time.” — Jim Rohn

one day at a time quotes about life

66. “Who knows, I have always lived one day at a time. Probably more adventure and excitement.” – Rob Mariano

67. “I take one day at a time. I’ve always been like that.” – Katherine Kelly

68. “I live one day at a time.” – Shamita Shetty

69. “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” – Dean Acheson

70. “Don’t look too far into the future, just look at tomorrow. One day at a time. Can you win tomorrow? Can you make progress? The answer is yes, you have a choice and tomorrow you’re going to win.” – Joe Wicks

71. “You have to take things one day at a time.” – Walter Payton

72. “I’m still growing; I take each day, one day-at-a-time.” – Roy Haynes

73. “Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.” – Carl Sandberg

74. “If you try to live seven days at a time, the week will be over before you know it.” – Charles M. Schulz

75. “I learned that, with grief, you have to take it one day at a time and learn how to find the happiness amid the heartbreak.” – Adrienne C. Moore

76. “Many times, the decisions we make affect and hurt your closest friends and family the most. I have a lot of regrets in that regard. But God has forgiven me, which I am very thankful for. It has enabled me to forgive myself and move forward one day at a time.” – Lex Luger

Don’t forget to also check out our collection of quotes about having fun and enjoying your life.

Proof that ‘One day at a time’ works with nearly every situation

77. “I keep my life to one day at a time.” — Paul Merson

78. “I’m like a recovering perfectionist. For me it’s one day at a time.” — Brene Brown

79. “I just wrote one song at a time. Kinda like an alcoholic. One day at a time.” — Neil Young

80. “The way to deal with the devil of obesity and diabetes is literally one day at a time.” — Stephen Furst

81. “I just take it one day at a time, try to forget about what I did the day before. Go out there like every day is Opening Day.” — Aaron Judge

82. “You never know the plan. You never know what’s going to happen. We are not even promised tomorrow. I just try to focus on one day at a time.” — Morgan Wallen

83. “I’m taking each day one day at a time, and building up my strength and endurance. It’s crazy because it takes no time at all to lose everything you have and then so much time to gain it back.” — Michelle McCool

84. “Where I am today… I still have my ups and downs, but I take it one day at a time and I just hope that I can be the best that I can possibly be, not only for myself, but also young people that are out there today that need someone to look up to.” — Demi Lovato

85. “I’ve always approached my career and my life, you know, one day at a time, as if this was the last day that I’m going, because you never know as an athlete and as a dancer. You never know what can happen today, tomorrow.” — Misty Copeland

86. “I think there are always phases in life when things get intense or difficult, whether it’s the sheer volume of work or personal circumstances. And I’ve definitely had tough moments. The way I approach them is just to tell myself that this, too, will pass, and take it one day at a time.” — Marianne Lake

What did you learn from these one day at time quotes?

Are you ready to start living your life one day at a time? Here are some simple steps that you can start doing right now!

First, set achievable daily goals, and then celebrate when you complete them. Try keeping a journal.

Don’t just go through the same motions every day. We are on this earth to live, not just survive our current hardships.

What makes you happy? What feels like a waste of time? Prioritize the things that are important to you and be grateful for all you have.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these inspiring one day at time quotes? Do you have any tips on how to live one day at a time? Drop them in the comment section below!