25 Idioms for Motivation  (+ Free Worksheet)

If you’ve seen the movie “Rocky,” you’ve likely heard the inspiring song “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor played over Rocky Balboa’s workout montage. Well, “eye of the tiger” is also an idiom that refers to the intense focus and confidence one needs to succeed over a big challenge — perfect for a boxing underdog movie.

Teachers can use these idioms as a five-minute ice-breaker on Day 1; they’re CEFR B1, so even mixed-ability classes can join in.

Self-studying? Drop two of these phrases into your following practice essay and watch it come alive.

(Dörnyei, 2001, highlights how motivational language boosts persistence.)

Whether it’s time to take on a challenging job or have a difficult conversation with someone, several idioms can help boost someone’s emotional energy. Read ahead for 25 motivating idiom phrases that fit these situations.

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence	Synonym
Bite the bullet	get something done that you can’t avoid	“He had to bite the bullet and break up with his toxic girlfriend.”	Face the music
Keep your chin up	stay positive despite a bad situation	“She always kept her chin up despite losing her job.”	Stay strong
Every cloud has a silver lining	even bad situations have something positive to take from them	“Proving that every cloud has a silver lining, Jane got a higher-paying job in the same field after getting laid off unexpectedly.”	Blessing in disguise
On the right track	doing the right thing that’s likely to have positive results	“Going to the gym daily and getting lots of fruit and vegetables will put you on the right track for weight loss.”	Heading in the right direction
The sky’s the limit	anything is possible	“After winning the lottery for millions of dollars, the sky’s the limit for her.”	No limits
Turn over a new leaf	make a change	“Avoiding alcohol and going to the gym helped him turn over a new leaf for better health.”	Start afresh
Kill two birds with one stone	one action having multiple benefits	“Donating clothes kills two birds with one stone — you help those in need and clean up your closet.”	Double benefit
Keep your eye on the prize	stay focused on a specific goal	“While struggling with math and lots of homework, she kept her eye on the prize to graduate with honors.”	Stay focused
Go the extra mile	make extra effort	“The staff at my favorite restaurant always goes the extra mile to make customers feel welcomed and get their money’s worth.”	Go above and beyond
Seize the day	make the most of the current moment	“Don’t waste time, seize the day to enjoy everything you can.”	Carpe diem
A blessing in disguise	something that seems bad but turns out to be a good thing	“The heavy rain was a blessing in disguise as it refilled local drying lakes.”	Hidden benefit
No pain, no gain	you have to work hard to reach a goal	“He pushed through muscle soreness at the gym because he understood no pain, no gain.”	Hard work pays off
Put all your eggs in one basket	risking it all on one thing	“Those with gambling addiction often put all their eggs in one basket and bet all their money.”	Bet everything
Put your best foot forward	make a good impression	“Putting your best foot forward on a first date may lead to marriage.”	Show your best side
Out of the woods	away from danger	“A week after surgery, the doctors said the patient was out of the woods and on their way to a full recovery.”	In the clear
Get back on your feet	recover from something	“It took a year to get back on his feet after losing everything in the storm.”	Bounce back
When one door closes, another one opens	as one opportunity fades, another one will soon pop up	“After getting stood up on a date, Sue met her current fiancé at that same restaurant. When one door closes, another one opens.”	New doors open
Weather the storm	survive a hard time	“After weathering the storm during the recession, the company bounced back with large profits.”	Ride it out
Stick to your guns	stay firm in your standards and decisions	“Sticking to your guns can earn respect since no one will think you’re a pushover.”	Stand your ground
On the ball	doing a good job	“The team stays on the ball through good communication and research.”	Sharp
Every dog has his day	at some point, everyone gets a chance	“He didn’t worry about not getting the promotion this time because he feels that every dog has its day.”	Time will come
Light at the end of the tunnel	things will improve soon	“Spring is coming soon, so there’s light at the end of the tunnel of all this freezing weather.”	Hope ahead
Turn lemons into lemonade	turn a bad situation into something good	“They turned lemons into lemonade by turning the injured tree into firewood for the community.”	Make the best of it
Hang in there	don’t give up	“Despite several injuries and losses, the team hung in there and made it to the playoffs.”	Keep going
Leave no stone unturned	try several different ways to approach something	“He left no stone unturned looking for a new job.”	Exhaust all options

As you can see, there are several expressive ways to communicate motivation and acknowledge hard work. So even if you’re ”snowed under” after “burning the candle at both ends,” “staying the course” can help you “take the bull by the horns.”

Some Historical Background

Did you know that the idiom “out of the woods” dates back to at least the 18th century, when navigating through the woods made it easy to get lost or encounter wild animals (i.e., the story of Little Red Riding Hood)? So getting out of the forest/woods marked safety.

“Stick to your guns” has its origins in military terminology. It refers to sailors under orders to stick to their armed posts even if the boat was under attack.

An ancient Greek legend gave rise to the phrase “Leave no stone unturned.” According to dictionary.com, the legend states that a general buried treasure in his tent after defeat, and the Oracle of Delphi advised the opposition to move every stone to find it.

Guess the Idiom

Learn more about idioms and test your skills with the helpful worksheet below.