Where there's a will, there's a way. — English proverb · Smartyfair

Where there's a will, there's a way.

English proverb

Source foundPerseveranceAncient

In plain words

Wanting something badly enough helps you find a way to get it.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 70% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Earliest close antecedent: George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum (1640), "To him that will, ways are not wanting." Modern exact wording documented by 1822 (New Monthly Magazine). Genuinely anonymous English proverb with a pre-1700 root.
Sources checked: grammarist.comChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Herbert 1640 precursor plus 1822 modern-wording citation

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More on perseverance

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Confucius Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu Slow and steady wins the race.

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Ovid Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.

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