“Nothing works unless you do”

“Nothing works unless you do” (or, “Nothing will work unless you do”) has been credited to sports coach John Wooden (1910-2010) and to poet Maya Angelou. “Nothing will work unless you do” appears to have been cited in print in the 1950s; “Nothing works unless you do” was cited in print in 1966.
 
It does not appear that Wooden or Angelou coined the saying.
 
 
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Music Clubs Magazine
Volume 29, Issues 4-5
1950
Pg. 29:
Mrs. Bateman urges all members to submit ideas for additional rating projects. “Nothing will work unless you do,” she writes.
 
8 February 1966, Sun-News, (Las Cruces, NM), “How’s Business?” by Frank A. Patterson, pg. 3, col. 2:
Remember: Nothing works unless you do!
 
21 May 1978, Farmington (NM) Daily Times, Family Weekly, pg. 24,, col. 2 ad:
THE COST OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM
It is said that nothing works unless you do.
(Financial Freedom Library—ed.)
 
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You Can Win!
By Roger F. Campbell
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books
1985
Pg. 25:
Nothing works unless you do.
 
31 January 1997, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “He’s always in your face” by Rick Gershman, Hernando Times, pg. 10:
“But that’s our whole philosophy - nothing works unless you do.”
 
16 December 1998, Toronto (Ontario) Star, “This voice of reason missing from NBA,” Sports, pg. 1:
He endorses the teaching of legendary college coach John Wooden: “Nothing will work unless you do.”
 
5 May 2007, Ithaca (NY) Journal, “Independent Living,” pg. B5:
John Wooden, the legendary and famous UCLA basketball coach once said, ” Nothing works unless you do.”
 
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The 1,400 Greatest Quotes of All Time in 140 Characters Or Less
Edited by Sayre Van Young and Marin Van Young
Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press
2011
Pg. 101:
Nothing works unless you do.
Maya Angelou