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    “The tragedy is that most people think that they already have goals. But what they really have are hopes and wishes. However, hope is not a strategy for success, and a wish has been defined as a ‘goal with no energy behind it.’ Goals that are not written down and developed into plans are like bullets without powder in the cartridge. People with unwritten goals go through life shooting blanks. Because they think they already have goals, they never engage in the hard, disciplined effort of goal-setting—and this is the master skill of success.”

    Brian Tracy, via No Excuses! (Page 65)

      “If you stay too long in the imagination phase, what you create will tend to be grandiose and detached from reality. If you only listen to feedback and try to make the work a complete reflection of what others tell you or want, the work will be conventional and flat. By maintaining a continual dialogue between reality (feedback) and your imagination, you will create something practical and powerful.”

      Robert Greene, The Daily Laws (Page 401)

        “You have a plan. A time-traveller from 2030 appears and tells you your plan failed. Which part of your plan do you think is the one that fails? Fix that part.”

        Ideopunk, LessWrong

          “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

          Ben Franklin, via The Daily Stoic (Page 242)

            “Whenever you are stuck searching for the optimal plan, remember: Getting started changes everything.”

            James Clear, Blog

              “Psychoanalysts are fond of pointing out that the past is alive in the present. But the future is alive in the present too. The future is not some place we’re going to, but an idea in our mind now. It is something we’re creating, that in turn creates us. The future is a fantasy that shapes our present.”

              Stephen Grosz, The Examined Life (Page 157)

                “Great people have a vision of their lives that they practice emulating each and every day. They go to work on their lives, not just in their lives. Their lives are spent living out the vision they have of their future, in the present. They compare what they’ve done with what they intended to do. And where there’s a disparity between the two, they don’t wait very long to make up the difference.”

                Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited (Page 139)

                  “The key is to plan, envision, and articulate what you see in the future both for yourself and for your employees. Because if you don’t articulate it—I mean, write it down, clearly, so others can understand it—you don’t own it! And do you know that in all the years I’ve been doing this work with small business owners, out of the thousands upon thousands we’ve met, there have only been a few who had any plan at all! Nothing written, nothing committed to paper, nothing concrete at all.”

                  Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited (Page 65)

                  Isaac Pitman Quote on Arranging Your Mind By Arranging Your Time

                    “Well arranged time is the surest mark of a well arranged mind.”

                    Sir Isaac Pitman

                    Beyond the Quote (137/365)

                    Have you ever laid into bed at the end of a day and wondered… what just happened? Like the whole day felt like a big blur? And even after a few minutes of reflection, you still can’t quite get it all straight? This is a common effect of living a reactive and unplanned lifestyle. If you go into the day with a blurry vision of what you need to do, then, it follows that you’ll come out on the other side with a blurry memory of what you did.

                    Read More »Isaac Pitman Quote on Arranging Your Mind By Arranging Your Time

                      “The brain’s tendency to prioritize the present moment means you can’t rely on good intentions.  When you make a plan—to lose weight, write a book, or learn a language—you are actually making plans for your future self.  And when you envision what you want your life to be like, it is easy to see the value in taking actions with long-term benefits.  We all want better lives for our future selves.  However, when the moment of decision arrives, instant gratification usually wins.  You are no longer making a choice for Future You, who dreams of being fitter or wealthier or happier.  You are choosing for Present You, who wants to be full, pampered, and entertained.  As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                        “It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a side hustle.  We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

                          “Any plan is better than no plan, and a good plan executed now is far better than a perfect plan executed too late.” ~ Mark Divine, The Way of the Seal

                            “Having a mental snapshot of where you are, where you are going, and what you are moving toward is incredibly powerful.” ~ Sara Blakely