--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as you become aware that…" description: "\"As soon as you become aware that something is not working, immediately shift your focus to the desired result.\" — Alan Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png" --- # As soon as you become aware that something is not working… ![“As soon as you become aware that something is not working, immediately shift your focus to the desired result.” quote by Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png) > “As soon as you become aware that something is not working, immediately shift your focus to the desired result.” [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing failure triggers a mental shift toward desired outcomes, accelerating progress. **In simple terms:** Notice problems, then focus on goals. Key Takeaway Redirect attention to results. Themes goal‑orientation awareness adaptability Mood determined focused Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - project delays - team setbacks - personal goals - creative blocks Key Concepts cognitive shift intentional focus Questions to Reflect On - What result will you visualize now? - How do you ensure the shift is constructive? A Different Perspective Focusing on outcomes may ignore learning from failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Desired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-desired-4817773/) [Immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immediately/) [Immediately Shift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immediately-shift-4817772/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Shift Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shift-focus-1154064/) ## Related quotes > [“The reason most of us fail to achieve real and sustainable change in our lives is because we focus too much on the desired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/the-reason-most-of-us-fail-to-achieve-real-and-sustainable-change-in/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [The job of the average manager requires a shift in focus every few minutes. The job of the average software developer requires that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcconnell/the-job-of-the-average-manager-requires-a-shift-in-focus-every-few/) [Steve McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcconnell/) > [When you shift your focus, you change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rizzo/when-you-shift-your-focus-you-change-your-life/) [Steve Rizzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rizzo/) > [Rather than beating yourself up for what you are not doing, appreciate and celebrate the things you are doing. When you shift your focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/rather-than-beating-yourself-up-for-what-you-are-not-doing-appreciate/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [“Where your attention lies is where your life thrives. Shift your focus if you're unsatisfied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyconis-d-allison-ty/where-your-attention-lies-is-where-your-life-thrives-shift-your-focus/) [Tyconis D. Allison Ty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyconis-d-allison-ty/) > [Shift the focus from what you want to do, to how you want to be... how you want to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/shift-the-focus-from-what-you-want-to-do-to-how-you-want-to-be-how/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [Do not shift your focus from serving others to focusing exclusively on school, work, or social activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-russell-ballard/do-not-shift-your-focus-from-serving-others-to-focusing-exclusively/) [M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-russell-ballard/) > [Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/successful-people-become-great-leaders-when-they-learn-to-shift-the/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [If you shift your focus from yourself to others, extend your concern to others, and cultivate the thought of caring for the well being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-shift-your-focus-from-yourself-to-others-extend-your-concern/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This world isn't perfect. That means it isn't perfectly good; but it isn't perfectly bad, either. The ease comes with the hardship. Shift the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/this-world-isn-t-perfect-that-means-it-isn-t-perfectly-good-but-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“that the secret to saying No was to shift the focus and learn how to say Yes more slowly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bungay-stanier/that-the-secret-to-saying-no-was-to-shift-the-focus-and-learn-how-to/) [Michael Bungay Stanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bungay-stanier/) > [“The more you focus on the closed door, the more you will miss out on the better door that awaits you on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/the-more-you-focus-on-the-closed-door-the-more-you-will-miss-out-on/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [One of the most effective ways to overcome anxiety is to try to shift the focus of attention away from self and toward others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/one-of-the-most-effective-ways-to-overcome-anxiety-is-to-try-to-shift/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Shift your focus from controlling others to creating your own happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/shift-your-focus-from-controlling-others-to-creating-your-own/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Nine times out of ten it's a minor shift in your focus and your attitude that makes the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-strong/nine-times-out-of-ten-it-s-a-minor-shift-in-your-focus-and-your/) [Brenda Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-strong/) ## More by Alan Cohen > [When you protect yourself from pain, be sure you do not protect yourself from love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-protect-yourself-from-pain-be-sure-you-do-not-protect/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Anyone in a state of seeking can never be happy. Only those who are constantly finding are fulfilled. And finding is not something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/anyone-in-a-state-of-seeking-can-never-be-happy-only-those-who-are/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“You cannot be other than you are. Thank God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-be-other-than-you-are-thank-god/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Evaluate every act by whether it brings you greater life, or deadens you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/evaluate-every-act-by-whether-it-brings-you-greater-life-or-deadens/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Put aside ambition for public recognition, and simply do what you do because it feels good inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/put-aside-ambition-for-public-recognition-and-simply-do-what-you-do/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“When you finally give up striving, you will be left with what you have been striving for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-finally-give-up-striving-you-will-be-left-with-what-you-have/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“newspaper ads for lost pets and earthquakes that soon follow. Other studies indicate a higher rate of last-minute cancellations for airplane flights that crash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/newspaper-ads-for-lost-pets-and-earthquakes-that-soon-follow-other/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“Quit using your creative power to formulate questions. You can just as easily—more easily— use it to formulate answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/quit-using-your-creative-power-to-formulate-questions-you-can-just-as/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > ['How can I be more like you?' she asked the guru. 'The best way to be more like me is to be more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/how-can-i-be-more-like-you-she-asked-the-guru-the-best-way-to-be-more/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Turmoil is a call for awakening. Every challenge, great or small, is moving you to look deeper and draw forth the highest in you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/turmoil-is-a-call-for-awakening-every-challenge-great-or-small-is/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The difficulties of life do not keep you from greatness. They show you to its door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-difficulties-of-life-do-not-keep-you-from-greatness-they-show-you/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [What a doctor or healer tells you is a reflection of the beliefs and expectations you hold. Change your beliefs and you change the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/what-a-doctor-or-healer-tells-you-is-a-reflection-of-the-beliefs-and/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Quit planning your dream and start living it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/quit-planning-your-dream-and-start-living-it/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The more you invest in your happiness, the more happiness will invest in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-more-you-invest-in-your-happiness-the-more-happiness-will-invest/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Joy is the wild card of life; it supersedes every other formula for success. If you can find a way to create joy, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/joy-is-the-wild-card-of-life-it-supersedes-every-other-formula-for/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) [Explore all 290 Alan Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) [Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As soon as you become aware that something is not working, immediately shift your focus to the desired result.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-something-is-not-working-immediately/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Focus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-something-is-not-working-immediately/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/alan-cohen-1112_focus_as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-somethi_1386248.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As soon as you become aware that something is not working, immediately shift your focus to the desired result.” — Alan Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As soon as you become aware...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-something-is-not-working-immediately/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/as-soon-as-you-become-aware-that-something-is-not-working-immediately/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```