--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had to pay attention to be successful…" description: "\"I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think things through.\" — Alex Cora" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg" --- # I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think… ![“I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think things through.” quote by Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg) > “I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think things through.” [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success demands focused attention and deliberate thought, implying that mindfulness and planning are essential. **In simple terms:** Paying attention and thinking leads to success. Key Takeaway Practice deliberate focus daily. Themes success mindfulness planning Mood determined thoughtful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - studying - project management - entrepreneurship - sports training Key Concepts cognitive discipline goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance attention and action? - When does thinking become overthinking? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can cause paralysis; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-successful-1005245/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-think-259214/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Getting a lot of attention for being successful is a bad position to be in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/getting-a-lot-of-attention-for-being-successful-is-a-bad-position-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Different. Remarkable. Exceptional. That’s what gets attention and is successful today, in products and in people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-frey/different-remarkable-exceptional-that-s-what-gets-attention-and-is/) [Chuck Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-frey/) > [Before it happened to me, I'd look at other people who had become really successful and think, 'What a dream. That must be absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/before-it-happened-to-me-i-d-look-at-other-people-who-had-become/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [I made multiple leaps where there were no guarantees that I was going to be successful. By the way, I was not always successful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lyne/i-made-multiple-leaps-where-there-were-no-guarantees-that-i-was-going/) [Susan Lyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-lyne/) > [Women who have managed to get successful normally have had to carve out pretty much their own route for doing it, because there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/women-who-have-managed-to-get-successful-normally-have-had-to-carve/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [“I have found that in order to be successful, you have to think differently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-alden/i-have-found-that-in-order-to-be-successful-you-have-to-think/) [Michael Alden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-alden/) > [You don't get successful by talking about how successful you think you are. You achieve your dreams by sacrificing everything and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-get-successful-by-talking-about-how-successful-you-think/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is easy when you are successful to think that you did it all by yourself and to forget that you didn't. You got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/it-is-easy-when-you-are-successful-to-think-that-you-did-it-all-by/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Anytime you are successful, I think that breeds confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/case-keenum/anytime-you-are-successful-i-think-that-breeds-confidence/) [Case Keenum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/case-keenum/) > [I have enjoyed the success my work has brought me. Some might say I haven't really struggled to be successful. I think it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidya-balan/i-have-enjoyed-the-success-my-work-has-brought-me-some-might-say-i/) [Vidya Balan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidya-balan/) > [One of the things I've learned that has made me very successful, I think, as a scientist in general, sometimes you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-hammel/one-of-the-things-i-ve-learned-that-has-made-me-very-successful-i/) [Heidi Hammel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-hammel/) > [Most think as an OR. This OR that. The most successful among us think as an AND. This AND that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/most-think-as-an-or-this-or-that-the-most-successful-among-us-think/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [When you're successful at something, you think that you need to continue to do what you're doing to get the same result. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mendoza/when-you-re-successful-at-something-you-think-that-you-need-to/) [Jessica Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mendoza/) > [We want the post-Messi era to be very successful and I think that it will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-laporta/we-want-the-post-messi-era-to-be-very-successful-and-i-think-that-it/) [Joan Laporta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-laporta/) > [In fact, people think you have to be stressed to be successful. They think if you are not stressed, something is wrong with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/in-fact-people-think-you-have-to-be-stressed-to-be-successful-they/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## More by Alex Cora > [I know who I am. I know what I represent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-know-who-i-am-i-know-what-i-represent/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I know I'm going to have good days, bad days, horrible days. I know that. But I'll keep it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-know-i-m-going-to-have-good-days-bad-days-horrible-days-i-know-that/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [The speed of the game in Triple-A, Double-A is not the same as in the Big Leagues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/the-speed-of-the-game-in-triple-a-double-a-is-not-the-same-as-in-the/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I represent Latinos. I represent Puerto Ricans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-represent-latinos-i-represent-puerto-ricans/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [Playing in this place, this is my office. Fenway Park. Not everybody can say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/playing-in-this-place-this-is-my-office-fenway-park-not-everybody-can/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I'm not here to finish last, I'm here to win championships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-m-not-here-to-finish-last-i-m-here-to-win-championships/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I've been saying, 'When you surround yourself with people that care and are good, you're going to be better.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-ve-been-saying-when-you-surround-yourself-with-people-that-care-and/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [Everybody's in the best shape of their life when they come to spring training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/everybody-s-in-the-best-shape-of-their-life-when-they-come-to-spring/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I think rest is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-think-rest-is-very-important/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [If I make them feel comfortable, I do believe, on a daily basis, we're going to get the best out of the player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/if-i-make-them-feel-comfortable-i-do-believe-on-a-daily-basis-we-re/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [When my dad passed away when I was 13, Joey was my brother, best friend, favorite player and my dad. He has been amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/when-my-dad-passed-away-when-i-was-13-joey-was-my-brother-best-friend/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [I love Tony La Russa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-love-tony-la-russa/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [You talk to my mom about baseball, she's passionate about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/you-talk-to-my-mom-about-baseball-she-s-passionate-about-it/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [You don't have to win the same way to be successful. The more you can show that you win a game in different ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/you-don-t-have-to-win-the-same-way-to-be-successful-the-more-you-can/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [We go to my mom's house on Christmas Eve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/we-go-to-my-mom-s-house-on-christmas-eve/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) [Explore all 99 Alex Cora quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [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/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [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/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [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/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think things through.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alex Cora" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful-i-had-to-think-things-through/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful-i-had-to-think-things-through/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/alex-cora-6363_attention_i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful_2109950.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had to pay attention to be successful. I had to think things through.” — Alex Cora", "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": "Alex Cora", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had to pay attention to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful-i-had-to-think-things-through/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/i-had-to-pay-attention-to-be-successful-i-had-to-think-things-through/#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 } } ] } ```