--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once you get fixated on something, you go…" description: "\"“Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and you have no idea what you’re going to come up against.”\" — Alretha Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg" --- # Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and… ![“Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and you have no idea what you’re going to come up against.” quote by Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg) > ““Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and you have no idea what you’re going to come up against.”” [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fixation leads to excess and unexpected challenges, urging balance. **In simple terms:** Fixation causes overreach. Key Takeaway Maintain balanced focus. Themes focus excess challenge Mood cautionary motivational Type self‑help psychological When to use this quote - project planning - personal goals - creative work Key Concepts psychology goal setting risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize over‑fixation? - What strategies keep you balanced? A Different Perspective Balance can be hard to achieve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fixated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixated/) ## Related quotes > [To live fixated on the future is to engage in psychological denial. It is a form of psychic violence that prepares us to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-live-fixated-on-the-future-is-to-engage-in-psychological-denial-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I may not have a practical mind, but it's very fixated on concrete things. I like detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-guillermoprieto/i-may-not-have-a-practical-mind-but-it-s-very-fixated-on-concrete/) [Alma Guillermoprieto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-guillermoprieto/) > [I was so fixated on being a wife and being there for someone else that I kind of neglected who I was as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keyshia-cole/i-was-so-fixated-on-being-a-wife-and-being-there-for-someone-else/) [Keyshia Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keyshia-cole/) > [Because of social media, we're so fixated on our appearances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/because-of-social-media-we-re-so-fixated-on-our-appearances/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [“People are crazy and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range I used to care, but things have changed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/people-are-crazy-and-times-are-strange-i-m-locked-in-tight-i-m-out-of/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [“I tried to abandon my tenacity, but I just couldn't let it go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/i-tried-to-abandon-my-tenacity-but-i-just-couldn-t-let-it-go/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [“When I find that stubbornness continually overrides common sense regardless of the logic of my argument, it seems that the only effective solution is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/when-i-find-that-stubbornness-continually-overrides-common-sense/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I'd rather see a kid get fixated on something they can turn into a career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/i-d-rather-see-a-kid-get-fixated-on-something-they-can-turn-into-a/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“…her eyes are fixated on Colton. I want to tell her I understand, I’m under his spell too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/her-eyes-are-fixated-on-colton-i-want-to-tell-her-i-understand-i-m/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [To be fixated on Sahaja Samadhi is to be fixated. To be fixated on the idea of being not fixated is fixation too. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/to-be-fixated-on-sahaja-samadhi-is-to-be-fixated-to-be-fixated-on-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If I find a cute skirt, I'm not fixated on a brand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/if-i-find-a-cute-skirt-i-m-not-fixated-on-a-brand/) [Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/) > [I was really fixated when I was a child. Again my mother was just talking to me about this, about how I would how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-crewdson/i-was-really-fixated-when-i-was-a-child-again-my-mother-was-just/) [Gregory Crewdson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-crewdson/) > [I'm not fixated on death but I know tomorrows are not guaranteed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/i-m-not-fixated-on-death-but-i-know-tomorrows-are-not-guaranteed/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [It's definitely nice when you develop a plan and you go out there and you work on it with the idea that it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-bauer/it-s-definitely-nice-when-you-develop-a-plan-and-you-go-out-there-and/) [Trevor Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-bauer/) > [The idea is that we're always going to have a good live show, and we love to pay our music and write well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/the-idea-is-that-we-re-always-going-to-have-a-good-live-show-and-we/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) ## More by Alretha Thomas > [“I sit bolt upright in bed, my heart pounding, and my mind racing with thoughts about my twin. I pull my knees to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/i-sit-bolt-upright-in-bed-my-heart-pounding-and-my-mind-racing-with/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) > [“normal is a setting on a washing machine and not what our lives are supposed to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/normal-is-a-setting-on-a-washing-machine-and-not-what-our-lives-are/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) > [“Relieved, I wait anxiously for her to kick-start the next round of stimulating conversation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/relieved-i-wait-anxiously-for-her-to-kick-start-the-next-round-of/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) > [“I’ve never seen her with the Sunday night blues—the bleakness that hits you when you know the weekend’s coming to an end and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/i-ve-never-seen-her-with-the-sunday-night-blues-the-bleakness-that/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) > [“I dig into my Cobb salad, waiting to jump knee deep into the subject I really want to talk about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/i-dig-into-my-cobb-salad-waiting-to-jump-knee-deep-into-the-subject-i/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) > [“She must sense we’re annoyed because she unleashes a flurry of words that make me think at one point she’s speaking in a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/she-must-sense-we-re-annoyed-because-she-unleashes-a-flurry-of-words/) [Alretha Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) [Explore all 7 Alretha Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/) ## More Fixated quotes > [I'm not fixated on death but I know tomorrows are not guaranteed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/i-m-not-fixated-on-death-but-i-know-tomorrows-are-not-guaranteed/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [I was really fixated when I was a child. Again my mother was just talking to me about this, about how I would how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-crewdson/i-was-really-fixated-when-i-was-a-child-again-my-mother-was-just/) [Gregory Crewdson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-crewdson/) > [If I find a cute skirt, I'm not fixated on a brand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/if-i-find-a-cute-skirt-i-m-not-fixated-on-a-brand/) [Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/) > [To be fixated on Sahaja Samadhi is to be fixated. To be fixated on the idea of being not fixated is fixation too. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/to-be-fixated-on-sahaja-samadhi-is-to-be-fixated-to-be-fixated-on-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“…her eyes are fixated on Colton. I want to tell her I understand, I’m under his spell too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/her-eyes-are-fixated-on-colton-i-want-to-tell-her-i-understand-i-m/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [I'd rather see a kid get fixated on something they can turn into a career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/i-d-rather-see-a-kid-get-fixated-on-something-they-can-turn-into-a/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“When I find that stubbornness continually overrides common sense regardless of the logic of my argument, it seems that the only effective solution is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/when-i-find-that-stubbornness-continually-overrides-common-sense/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I tried to abandon my tenacity, but I just couldn't let it go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/i-tried-to-abandon-my-tenacity-but-i-just-couldn-t-let-it-go/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [“People are crazy and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range I used to care, but things have changed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/people-are-crazy-and-times-are-strange-i-m-locked-in-tight-i-m-out-of/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Because of social media, we're so fixated on our appearances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/because-of-social-media-we-re-so-fixated-on-our-appearances/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [I was so fixated on being a wife and being there for someone else that I kind of neglected who I was as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keyshia-cole/i-was-so-fixated-on-being-a-wife-and-being-there-for-someone-else/) [Keyshia Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keyshia-cole/) > [I may not have a practical mind, but it's very fixated on concrete things. I like detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-guillermoprieto/i-may-not-have-a-practical-mind-but-it-s-very-fixated-on-concrete/) [Alma Guillermoprieto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-guillermoprieto/) > [To live fixated on the future is to engage in psychological denial. It is a form of psychic violence that prepares us to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-live-fixated-on-the-future-is-to-engage-in-psychological-denial-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) [Browse all 14 Fixated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and you have no idea what you’re going to come up against.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alretha Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go-overboard-and-you-have-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fixated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go-overboard-and-you-have-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/638/alretha-thomas-52822_fixated_once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go_2784754.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Once you get fixated on something, you go overboard, and you have no idea what you’re going to come up…” — Alretha Thomas", "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": "Alretha Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alretha-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Once you get fixated on something,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go-overboard-and-you-have-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alretha-thomas/once-you-get-fixated-on-something-you-go-overboard-and-you-have-no/#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 } } ] } ```