--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes not having any idea where we’re…" description: "\"Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out better than we could possibly have imagined.\" — Ann Patchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg" --- # Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out… ![“Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out better than we could possibly have imagined.” quote by Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg) > “Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out better than we could possibly have imagined.” [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lack of a clear plan can lead to unexpected, beneficial outcomes. **In simple terms:** Unplanned journeys can be rewarding. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and stay open. Themes uncertainty serendipity growth Mood hopeful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - travel - career changes - creative projects Key Concepts emergent outcomes flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance planning with openness? - When has lack of direction helped you? A Different Perspective Too much randomness can cause chaos. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Possibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-possibly-4895899/) [Having Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-idea-231229/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined/) [Possibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibly/) [Possibly Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibly-imagined-1377879/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [“At that moment when John Lennon settled his voice on the back of a dove and released it to the world, could he have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-turpin-myers/at-that-moment-when-john-lennon-settled-his-voice-on-the-back-of-a/) [Janet Turpin Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-turpin-myers/) > [“Her trut meant more to him than he could have possibly imagined. But how the hell was he supposed to keep this light when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/her-trut-meant-more-to-him-than-he-could-have-possibly-imagined-but/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [I believe in the potential of all things possibly imagined that can be made into a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-haglund/i-believe-in-the-potential-of-all-things-possibly-imagined-that-can-2/) [Dean Haglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-haglund/) > [I believe in the potential of all things possibly imagined that can be made into a reality. My uncle was a Swedish scientist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-haglund/i-believe-in-the-potential-of-all-things-possibly-imagined-that-can/) [Dean Haglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-haglund/) > [There's just nothing funnier or crazier than that - doing your Broadway debut as Spider-Man in 'Spider-Man' the musical. It was, like, the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-epstein/there-s-just-nothing-funnier-or-crazier-than-that-doing-your-broadway/) [Jake Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-epstein/) > [I do more writing by myself than with anybody else. My best thing is sitting...around somewhere with a guitar, and having an idea. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-daniels/i-do-more-writing-by-myself-than-with-anybody-else-my-best-thing-is/) [Charlie Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-daniels/) > [I like having an idea, or hearing an idea, and getting it into a proper script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-shuler-donner/i-like-having-an-idea-or-hearing-an-idea-and-getting-it-into-a-proper/) [Lauren Shuler Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-shuler-donner/) > [It is not easy to convey, unless one has experienced it, the dramatic feeling of sudden enlightenment that floods the mind when the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/it-is-not-easy-to-convey-unless-one-has-experienced-it-the-dramatic/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [I have no idea,' he tells her, and there is such a spark in his eye when he says it, she can tell having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/i-have-no-idea-he-tells-her-and-there-is-such-a-spark-in-his-eye-when/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Having an idea is as easy as Relaxing, Napping or Sleeping. The hand work is where reality walks into the Thinking røom. -rickosi4eva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rickosi/having-an-idea-is-as-easy-as-relaxing-napping-or-sleeping-the-hand/) [Richard Rickosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rickosi/) > [Diversifying, to me, is the product of having an idea and knowing to say, 'Let's do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-iovine/diversifying-to-me-is-the-product-of-having-an-idea-and-knowing-to/) [Jimmy Iovine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-iovine/) > [There's no better feeling than having an idea and seeing it become reality, emerging in the physical world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/there-s-no-better-feeling-than-having-an-idea-and-seeing-it-become/) [Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/) > [ “\[Americans\] were, for one thing, so smitten with the idea of progress that they invented things without having any idea whether those things would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/americans-were-for-one-thing-so-smitten-with-the-idea-of-progress/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Entrepreneurship is not really building a product, it's not having an idea, it's not being in the right place at the right time. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/entrepreneurship-is-not-really-building-a-product-it-s-not-having-an/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [Sincerity is never having an idea of oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/sincerity-is-never-having-an-idea-of-oneself/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) ## More by Ann Patchett > [She sang as if she was saving the life of every person in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/she-sang-as-if-she-was-saving-the-life-of-every-person-in-the-room/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [If I had problems, I kept them to myself. I didn't make a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/if-i-had-problems-i-kept-them-to-myself-i-didn-t-make-a-scene/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I can't write the book I want to write, but I can and will write the book I am capable of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-can-t-write-the-book-i-want-to-write-but-i-can-and-will-write-the/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Without worry to protect me, every thought that came into my mind received real attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/without-worry-to-protect-me-every-thought-that-came-into-my-mind/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“I wrote the last sentence of The Patron Saint of Liars in early April and stumbled out of my apartment and into the beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-wrote-the-last-sentence-of-the-patron-saint-of-liars-in-early-april/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“In the future, he will try to say her name enough, but he never can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/in-the-future-he-will-try-to-say-her-name-enough-but-he-never-can/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [My novels are very much the same, as I think many people's novels are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/my-novels-are-very-much-the-same-as-i-think-many-people-s-novels-are/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“He was in love, and never had he felt such kindness towards another person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/he-was-in-love-and-never-had-he-felt-such-kindness-towards-another/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Gen was sleeping the sleep of the heavily drugged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/gen-was-sleeping-the-sleep-of-the-heavily-drugged/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [If I was a waitress, I was too tired at the end of the day when I came home to try to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/if-i-was-a-waitress-i-was-too-tired-at-the-end-of-the-day-when-i-came/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“She didn't know how to hate her mother yet, but every time she left her father crying in the airport she came that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/she-didn-t-know-how-to-hate-her-mother-yet-but-every-time-she-left/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“When you think of love you think as an American. You must think like a Russian. It is a more expansive view.' 'Americans havea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/when-you-think-of-love-you-think-as-an-american-you-must-think-like-a/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“...Nebraska was white, a page as still as fallen snow. It was not crosshatched with roads, overrun with the hard lines of interstate systems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/nebraska-was-white-a-page-as-still-as-fallen-snow-it-was-not/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Clearly he needed a father, but some other father, any other father, would have been preferable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/clearly-he-needed-a-father-but-some-other-father-any-other-father/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“I don't have any talent for vacations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-don-t-have-any-talent-for-vacations/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) [Explore all 413 Ann Patchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## More Ideas quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Browse all 24,908 Ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out better than we could possibly have imagined.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ann Patchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-re-going-works-out-better-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ideas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-re-going-works-out-better-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ann-patchett-670_ideas_sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-r_2211063.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes not having any idea where we’re going works out better than we could possibly have imagined.” — Ann Patchett", "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": "Ann Patchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes not having any idea where...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-re-going-works-out-better-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/sometimes-not-having-any-idea-where-we-re-going-works-out-better-than/#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 } } ] } ```