---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we…"
description: "\"“Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the plans go awry. Control is an illusion; best intentions are the best we can do.”\" — Anna Quindlen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png"
---

#  Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the…

![“Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the plans go awry. Control is an illusion; best intentions are the best we can do.” quote by Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png)

> ““Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the plans go awry. Control is an illusion; best intentions are the best we can do.””

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Life is unpredictable; plans often fail, so we must accept uncertainty and do our best.

**In simple terms:** Plans fail; accept uncertainty.

Key Takeaway

Embrace flexibility and focus on intent.

Themes

uncertainty control intent

Mood

reflective calm

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal setbacks
- project management
- health crises
- relationship conflicts

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you respond when plans collapse?
- What practices help you stay grounded amid uncertainty?

A Different Perspective

Plans cannot guarantee outcomes; adaptability is required.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Best intentions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-intentions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/)

## Related quotes

> [The things we do to our children - most of the evil in the world is not done with bad intentions but with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/the-things-we-do-to-our-children-most-of-the-evil-in-the-world-is-not/)

[Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/)

> [Life itself is a haphazard, untidy, messy affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/life-itself-is-a-haphazard-untidy-messy-affair/)

[Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/)

> [“The best way to analyze anyone consists in mirroring their behaviors and words, as when you do it they reveal their real intentions. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/the-best-way-to-analyze-anyone-consists-in-mirroring-their-behaviors/)

[Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/)

> [“I'm still of the same mind. For many years I've been ashamed, mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-m-still-of-the-same-mind-for-many-years-i-ve-been-ashamed-mortally/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“So I found myself asking the question: what is the opposite of a mistake? And I realised there wasn’t a word, in fact, precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/so-i-found-myself-asking-the-question-what-is-the-opposite-of-a/)

[William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/)

> [“Sometimes our best intentions are not enough, but always remain genuine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-michelle-carithers/sometimes-our-best-intentions-are-not-enough-but-always-remain-genuine/)

M (Michelle) Carithers

> [“Only a foolish soul would love the stars. As beautiful as they are, they will burn you. Regardless of your best intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendal-rob/only-a-foolish-soul-would-love-the-stars-as-beautiful-as-they-are/)

[Kendal Rob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendal-rob/)

> [Even if you have the best intentions, there may sometimes be a price or a cost or a pushback against what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/even-if-you-have-the-best-intentions-there-may-sometimes-be-a-price/)

[Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/)

> [In terms of how the music developed, it was my normal process, which I would say is really a hybrid process of sketching on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-richter/in-terms-of-how-the-music-developed-it-was-my-normal-process-which-i/)

[Max Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-richter/)

> [“The greatest harm can result from the best intentions - Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-greatest-harm-can-result-from-the-best-intentions-zeddicus-zu-l/)

[Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/)

> [Even with the best intentions, growing apart might just be an inevitable part of growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/even-with-the-best-intentions-growing-apart-might-just-be-an/)

[Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/)

> [I can only think seriously of trying to live up to an ideal, to improve myself, if I am split in two pieces. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/i-can-only-think-seriously-of-trying-to-live-up-to-an-ideal-to/)

[Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/)

> [Time and distance have a way of playing tricks with your best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/time-and-distance-have-a-way-of-playing-tricks-with-your-best/)

[Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/)

> [“Our best intentions are the most impactful when they are formed by the actual needs and desires of our community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-docusen/our-best-intentions-are-the-most-impactful-when-they-are-formed-by/)

David Docusen

> [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/)

[Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/)

## More by Anna Quindlen

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Sometimes change came all at once, with a sound like a fire taking hold of dry wood and paper, with a roar that rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/sometimes-change-came-all-at-once-with-a-sound-like-a-fire-taking/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Loss as muse. Loss as character. Loss as life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/loss-as-muse-loss-as-character-loss-as-life/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/knowledge-of-our-own-mortality-is-the-greatest-gift-god-ever-gives-us/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [You teach your 16-year-old with your heart in your mouth to be a good driver and none of that makes any difference when some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/you-teach-your-16-year-old-with-your-heart-in-your-mouth-to-be-a-good/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Every reader, I suspect, has a book like this somewhere in his or her past, a book that seemed to hold within it, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/every-reader-i-suspect-has-a-book-like-this-somewhere-in-his-or-her/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [“I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-ve-finally-recognized-my-body-for-what-it-is-a-personality-delivery/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [A man who builds his own pedestal had better use strong cement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/a-man-who-builds-his-own-pedestal-had-better-use-strong-cement/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [“In England I am always madam; I arrived too late to ever be a miss. In New York I have only been madamed once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/in-england-i-am-always-madam-i-arrived-too-late-to-ever-be-a-miss-in/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [“Yet there was always in me, even when I was very small, the sense that I ought to be somewhere else. And wander I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/yet-there-was-always-in-me-even-when-i-was-very-small-the-sense-that/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [I can't think of a single downside to motherhood now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-can-t-think-of-a-single-downside-to-motherhood-now/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It would take a helluva man to replace no man at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/it-would-take-a-helluva-man-to-replace-no-man-at-all/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Not writing at all leads to nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/not-writing-at-all-leads-to-nothing/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Reading has always been my home, my sustenance, my great invincible companion. "Book love," Trollope called it. "It will make your hours pleasant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/reading-has-always-been-my-home-my-sustenance-my-great-invincible/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

[Explore all 538 Anna Quindlen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

## More Best intentions quotes

> [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/)

[Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/)

> [“Our best intentions are the most impactful when they are formed by the actual needs and desires of our community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-docusen/our-best-intentions-are-the-most-impactful-when-they-are-formed-by/)

David Docusen

> [Time and distance have a way of playing tricks with your best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/time-and-distance-have-a-way-of-playing-tricks-with-your-best/)

[Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/)

> [I can only think seriously of trying to live up to an ideal, to improve myself, if I am split in two pieces. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/i-can-only-think-seriously-of-trying-to-live-up-to-an-ideal-to/)

[Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/)

> [Even with the best intentions, growing apart might just be an inevitable part of growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/even-with-the-best-intentions-growing-apart-might-just-be-an/)

[Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/)

> [“The greatest harm can result from the best intentions - Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-greatest-harm-can-result-from-the-best-intentions-zeddicus-zu-l/)

[Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/)

> [In terms of how the music developed, it was my normal process, which I would say is really a hybrid process of sketching on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-richter/in-terms-of-how-the-music-developed-it-was-my-normal-process-which-i/)

[Max Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-richter/)

> [Even if you have the best intentions, there may sometimes be a price or a cost or a pushback against what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/even-if-you-have-the-best-intentions-there-may-sometimes-be-a-price/)

[Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/)

> [“Only a foolish soul would love the stars. As beautiful as they are, they will burn you. Regardless of your best intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendal-rob/only-a-foolish-soul-would-love-the-stars-as-beautiful-as-they-are/)

[Kendal Rob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendal-rob/)

> [“Sometimes our best intentions are not enough, but always remain genuine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-michelle-carithers/sometimes-our-best-intentions-are-not-enough-but-always-remain-genuine/)

M (Michelle) Carithers

> [“So I found myself asking the question: what is the opposite of a mistake? And I realised there wasn’t a word, in fact, precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/so-i-found-myself-asking-the-question-what-is-the-opposite-of-a/)

[William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/)

> [“I'm still of the same mind. For many years I've been ashamed, mortally ashamed, of having been, even with the best intentions, even at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-m-still-of-the-same-mind-for-many-years-i-ve-been-ashamed-mortally/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“...I feel like a traitor, a phony, a fake. But I am a hypocrite with the best intentions, and I need kissing desperately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-j-ginger/i-feel-like-a-traitor-a-phony-a-fake-but-i-am-a-hypocrite-with-the/)

Coco J. Ginger

> [“Maybe you will never be able to forgive me, but I wanted you to know I had the best intentions-and I still love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-you-will-never-be-able-to-forgive-me-but-i-wanted-you-to-know-i/)

[Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/)

> [“The maxim, by which we commonly conduct ourselves in our reasonings, is, that the objects, of which we have no experience, resemble those, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-maxim-by-which-we-commonly-conduct-ourselves-in-our-reasonings-is/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

[Browse all 158 Best intentions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-intentions/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the plans go awry. Control is an illusion; best intentions are the best we can do.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anna Quindlen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-deal-when-the-plans-go-awry/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best intentions"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-deal-when-the-plans-go-awry/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97b/anna-quindlen-467_best-intentions_life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-de_2504073.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life is haphazard. We plan, and then we deal when the plans go awry. Control is an illusion; best intentions…” — Anna Quindlen",
                "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": "Anna Quindlen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Life is haphazard. We plan, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-deal-when-the-plans-go-awry/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/life-is-haphazard-we-plan-and-then-we-deal-when-the-plans-go-awry/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```