--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is not about what I have done, what…" description: "\"Life is not about what I have done, what I should have done, what I could have done, it is about what I can do and what I will do.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg" --- # Life is not about what I have done, what I should have… ![“Life is not about what I have done, what I should have done, what I could have done, it is about what I can do and what I will do.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg) > “Life is not about what I have done, what I should have done, what I could have done, it is about what I can do and what I will do.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal agency matters more than past actions; focus on current and future capabilities. **In simple terms:** Focus on what you can do now. Key Takeaway Act on present abilities and future plans. Themes agency action mindset future Mood motivational reflective hopeful Type inspirational self‑help When to use this quote - career decisions - personal development - daily habits - volunteering Key Concepts self‑efficacy goal setting motivation Questions to Reflect On - What can you start doing today? - How do you overcome past‑action guilt? A Different Perspective Past regrets can dominate thoughts and hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Doing your best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-your-best/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Regrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regrets/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Trying hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-hard/) ## Related quotes > [If you can't win, lose like a champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-can-t-win-lose-like-a-champion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes no matter how hard you try it'll not mean much... All you can do is try your best so you have nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-no-matter-how-hard-you-try-it-ll-not-mean-much-all-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have a dream reach for the stars even if you fall in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-dream-reach-for-the-stars-even-if-you-fall-in-the-sky/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes I hear people say something was an ugly win, but I think if you're trying your best, any win is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-hear-people-say-something-was-an-ugly-win-but-i-think-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Try hard, work hard, and rock hard. As long as you do your part and never step on other people's feeling. No need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-hard-work-hard-and-rock-hard-as-long-as-you-do-your-part-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is only one way to succeed at anything and that is to give everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-only-one-way-to-succeed-at-anything-and-that-is-to-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't always be the best at everything, but you can always give your best at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-always-be-the-best-at-everything-but-you-can-always-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Think of it this way, in a 1000 years who's gonna care?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-of-it-this-way-in-a-1000-years-who-s-gonna-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're going to try something , give it your best. What would be the point of trying without you giving your goal your all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-country/if-you-re-going-to-try-something-give-it-your-best-what-would-be-the/) [Michael Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-country/) > [Do your best when no one is looking. If you do that, then you can be successful at anything you put your mind to](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-cousy/do-your-best-when-no-one-is-looking-if-you-do-that-then-you-can-be-2/) [Bob Cousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-cousy/) > [If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/if-you-do-things-well-do-them-better-be-daring-be-first-be-different/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abner-leslie/every-job-is-a-self-portrait-of-the-person-who-does-it-autograph-your/) [Abner Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abner-leslie/) > [You should always be well and bright, for so you do your best work; and you have so much beautiful work to do. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/you-should-always-be-well-and-bright-for-so-you-do-your-best-work-and/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [Relationships last when both of you give it your all. Never hold back and never hold secrets from each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/advice-therapy/relationships-last-when-both-of-you-give-it-your-all-never-hold-back/) [Advice Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/advice-therapy/) > [Advancement only come with habitually doing more than you are asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan/advancement-only-come-with-habitually-doing-more-than-you-are-asked/) [Gary Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life is not about what I have done, what I should have done, what I could have done, it is about what I can do and what I will do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what-i-should-have-done-what-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what-i-should-have-done-what-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4c/anonymous-1_ability_life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what_2852240.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life is not about what I have done, what I should have done, what I could have done, it is about what I can…” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life is not about what I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what-i-should-have-done-what-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-what-i-have-done-what-i-should-have-done-what-i/#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 } } ] } ```