--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you do anything for 40 years, you can…" description: "\"If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're willing to risk it being bad, it can never be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png" --- # If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it… ![“If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're willing to risk it being bad, it can never be great.” quote by Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png) > “If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're willing to risk it being bad, it can never be great.” [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True mastery brings comfort, but greatness demands embracing risk and potential failure. **In simple terms:** Comfort vs. risk for greatness Key Takeaway Risk is essential for excellence Themes risk growth excellence comfort potential Mood determined reflective optimistic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career development - creative projects - entrepreneurship - personal skill building - long‑term learning Key Concepts mastery risk-taking Practical Applications - innovation strategy - personal development Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding? - How could embracing uncertainty improve your work? A Different Perspective Some argue that consistency and incremental improvement can also lead to greatness without dramatic risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [It took me seven years to even comfortably say that I'm an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kubra-sait/it-took-me-seven-years-to-even-comfortably-say-that-i-m-an-actor/) [Kubra Sait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kubra-sait/) > [Most good things come with the risk of something bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/most-good-things-come-with-the-risk-of-something-bad/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [This is the central illusion in life: that randomness is a risk, that it is a bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/this-is-the-central-illusion-in-life-that-randomness-is-a-risk-that/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [People cannot remain good unless good is expected of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/people-cannot-remain-good-unless-good-is-expected-of-them/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [No one who desires to become good will become good unless he does good things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/no-one-who-desires-to-become-good-will-become-good-unless-he-does/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [You are good for nothing unless you are clever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/you-are-good-for-nothing-unless-you-are-clever/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [None of the arts are any good unless you really are great at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/none-of-the-arts-are-any-good-unless-you-really-are-great-at-them/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [The world is sown with good; but unless I turn my glad thoughts into practical living and till my own field. I cannot reap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-world-is-sown-with-good-but-unless-i-turn-my-glad-thoughts-into/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Having the world's best idea will do you no good unless you act on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-grant/having-the-world-s-best-idea-will-do-you-no-good-unless-you-act-on-it/) Curtis Grant > [“Knowing where you are is no good unless you know what way to go”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-hamilton/knowing-where-you-are-is-no-good-unless-you-know-what-way-to-go/) Jackson hamilton > [Positive is always good, unless you took a pregnancy test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-is-always-good-unless-you-took-a-pregnancy-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once you have your schtick that you think is good, unless you got something way better, just do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/once-you-have-your-schtick-that-you-think-is-good-unless-you-got/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [You can't get good at anything unless you do it day in and day out, over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/you-can-t-get-good-at-anything-unless-you-do-it-day-in-and-day-out/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [It doesn't pay to be good at something unless you are the absolute best at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/it-doesn-t-pay-to-be-good-at-something-unless-you-are-the-absolute/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/undertake-something-that-is-difficult-it-will-do-you-good-unless-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Arlo Guthrie > [If readers understand that they do not understand what they are reading then they must possess an understanding which is superior to the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-readers-understand-that-they-do-not-understand-what-they-are/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Ostrich is a very lean meat. Bison is a very lean meat. Chicken is a very lean meat. Notice something about my favorite meats?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/ostrich-is-a-very-lean-meat-bison-is-a-very-lean-meat-chicken-is-a/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Folk music is music that everyday people can play, and it inspired a lot of people to make their own music. That trailed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/folk-music-is-music-that-everyday-people-can-play-and-it-inspired-a/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [I left the entertainment industry part of my life behind in 1983, when we decided not to work with major record companies anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-left-the-entertainment-industry-part-of-my-life-behind-in-1983-when/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Everyone has a responsibility to not only tolerate another person's point of view, but also to accept it eagerly as a challenge to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/everyone-has-a-responsibility-to-not-only-tolerate-another-person-s/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [I thought I would be governor of Massachusetts. I stood on a pile of my old albums and said, 'I'm the only one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-thought-i-would-be-governor-of-massachusetts-i-stood-on-a-pile-of/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Probably my two biggest musical influences were the Everly Brothers and the Beatles, in chronological order. Both of them have had a very simple-sounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/probably-my-two-biggest-musical-influences-were-the-everly-brothers/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [People were talking about songs of the common man in order to make the common man. With Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/people-were-talking-about-songs-of-the-common-man-in-order-to-make/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [My mother had introduced me to a lot of my father's friends because she believed that I would get to know the guy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/my-mother-had-introduced-me-to-a-lot-of-my-father-s-friends-because/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Everywhere I go, I see all kinds of people at my shows - conservatives, liberals, new-agers, teen-agers, old pensioners. And for those people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/everywhere-i-go-i-see-all-kinds-of-people-at-my-shows-conservatives/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [I froze in time! And I thought, "My God... I'm free!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-froze-in-time-and-i-thought-my-god-i-m-free/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Along with a sense of humor, my songs have to be sincere, and they have to be sung from a position of inner conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/along-with-a-sense-of-humor-my-songs-have-to-be-sincere-and-they-have/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Be serious. Folk songs are serious. That's what Pete Seeger told me. Arlo, I only wanna tell you one thing. Folk songs are serious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/be-serious-folk-songs-are-serious-that-s-what-pete-seeger-told-me/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Greed and globalization aren't just America's fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/greed-and-globalization-aren-t-just-america-s-fault/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [I don't want a pickle, I just want ride on my motorcikle. I don't want to die, I just want a ride on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-don-t-want-a-pickle-i-just-want-ride-on-my-motorcikle-i-don-t-want/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) [Explore all 59 Arlo Guthrie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're willing to risk it being bad, it can never be great.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arlo Guthrie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can-do-it-comfortably-and-it-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can-do-it-comfortably-and-it-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/970/arlo-guthrie-11642_always_if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can_47046.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're…” — Arlo Guthrie", "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": "Arlo Guthrie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you do anything for 40...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can-do-it-comfortably-and-it-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can-do-it-comfortably-and-it-will/#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 } } ] } ```