---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You’re only going to be as good as the…"
description: "\"You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.\" — Austin Kleon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png"
---

#  You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround…

![“You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.” quote by Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png)

> “You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.”

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

## About This Quote

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

Your environment shapes your abilities; surrounding yourself with quality influences improves your own work.

**In simple terms:** Good surroundings boost personal quality.

Key Takeaway

Curate your environment for better output.

Themes

creativity influence environment growth habits

Mood

inspirational practical

Type

self‑help motivational

When to use this quote

- workspace design
- media consumption
- networking
- skill development

Key Concepts

Creative ecosystems peer influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your current environment affect your work?
- What changes could raise your standards?

A Different Perspective

Quality of surroundings can be limited by access or cost.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Letting go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-go/)

## Related quotes

> [Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/faith-doesn-t-mean-that-you-don-t-have-doubts/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/curiosity-keeps-leading-us-down-new-paths/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-the-process-of-letting-go-you-will-lose-many-things-from-the-past-2/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-jampolsky/inner-peace-can-be-reached-only-when-we-practice-forgiveness-2/)

[Gerald Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-jampolsky/)

> [Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/around-here-however-we-don-t-look-backwards-for-very-long/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [If you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl, but keep moving forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-can-t-run-walk-if-you-can-t-walk-crawl-but-keep-moving-forward/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/think-about-any-attachments-that-are-depleting-your-emotional/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [You can't start the next chapter of your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcmillian/you-can-t-start-the-next-chapter-of-your-life/)

[Michael McMillian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcmillian/)

> [Never fall out of love with life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/never-fall-out-of-love-with-life/)

[Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/)

> [Winning isn't the end of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pleat/winning-isn-t-the-end-of-the-world/)

[David Pleat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pleat/)

> [Ignore reality, there's nothing you can do about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-imbruglia/ignore-reality-there-s-nothing-you-can-do-about-it/)

[Natalie Imbruglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-imbruglia/)

> [You can only lose what you cling to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/you-can-only-lose-what-you-cling-to/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [You've got to make a conscious choice every day to shed the old - whatever "the old" means for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/you-ve-got-to-make-a-conscious-choice-every-day-to-shed-the-old/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [We lost not only through death, but also by leaving and being left, by changing and letting go and moving on. And our losses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/we-lost-not-only-through-death-but-also-by-leaving-and-being-left-by/)

[Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/)

> [Suffering is not holding you. You are holding suffering. When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go, then you'll come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/suffering-is-not-holding-you-you-are-holding-suffering-when-you/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

## More by Austin Kleon

> [“The thing is, you can cut off a couple passions and only focus on one, but after a while, you’ll start to feel phantom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-thing-is-you-can-cut-off-a-couple-passions-and-only-focus-on-one/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-think-of-your-website-as-a-self-promotion-machine-think-of-it/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can’t steal. You will take what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/we-want-you-to-take-from-us-we-want-you-at-first-to-steal-from-us/)

[austin kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Validation is for parking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/validation-is-for-parking/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-want-fans-you-have-to-be-a-fan-first-if-you-want-to-be/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Social media sites are the perfect place to share daily updates. Don’t worry about being on every platform; pick and choose based on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/social-media-sites-are-the-perfect-place-to-share-daily-updates-don-t/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Writing a page a day doesn't seem like much, but do it for 365 days and you have enough to fill a novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/writing-a-page-a-day-doesn-t-seem-like-much-but-do-it-for-365-days/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/be-boring-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-work-done/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn't online, it doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/it-sounds-a-little-extreme-but-in-this-day-and-age-if-your-work-isn-t/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. If I'd waited to know who I was or what I was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-wait-until-you-know-who-you-are-to-get-started-if-i-d-waited-to/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings. You need to make it uncomfortable. You need to spend some time in another land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/your-brain-gets-too-comfortable-in-your-everyday-surroundings-you/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/nothing-is-more-paralyzing-than-the-idea-of-limitless-possibilities/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Whenever Picasso learned how to do something, he abandoned it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/whenever-picasso-learned-how-to-do-something-he-abandoned-it/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something “original,” nine out of ten times they just don’t know the references or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-writer-jonathan-lethem-has-said-that-when-people-call-something/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [“Stock and flow” is an economic concept that writer Robin Sloan has adapted into a metaphor for media: “Flow is the feed. It’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/stock-and-flow-is-an-economic-concept-that-writer-robin-sloan-has/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

[Explore all 204 Austin Kleon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

## More Going quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/)

[Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/)

[Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/)

> [“I’m not even going to ask you where you got that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mackey/i-m-not-even-going-to-ask-you-where-you-got-that/)

Mark Mackey

> [This is how McGregor is, waging mental warfare before the fights. There's no way that guy is going to get in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/this-is-how-mcgregor-is-waging-mental-warfare-before-the-fights-there/)

[Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/)

> [For me, going to Minneapolis is like going to Mecca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-pastis/for-me-going-to-minneapolis-is-like-going-to-mecca/)

[Stephan Pastis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-pastis/)

> [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/)

Ryan Newman

> [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/)

[Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

> [I want to help people struggling with whatever it is they're going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-want-to-help-people-struggling-with-whatever-it-is-they-re-going/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

Browse all 15,485 Going quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Austin Kleon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-stuff-you-surround-yourself/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Going"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-stuff-you-surround-yourself/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/austin-kleon-1835_going_you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-s_3204661.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.” — Austin Kleon",
                "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": "Austin Kleon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You’re only going to be as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-stuff-you-surround-yourself/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-re-only-going-to-be-as-good-as-the-stuff-you-surround-yourself/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
