--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing that matters my goal my…" description: "\"The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning my end is the work itself. My work done my way. A private personal selfish egotistical motiv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg" --- # The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning… ![“The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning my end is the work itself. My work done my way. A private personal selfish egotistical motivation. That’s the only way I function. That’s all I am.” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg) > “The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning my end is the work itself. My work done my way. A private personal selfish egotistical motivation. That’s the only way I function. That’s all I am.” [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes that personal fulfillment comes from doing work for its own sake, driven by selfish, egoistic motives. **In simple terms:** Work itself is the reward; ego fuels it. Key Takeaway Embrace work as your own purpose. Themes individualism ego purpose work selfishness Mood determined reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career building - creative projects - entrepreneurship - personal development - artistic pursuits Key Concepts Objectivism existentialism motivation Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to work beyond external rewards? - How does ego shape your goals? A Different Perspective May neglect of community and collaboration limit long‑term impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Egotistical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egotistical/) [Egotistical Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egotistical-motivation-4638807/) [End Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-work-516481/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [My way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-way/) [Personal Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-selfish-4321575/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfish Egotistical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-egotistical-751661/) [Things that matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-that-matter/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Work done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-done/) ## Related quotes > [I'm going to be meeting with people today who talk too much - people who are selfish, egotistical, ungrateful. But I won't be surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/i-m-going-to-be-meeting-with-people-today-who-talk-too-much-people/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“One gains a profoundly personal, selfish joy from the mere existence of the person one loves. It is one’s own personal, selfish happiness that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/one-gains-a-profoundly-personal-selfish-joy-from-the-mere-existence/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [It is one's own personal, selfish happiness that one seeks, earns, and derives from love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/it-is-one-s-own-personal-selfish-happiness-that-one-seeks-earns-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I like to receive money for my work. But I can pass that up this time. I like to have people know my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/i-like-to-receive-money-for-my-work-but-i-can-pass-that-up-this-time/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [A personal selfish prayer is bad whether made before an image or an unseen God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-personal-selfish-prayer-is-bad-whether-made-before-an-image-or-an/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“You arrogant, selfish, egotistical, medieval, despotic, swollen-headed, dumb, idiot penis owner!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-warren/you-arrogant-selfish-egotistical-medieval-despotic-swollen-headed/) [Christine Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-warren/) > [“Even though our most prized personal bondings are, generally, selfish and egotistical, they are also our saviour. Through them, we learn to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/even-though-our-most-prized-personal-bondings-are-generally-selfish/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [“Racers are often called selfish and egotistical. I myself have called race car drivers selfish; I was wrong. To be a champion, you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/racers-are-often-called-selfish-and-egotistical-i-myself-have-called/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [In the end it's about the work, not an award you get for the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-fiorentino/in-the-end-it-s-about-the-work-not-an-award-you-get-for-the-work/) [Linda Fiorentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-fiorentino/) > [On my end, the work is never changing. My process, my way in - I don't save myself for the big roles and phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/on-my-end-the-work-is-never-changing-my-process-my-way-in-i-don-t/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [Establish a closing ritual. Know when to stop working. Try to end each work day the same way, too. Straighten up your desk. Back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/establish-a-closing-ritual-know-when-to-stop-working-try-to-end-each/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Yes, God is the end of your work, but He is the beginning also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-barber-lightfoot/yes-god-is-the-end-of-your-work-but-he-is-the-beginning-also/) [Joseph Barber Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-barber-lightfoot/) > [The downside of word processing - it's quite possible to never end a work-in-progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-starlin/the-downside-of-word-processing-it-s-quite-possible-to-never-end-a/) [Jim Starlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-starlin/) > [I love comedy, and I'd love to do more of it, but I end up with the work I end up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-pedersen/i-love-comedy-and-i-d-love-to-do-more-of-it-but-i-end-up-with-the/) [Aaron Pedersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-pedersen/) > [I wish 'You idiot.' was an appropriate way to end a work email.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-you-idiot-was-an-appropriate-way-to-end-a-work-email/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Ayn Rand > [There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-white-lies-there-is-only-the-blackest-of-destruction-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [She watched the prairies the rivers, the towns slipping past at an untouchable distance below - and she noted that the sense of detachment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-watched-the-prairies-the-rivers-the-towns-slipping-past-at-an/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“This was reality, she thought, this sense of clear outlines, of purpose, of lightness, of hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-was-reality-she-thought-this-sense-of-clear-outlines-of-purpose/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. It is merely the sum of endless numbers of individual minds. If we have an endless number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-collective-mind-does-not-exist-it-is-merely-the-sum-of-endless/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Lobbying' is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators. It is the result and creation of a mixed economy-of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/lobbying-is-the-activity-of-attempting-to-influence-legislation-by/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“She moved her hand and let it rest against his. He did not withdraw his fingers and he did not pretend indifference. She bent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-moved-her-hand-and-let-it-rest-against-his-he-did-not-withdraw/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [This miracle of me is mine to own and keep, and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-miracle-of-me-is-mine-to-own-and-keep-and-mine-to-guard-and-mine/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“There was still one response, the greatest, that she had missed. She thought: To find a feeling that would hold, as their sum, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-was-still-one-response-the-greatest-that-she-had-missed-she/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Inflation is not caused by the actions of private citizens, but by the government: by an artificial expansion of the money supply required to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/inflation-is-not-caused-by-the-actions-of-private-citizens-but-by-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“We are fornicating in the sight of six billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-fornicating-in-the-sight-of-six-billion-people/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“She was fifteen when it occurred to her for the first time that women did not run railroads and that people might object. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-was-fifteen-when-it-occurred-to-her-for-the-first-time-that-women/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Fransisco, you're some kind of very high nobility, aren't you?" He answered, "Not yet. The reason my family has lasted for such a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/fransisco-you-re-some-kind-of-very-high-nobility-aren-t-you-he/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Have you felt it too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you- except the things that count? And your most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/have-you-felt-it-too-have-you-seen-how-your-best-friends-love/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [We are all brothers under the skin - and I, for one, would be willing to skin humanity to prove it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-all-brothers-under-the-skin-and-i-for-one-would-be-willing-to/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) [Explore all 1,777 Ayn Rand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [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/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [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/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [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/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning my end is the work itself. My work done my way. A private personal selfish egotistical motivation. That’s the only way I function. That’s all I am.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ayn Rand" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-reward-my-beginning-my-end-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-reward-my-beginning-my-end-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/348/ayn-rand-59_done_the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-r_2169321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing that matters my goal my reward my beginning my end is the work itself. My work done my way. A…” — Ayn Rand", "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": "Ayn Rand", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only thing that matters my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-reward-my-beginning-my-end-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-only-thing-that-matters-my-goal-my-reward-my-beginning-my-end-is/#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 } } ] } ```