--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When what you're doing hasn't worked for…" description: "\"When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's time to try something new.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg" --- # When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's… ![“When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's time to try something new.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg) > “When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's time to try something new.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long‑standing methods that fail need new approaches. **In simple terms:** Old failed methods need new ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace innovation. Themes change innovation politics Mood hopeful determined Type political motivational When to use this quote - business strategy - education reform - technology adoption - social movements Key Concepts policy reform strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - What barriers stop old systems changing? - How can we test new ideas safely? A Different Perspective New ideas may face resistance or unknown. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [50 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/50-years/) [Hasn Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hasn-worked-313090/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-try/) [Try Something New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-something-new/) [Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked/) [Worked 50](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-50-271935/) ## Related quotes > [When what you’re doing doesn’t work for 50 years, it’s time to try something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-what-you-re-doing-doesn-t-work-for-50-years-it-s-time-to-try/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [If you can do something with your eyes closed, it is time to try something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathie-lee-gifford/if-you-can-do-something-with-your-eyes-closed-it-is-time-to-try/) [Kathie Lee Gifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathie-lee-gifford/) > [Everything will work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, we are not at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-will-work-out-in-the-end-if-it-hasn-t-worked-out-we-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You've done proper already, and it hasn't worked. It's time you do dirty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-probst/you-ve-done-proper-already-and-it-hasn-t-worked-it-s-time-you-do-dirty/) [Jennifer Probst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-probst/) > [I think the thing's that perhaps sad really is that younger people haven't come in and I think it must have been absolutely fantastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/i-think-the-thing-s-that-perhaps-sad-really-is-that-younger-people/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [I came out of repertory theater, where I worked 50 weeks a year, and I loved working with a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-auberjonois/i-came-out-of-repertory-theater-where-i-worked-50-weeks-a-year-and-i-2/) [Rene Auberjonois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-auberjonois/) > [I had a lot of jobs. I worked over 50 jobs before I rapped for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruce/i-had-a-lot-of-jobs-i-worked-over-50-jobs-before-i-rapped-for-a-living/) [Joseph Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruce/) > [I came out of repertory theater, where I worked 50 weeks a year, and I loved working with the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-auberjonois/i-came-out-of-repertory-theater-where-i-worked-50-weeks-a-year-and-i/) [Rene Auberjonois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-auberjonois/) > [Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it's time to try something new. Let's invest in our people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/rather-than-fight-the-same-tired-battles-that-have-dominated/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“No wonder these people don’t believe in evolution. It obviously hasn’t worked in their favor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeri-smith-ready/no-wonder-these-people-don-t-believe-in-evolution-it-obviously-hasn-t/) [Jeri Smith-Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeri-smith-ready/) > [Being "pretty" hasn't worked for me yet!! But I'm still trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-pretty-hasn-t-worked-for-me-yet-but-i-m-still-trying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It’ll all work out in the end. And if it hasn’t worked out yet, that’s because it is not the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cap-n-fatty-goodlander/it-ll-all-work-out-in-the-end-and-if-it-hasn-t-worked-out-yet-that-s/) [Cap'n Fatty Goodlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cap-n-fatty-goodlander/) > [If something hasn't worked for 44 years, you have to try something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-backlund/if-something-hasn-t-worked-for-44-years-you-have-to-try-something/) [Bob Backlund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-backlund/) > [I write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/i-write-in-order-to-make-the-little-voices-in-my-head-go-away-thus/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [Everything will work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, well maybe it's not the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-will-work-out-in-the-end-if-it-hasn-t-worked-out-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Time quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [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/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [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/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. 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People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“It was about damn time something happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-was-about-damn-time-something-happened/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) [Browse all 215,255 Time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's time to try something new.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for-50-years-it-s-time-to-try/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for-50-years-it-s-time-to-try/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/barack-obama-17_time_when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for_2871687.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When what you're doing hasn't worked for 50 years, it's time to try something new.” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When what you're doing hasn't worked...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for-50-years-it-s-time-to-try/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-what-you-re-doing-hasn-t-worked-for-50-years-it-s-time-to-try/#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 } } ] } ```