--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was…" description: "\"“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/bill-burnett-15078_alarm-clock_answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was_44728.jpg" --- # answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to… ![“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should make him happy. It should be enough? But Donald had another dysfunctional belief: that he couldn’t stop doing what he’d always done. If only the…” quote by Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/bill-burnett-15078_alarm-clock_answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was_44728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/bill-burnett-15078_alarm-clock_answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was_44728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/bill-burnett-15078_alarm-clock_answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was_44728.jpg) > ““answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should make him happy. It should be enough? But Donald had another dysfunctional belief: that he couldn’t stop doing what he’d always done. If only the guy in the mirror could have told him that he was not alone, and he did not have to do what he had always done. In the United States alone, more than thirty-one million people between ages forty-four and seventy want what is often called an “encore” career—work that combines personal meaning, continued income, and social impact. Some of those thirty-one million have found their encore careers, and many others have no idea where to begin, and fear it’s too late in life to make a big change. Dysfunctional Belief: It’s too late. Reframe: It’s never too late to design a life you love. Three people. Three big problems. Designers Love Problems Look around you. Look at your office or home, the chair you are sitting on, the tablet or smartphone you may be holding. Everything that surrounds us was designed by someone. And every design started with a problem. The problem of not being able to listen to a lot of music without carrying around a suitcase of CDs is the reason why you can listen to three thousand songs on a one-inch square object clipped to your shirt. It’s only because of a problem that your phone fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, or that your laptop gets five hours of battery life, or that your alarm clock plays the sound of chirping birds. Now, the annoying sound of an alarm clock may not seem like a big problem in the grand scheme of things, but it was problem”” [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often cling to outdated beliefs about success and timing, preventing them from pursuing meaningful, later‑life careers; reframing these beliefs can unlock purpose and impact. **In simple terms:** Redefine success beyond early achievement. Key Takeaway It's never too late to redesign your life. Themes Midlife career transition Dysfunctional belief Design thinking Purposeful work Social impact Mood Hopeful Reflective Type Inspirational Advisory When to use this quote - Feeling stuck in a long‑term job - Desiring more meaning after retirement age - Seeking a new professional identity Key Concepts Belief reframing Problem‑driven design Encore career Practical Applications - Coaching programs for late‑career pivots - Workshops on redesigning personal narratives Questions to Reflect On - What belief holds you back from a new direction? - How can you apply design thinking to your current role? A Different Perspective Some argue that structural barriers, not mindset, limit late‑career change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alarm clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarm-clock/) [Battery Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battery-life/) [Belief Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-late-659294/) [Big problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-problem/) [Change Dysfunctional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-dysfunctional-659296/) [Design Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-life-437549/) [Donald Dysfunctional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/donald-dysfunctional-659295/) [Dysfunctional Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dysfunctional-belief-659293/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-problem/) [Social impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-impact/) [Successful work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-work/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [“Dysfunctional Belief: To be happy, I have to make the right choice. Reframe: There is no right choice—only good choosing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-to-be-happy-i-have-to-make-the-right-choice/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: I should already know where I’m going. Reframe: You can’t know where you are going until you know where you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-i-should-already-know-where-i-m-going-reframe/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: Networking is just hustling people—it’s slimy. Reframe: Networking is just asking for directions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-networking-is-just-hustling-people-it-s-slimy/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: You should focus on your need to find a job. 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Reframe: I am pursuing a number of offers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-i-am-looking-for-a-job-reframe-i-am-pursuing-a/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“They convinced our mothers that if a food item came in a bottle -- or a can or a box or a cellophane bag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-francis-moore/they-convinced-our-mothers-that-if-a-food-item-came-in-a-bottle-or-a/) [Michael Francis Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-francis-moore/) > [I am the expert on battery life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-am-the-expert-on-battery-life/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“The Chromebook 13 is up for pre-order today, starting at $279 with a 1,366 x 768 display, and $299 for the full HD model.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-chromebook-13-is-up-for-pre-order-today-starting-at-279-with-a-1/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Flattery has a short battery life, but reminding people they are amazing and precious and wanted and works of art can truly change their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/flattery-has-a-short-battery-life-but-reminding-people-they-are/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [In this age of instant communication, the phone battery life seems to take centre stage. Spare a thought for your own life and after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mufti-ismail-menk/in-this-age-of-instant-communication-the-phone-battery-life-seems-to/) [Mufti Ismail Menk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mufti-ismail-menk/) > [The lights are better, safer, and start at around $20. They use less battery power. Normally you get 8 to 10 hours of battery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hall/the-lights-are-better-safer-and-start-at-around-20-they-use-less/) [Mark Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hall/) > [I believe that the Apple Shuffle is an excellent compromise among the conflicting requirements of simplicity, elegance, size, battery life, and function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-that-the-apple-shuffle-is-an-excellent-compromise-among-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the thing about Apple, we complain and they give us more battery life. We complain and they'll give us more stuff. Everything's beta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinbad/here-s-the-thing-about-apple-we-complain-and-they-give-us-more/) [Sinbad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinbad/) > [“Unlike most electronic devices, we wanted to keep Kindle simple. Kindle is wireless and ready to use right out of the box – no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/unlike-most-electronic-devices-we-wanted-to-keep-kindle-simple-kindle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bill Burnett > [“When you finally get down to making a choice from your narrowed-down list of alternatives, and you’ve cognitively evaluated the issues, and emotionally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/when-you-finally-get-down-to-making-a-choice-from-your-narrowed-down/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: To be happy, I have to make the right choice. Reframe: There is no right choice—only good choosing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-to-be-happy-i-have-to-make-the-right-choice/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“We mostly use cognitive knowing—all that good, objective, organized, informational kind of knowing—the sort of knowing that gets you A’s in school. But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/we-mostly-use-cognitive-knowing-all-that-good-objective-organized/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Design doesn’t just work for creating cool stuff like computers and Ferraris; it works in creating a cool life. 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Reframe: Happiness is letting go of what you don’t need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-happiness-is-having-it-all-reframe-happiness-is/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Dysfunctional Belief: I am looking for a job. Reframe: I am pursuing a number of offers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/dysfunctional-belief-i-am-looking-for-a-job-reframe-i-am-pursuing-a/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“It's worth emphasizing that failures and hardships are a part of every life, even the well-designed ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/it-s-worth-emphasizing-that-failures-and-hardships-are-a-part-of/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“In fact, in the United States, only 27 percent of college grads end up in a career related to their majors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/in-fact-in-the-united-states-only-27-percent-of-college-grads-end-up/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Most people fail not for lack of talent but for lack of imagination. You can get a lot of this information by sitting down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/most-people-fail-not-for-lack-of-talent-but-for-lack-of-imagination/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“the research shows that, for most people, passion comes after they try something, discover they like it, and develop mastery—not before. To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/the-research-shows-that-for-most-people-passion-comes-after-they-try/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“Quantity has a quality all its own. In life design, more is better, because more ideas equal access to better ideas, and better ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/quantity-has-a-quality-all-its-own-in-life-design-more-is-better/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“When an activity is done to win, to advance, to achieve—even if it’s “fun” to do so—it’s not play. It may be a wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/when-an-activity-is-done-to-win-to-advance-to-achieve-even-if-it-s/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“That’s the problem with letting go—it’s more of an inaction than an action, and your brain just hates that, the same way nature abhors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/that-s-the-problem-with-letting-go-it-s-more-of-an-inaction-than-an/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) [Explore all 44 Bill Burnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) ## More Alarm clock quotes > [My phone is an alarm clock, a flashlight, a music player and a digital camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-phone-is-an-alarm-clock-a-flashlight-a-music-player-and-a-digital/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something, which the police called a bomb, had exploded in his shed. Investigations were begun, and the efforts of the authorities were soon to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-von-salomon/something-which-the-police-called-a-bomb-had-exploded-in-his-shed/) [Ernst von Salomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-von-salomon/) > [Here in the UK the audience immediately reacts and they get the fact that: "What would be the most annoying thing in the world?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/here-in-the-uk-the-audience-immediately-reacts-and-they-get-the-fact/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [We've already seen digital picture frames pre-loaded with viruses; I'm not eager to have my refrigerator hacked or my alarm clock turned against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/we-ve-already-seen-digital-picture-frames-pre-loaded-with-viruses-i-m/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [The beloved may be treacherous, greasy-headed and given to evil habits, or else it can be a man in his late forties who works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/the-beloved-may-be-treacherous-greasy-headed-and-given-to-evil-habits/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“I have a dream. And in this dream I’m under the covers in bed, just a few scant inches away from Carter’s body. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-sivec/i-have-a-dream-and-in-this-dream-i-m-under-the-covers-in-bed-just-a/) [Tara Sivec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-sivec/) > [“Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn’t on the floor. Men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/men-know-what-they-want-men-make-concrete-plans-men-own-alarm-clocks/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Sleeping is my drug, my bed is the dealer, and my alarm clock is the police..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-sakundiak/sleeping-is-my-drug-my-bed-is-the-dealer-and-my-alarm-clock-is-the/) [Mitchell Sakundiak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-sakundiak/) > [“Tip #2: No more alarm clocks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-helen-conroy/tip-2-no-more-alarm-clocks/) [Mary Helen Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-helen-conroy/) > [“(On differences between men and boys) Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/on-differences-between-men-and-boys-men-know-what-they-want-men-make/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [As a performer, I wanted to be the loudest, most persistent alarm clock I could be, because there didn’t seem like any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/as-a-performer-i-wanted-to-be-the-loudest-most-persistent-alarm-clock/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [Stress is an alarm clock that lets you know you're attached to something not true for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/stress-is-an-alarm-clock-that-lets-you-know-you-re-attached-to/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“You know the horrible life of the alarm clock – it’s a monster that has always appalled me because of the number of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-vache/you-know-the-horrible-life-of-the-alarm-clock-it-s-a-monster-that-has/) [Jacques Vache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-vache/) > [I could barely function as an adult; I slept through alarm clocks and lost train tickets mid-journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/i-could-barely-function-as-an-adult-i-slept-through-alarm-clocks-and/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [I have to fight the impulse to use my phone as an alarm clock rather than leaving it in another room. If I don't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/i-have-to-fight-the-impulse-to-use-my-phone-as-an-alarm-clock-rather/) [Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/) [Browse all 255 Alarm clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarm-clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should make him happy. It should be enough? But Donald had another dysfunctional belief: that he couldn’t stop doing what he’d always done. If only the guy in the mirror could have told him that he was not alone, and he did not have to do what he had always done. In the United States alone, more than thirty-one million people between ages forty-four and seventy want what is often called an “encore” career—work that combines personal meaning, continued income, and social impact. Some of those thirty-one million have found their encore careers, and many others have no idea where to begin, and fear it’s too late in life to make a big change. Dysfunctional Belief: It’s too late. Reframe: It’s never too late to design a life you love. Three people. Three big problems. Designers Love Problems Look around you. Look at your office or home, the chair you are sitting on, the tablet or smartphone you may be holding. Everything that surrounds us was designed by someone. And every design started with a problem. The problem of not being able to listen to a lot of music without carrying around a suitcase of CDs is the reason why you can listen to three thousand songs on a one-inch square object clipped to your shirt. It’s only because of a problem that your phone fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, or that your laptop gets five hours of battery life, or that your alarm clock plays the sound of chirping birds. 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