--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When put on the spot, most people won’t…" description: "\"“When put on the spot, most people won’t say much about this, but there are usually a few things that everyone would like to do in the next five years:..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/brian-w-fitzpatrick-53373_five-years_when-put-on-the-spot-most-people-won-t-s_3059929.jpg" --- # When put on the spot, most people won’t say much about… ![“When put on the spot, most people won’t say much about this, but there are usually a few things that everyone would like to do in the next five years: get promoted, learn something new, launch something important, and work with smart people.” quote by Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/brian-w-fitzpatrick-53373_five-years_when-put-on-the-spot-most-people-won-t-s_3059929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/brian-w-fitzpatrick-53373_five-years_when-put-on-the-spot-most-people-won-t-s_3059929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/brian-w-fitzpatrick-53373_five-years_when-put-on-the-spot-most-people-won-t-s_3059929.jpg) > ““When put on the spot, most people won’t say much about this, but there are usually a few things that everyone would like to do in the next five years: get promoted, learn something new, launch something important, and work with smart people.”” [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) ## 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 desire promotion, learning, impactful projects, and smart collaborators within five years, reflecting common career aspirations. **In simple terms:** Most want growth, new skills, meaningful work, and good teammates. Key Takeaway Identify and pursue one of these goals now. Themes career growth learning collaboration ambition Mood hopeful determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - skill development - team building - project launch - promotion pursuit Key Concepts goal setting motivation networking Questions to Reflect On - What is your most compelling five‑year goal? - How can you start moving toward it today? A Different Perspective Aspirations may clash with realistic timelines and resource constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Launch Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/launch-important-5128572/) [Learn Something New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-something-new/) [Like Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-years/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) [Work smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-smart/) [Years Promoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-promoted-5128571/) ## Related quotes > [I'm smart enough to know to work with smart people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idina-menzel/i-m-smart-enough-to-know-to-work-with-smart-people/) [Idina Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idina-menzel/) > [I'm the CEO. My job is to get out of the way. I work with smart people and trust they can accomplish their goals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fairclough/i-m-the-ceo-my-job-is-to-get-out-of-the-way-i-work-with-smart-people/) [John Fairclough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fairclough/) > [I was just excited to have challenging work to do and smart people to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-johnson/i-was-just-excited-to-have-challenging-work-to-do-and-smart-people-to/) [Katherine Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-johnson/) > [“Those who work hard, work alone. Those who work smart, work as a team.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/utibe-samuel-mbom/those-who-work-hard-work-alone-those-who-work-smart-work-as-a-team/) [Utibe Samuel Mbom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/utibe-samuel-mbom/) > [“In five years I want to go equally as far as I have come in the last five years. No, farther. Five years ago…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/in-five-years-i-want-to-go-equally-as-far-as-i-have-come-in-the-last/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [It is not easy to go away and come back. One year out of MMA is like five years out of MMA. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-shamrock/it-is-not-easy-to-go-away-and-come-back-one-year-out-of-mma-is-like/) [Ken Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-shamrock/) > [It seems like every ten years there's a book that says that poetry used to be popular, and now it's not, but we really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-seems-like-every-ten-years-there-s-a-book-that-says-that-poetry/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [I don't think you fully get away from something like the years of depression that I went through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-zee/i-don-t-think-you-fully-get-away-from-something-like-the-years-of/) [Ginger Zee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-zee/) > [“When days seem like years and years feel like days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brown-fulford/when-days-seem-like-years-and-years-feel-like-days/) [Robert Brown Fulford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brown-fulford/) > [I remember, my first time in the studio, I was with my dad, Dark Skies. I was, like, 4 years old. It changed my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-skies/i-remember-my-first-time-in-the-studio-i-was-with-my-dad-dark-skies-i/) [Lil Skies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-skies/) > [If I was English, oh my God! Do you know what I mean? What it would have been like over the years. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-van-gerwen/if-i-was-english-oh-my-god-do-you-know-what-i-mean-what-it-would-have/) [Michael van Gerwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-van-gerwen/) > [“...and time thickened so that the seconds passed like years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/and-time-thickened-so-that-the-seconds-passed-like-years/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [I met Ray Charles at 14, and he was 16. But he was like a hundred years older than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-jones/i-met-ray-charles-at-14-and-he-was-16-but-he-was-like-a-hundred-years/) [Quincy Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-jones/) > [You should have felt the buzz the moment all five of us got together in the same room for the first time again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/you-should-have-felt-the-buzz-the-moment-all-five-of-us-got-together/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) > [One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/one-christmas-was-so-much-like-another-in-those-years-around-the-sea/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) ## More by Brian W. Fitzpatrick > [“In short, you should care because if you don’t put effort into building and maintaining your culture, your team will eventually be overtaken by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-w-fitzpatrick/in-short-you-should-care-because-if-you-don-t-put-effort-into/) [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) > [“Bus factor (noun): the number of people that need to get hit by a bus before your project is completely doomed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-w-fitzpatrick/bus-factor-noun-the-number-of-people-that-need-to-get-hit-by-a-bus/) [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) > [“Traditional managers worry about how to get things done, while leaders worry about what things get done…(and trust their team to figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-w-fitzpatrick/traditional-managers-worry-about-how-to-get-things-done-while-leaders/) [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) > [“Fitz treated Jerry like an adult, Jerry always got his work done, and Fitz never had to worry about Jerry being at his desk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-w-fitzpatrick/fitz-treated-jerry-like-an-adult-jerry-always-got-his-work-done-and/) [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) > [“At Google, one of our favorite mottoes is “Failure is an option.” It’s widely recognized that if you’re not failing now and then, you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-w-fitzpatrick/at-google-one-of-our-favorite-mottoes-is-failure-is-an-option-it-s/) [Brian W. Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) [Explore all 6 Brian W. Fitzpatrick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-w-fitzpatrick/) ## More Five years quotes > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) [Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/) > [“A clear look back on the Cold War's battlegrounds, along with a sense of relief that the world survived forty-five years of confrontation, evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-clear-look-back-on-the-cold-war-s-battlegrounds-along-with-a-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [“His Army Ranger unit had always been ready for an ambush. Five years in special ops had made him suspicious of most. On that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-perini/his-army-ranger-unit-had-always-been-ready-for-an-ambush-five-years/) [Robin Perini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-perini/) > [“I looked at him, tipping down the coarse wine like a man who expects to put up with worse. I felt I was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/i-looked-at-him-tipping-down-the-coarse-wine-like-a-man-who-expects/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-sober-for-five-years-a-long-time-ago-and-was-just-bored-out-of/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“most professionals progress until they reach an “acceptable” level, and then they plateau. Software engineers, for instance, usually stop progressing somewhere around five years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-grenny/most-professionals-progress-until-they-reach-an-acceptable-level-and/) [Joseph Grenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-grenny/) > [In five years of my previous tenure, the treasury was never shut for one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amarinder-singh/in-five-years-of-my-previous-tenure-the-treasury-was-never-shut-for/) [Amarinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amarinder-singh/) > [We have been playing every summer on clay since I was five years old, so it is an easy surface for us in Belgium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goffin/we-have-been-playing-every-summer-on-clay-since-i-was-five-years-old/) [David Goffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goffin/) > [I'm an immigrant, a legal immigrant to the United States. I only became a citizen five years ago. Every day, for seven months, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-gorka/i-m-an-immigrant-a-legal-immigrant-to-the-united-states-i-only-became/) [Sebastian Gorka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-gorka/) > [“Why did I write it down? In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/why-did-i-write-it-down-in-order-to-remember-of-course-but-exactly/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Wrestling introduced me to the idea that my body has a purpose besides trying to look five years younger for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/wrestling-introduced-me-to-the-idea-that-my-body-has-a-purpose/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [“I have entered the New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest almost weekly virtually since it began and have never even been a finalist. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mankoff/i-have-entered-the-new-yorker-s-cartoon-caption-contest-almost-weekly/) [Bob Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mankoff/) [Browse all 2,724 Five years quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When put on the spot, most people won’t say much about this, but there are usually a few things that everyone would like to do in the next five years: get promoted, learn something new, launch something important, and work with smart people.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian W. 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