--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Someone told me something that stuck with…" description: "\"Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.' I've been living by that motto for a while, so I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_someone-told-me-something-that-stuck-wit_1200386.jpg" --- # Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to… ![“Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.' I've been living by that motto for a while, so I see where I need to be. Now I'm just backtracking and trying to get back up there.” quote by Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_someone-told-me-something-that-stuck-wit_1200386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_someone-told-me-something-that-stuck-wit_1200386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33c/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_someone-told-me-something-that-stuck-wit_1200386.jpg) > “Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.' I've been living by that motto for a while, so I see where I need to be. Now I'm just backtracking and trying to get back up there.” [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates visualizing desired outcomes then reverse‑engineering steps to achieve them. **In simple terms:** Picture your goal, then work backward to reach it. Key Takeaway Use reverse planning to guide progress. Themes goal setting visualization strategy Mood inspirational practical Type motivational self‑help When to use this quote - career planning - fitness training - project management - personal development Key Concepts reverse engineering future self goal mapping Questions to Reflect On - What goal can you visualize now? - How will you break it into reverse steps? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can cause rigidity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backtracking Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backtracking-trying-3598012/) [Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) [Envision Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envision-life-1582831/) [Just Backtracking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-backtracking-3598013/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-backwards-1037832/) [Motto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motto/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Stuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuck/) [Stuck Envision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuck-envision-3598011/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then-go-backwards/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [I had to be a grown-up when I should have been a little boy, and now that I'm a grown-up my little-boyness has exploded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/i-had-to-be-a-grown-up-when-i-should-have-been-a-little-boy-and-now/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [You can understand life backwards, but you can only live life forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-understand-life-backwards-but-you-can-only-live-life-forwards/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Evil is when we live life backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-hitz/evil-is-when-we-live-life-backwards/) [Shelley Hitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-hitz/) > [The trouble with therapy is that it makes life go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/the-trouble-with-therapy-is-that-it-makes-life-go-backwards/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [There is a period in life when we go backwards as we advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/there-is-a-period-in-life-when-we-go-backwards-as-we-advance/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“I have lived my life backwards as compared to my peers. Everyone did incredibly stupid things as teenagers and pre-teens. I didn't. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-have-lived-my-life-backwards-as-compared-to-my-peers-everyone-did/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [I have lived my life backwards as compared to my peers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-lived-my-life-backwards-as-compared-to-my-peers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I try to envision what life is after basketball, but I just see myself working out and just being a basketball player still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/i-try-to-envision-what-life-is-after-basketball-but-i-just-see-myself/) [Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/) > [We are designed with a dreaming brain and a hopeful spirit; it is our nature to envision the life of our dreams. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-designed-with-a-dreaming-brain-and-a-hopeful-spirit-it-is-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't play the reels of your life backwards - play them forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/don-t-play-the-reels-of-your-life-backwards-play-them-forward/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [“Most people live life backwards. They party and kill time in their youth, when they’re strong and have the energy to accomplish great things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/most-people-live-life-backwards-they-party-and-kill-time-in-their/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Life is a backwards train. All you can see is all your leaving behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristy-o/life-is-a-backwards-train-all-you-can-see-is-all-your-leaving-behind/) [Cristy O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristy-o/) > [In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-next-life-i-want-to-live-my-life-backwards-you-start-out-dead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [She would always be living her life backwards, she realized, trying to regain something perfect that she'd lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hay/she-would-always-be-living-her-life-backwards-she-realized-trying-to/) [Elizabeth Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hay/) ## More by Bruno Mars > [Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/uh-i-wanna-be-on-the-cover-of-forbes-magazine/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [Im gunna wear my birthday suit, & let everything hang loose ;P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/im-gunna-wear-my-birthday-suit-let-everything-hang-loose-p/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [The drumming helps a lot when I'm producing songs or writing songs. My knowledge of drums helps more in that aspect, (although) I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/the-drumming-helps-a-lot-when-i-m-producing-songs-or-writing-songs-my/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [When it's your time, it is your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/when-it-s-your-time-it-is-your-time/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [When I see your face theres not athing that I would change cuz ur amazing just the way you are and when you smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/when-i-see-your-face-theres-not-athing-that-i-would-change-cuz-ur/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [If you ever forget how much you really mean to me, Every day I will remind you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/if-you-ever-forget-how-much-you-really-mean-to-me-every-day-i-will/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [“You made me feel like, I've been locked outta heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-made-me-feel-like-i-ve-been-locked-outta-heaven/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [I know a lot of artists say this, but it's hard to put myself in a box. I just write songs that I strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/i-know-a-lot-of-artists-say-this-but-it-s-hard-to-put-myself-in-a-box/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [With my being from Hawaii and being very family oriented I don't really have a fear of a tragic ending. I dont see any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/with-my-being-from-hawaii-and-being-very-family-oriented-i-don-t/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [If you ever leave me baby Leave some morphine at my door Cause It will take a whole lot of medicine to realize What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/if-you-ever-leave-me-baby-leave-some-morphine-at-my-door-cause-it/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [Don't feel like picking up my phone. So leave a message at the tone. 'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/don-t-feel-like-picking-up-my-phone-so-leave-a-message-at-the-tone/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [People can hear my songs are coming from something real. I mean what I say; I'm not just writing to impress critics or young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/people-can-hear-my-songs-are-coming-from-something-real-i-mean-what-i/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [You gotta know what you are, who you are and how you want to be portrayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-gotta-know-what-you-are-who-you-are-and-how-you-want-to-be/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [Doo Hooligans...wait...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/doo-hooligans-wait/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [I'd like to talk to Bob Marley. I'd just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/i-d-like-to-talk-to-bob-marley-i-d-just-like-to-ask-him-what-was-his/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) [Explore all 254 Bruno Mars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) ## More Backwards quotes > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Why don't you just imagine it never happened..??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effy-stonem/why-don-t-you-just-imagine-it-never-happened/) [Effy Stonem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effy-stonem/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/in-the-spiritual-life-he-who-does-not-advance-goes-backwards/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Can anyone be so foolish as to believe that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads, or places where things may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/can-anyone-be-so-foolish-as-to-believe-that-there-are-men-whose-feet/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [I took a little break - I was coming back to work and the last thing I was going to do was take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-took-a-little-break-i-was-coming-back-to-work-and-the-last-thing-i/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [We have different expectations for different groups of people. We tend to modulate the degree with which we're forgiving or punitive depending on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/we-have-different-expectations-for-different-groups-of-people-we-tend/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [You know what, if you play 'She Looks So Perfect' backwards... you just listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hemmings/you-know-what-if-you-play-she-looks-so-perfect-backwards-you-just/) [Luke Hemmings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hemmings/) > [Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/nursing-is-a-progressive-art-such-that-to-stand-still-is-to-go/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) [Browse all 837 Backwards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Someone told me something that stuck with me: 'You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.' I've been living by that motto for a while, so I see where I need to be. 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