--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to envision your life, and then…" description: "\"You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.\" — Bruno Mars" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg" --- # You have to envision your life, and then go backwards. ![“You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.” quote by Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg) > “You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.” [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. Visualizing desired future and reverse‑engineering steps creates a clear roadmap toward goals. **In simple terms:** Plan backwards from your vision. Key Takeaway Start with the end, then map steps. Themes goal‑setting visualization planning Mood inspired focused Type practical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - fitness targets - financial goals - creative projects Key Concepts strategic thinking future‑design Questions to Reflect On - What is your ultimate vision? - Which steps backtrack from your goal? A Different Perspective Reverse planning may overlook unforeseen obstacles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) [Envision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envision/) [Envision Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envision-life-1582831/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-backwards-1037832/) ## Related quotes > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/someone-told-me-something-that-stuck-with-me-you-have-to-envision/) [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": "You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruno Mars" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then-go-backwards/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Backwards" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then-go-backwards/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/bruno-mars-1319_backwards_you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then_1544130.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to envision your life, and then go backwards.” — Bruno Mars", "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": "Bruno Mars", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to envision your life,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then-go-backwards/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/you-have-to-envision-your-life-and-then-go-backwards/#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 } } ] } ```