--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After running my tough experiment [with…" description: "\"“After running my tough experiment [with cancer]… I have a plan for living the rest of my life,” Gallagher concludes in her book. “I’ll choose my targe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/cal-newport-1302_goals_after-running-my-tough-experiment-with-c_1814537.jpg" --- # After running my tough experiment \[with cancer\]… I have a… ![“After running my tough experiment [with cancer]… I have a plan for living the rest of my life,” Gallagher concludes in her book. “I’ll choose my targets with care… then give them my rapt attention. In short, I’ll live the focused life, because it’s the best kind there is.” We’d be wise to follow…” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/cal-newport-1302_goals_after-running-my-tough-experiment-with-c_1814537.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/cal-newport-1302_goals_after-running-my-tough-experiment-with-c_1814537.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/cal-newport-1302_goals_after-running-my-tough-experiment-with-c_1814537.jpg) > ““After running my tough experiment \[with cancer\]… I have a plan for living the rest of my life,” Gallagher concludes in her book. “I’ll choose my targets with care… then give them my rapt attention. In short, I’ll live the focused life, because it’s the best kind there is.” We’d be wise to follow her lead.”” [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living intentionally means selecting meaningful goals and directing undivided attention to them, which yields a more fulfilling existence. **In simple terms:** Choose targets carefully and focus fully. Key Takeaway Prioritize and concentrate on chosen goals. Themes focus intentionality goal‑setting Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - health recovery - personal development - creative projects Key Concepts mindfulness deep work life design Questions to Reflect On - What priorities deserve your deepest focus? - How do you balance focus with flexibility? A Different Perspective Sustained focus can cause neglect of spontaneous opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“I'll live the focused life, because it's the best kind there is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-gallagher/i-ll-live-the-focused-life-because-it-s-the-best-kind-there-is/) [Winifred Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-gallagher/) > [“Yet the hunger to treat patients still drove Farber. And sitting in his basement laboratory in the summer of 1947, Farber had a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/yet-the-hunger-to-treat-patients-still-drove-farber-and-sitting-in/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [To stay focused in life. Pick between good and a bit little better.Sometimes it will be a tough decision but what matters is your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/to-stay-focused-in-life-pick-between-good-and-a-bit-little-better/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [We are increasingly open to understanding how we are all connected and that if we sink the ship that we are all on, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/we-are-increasingly-open-to-understanding-how-we-are-all-connected/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) > [I try to stay focused on my life and do try not to be brought into the Hollywood fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/i-try-to-stay-focused-on-my-life-and-do-try-not-to-be-brought-into/) [Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/) > [“If you’re living a goal-focused life, then no matter what you have, it’s never enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-harris/if-you-re-living-a-goal-focused-life-then-no-matter-what-you-have-it/) [Russ Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-harris/) > [“Living the focused life is not about trying to feel happy all the time…rather, it’s about treating your mind as you would a private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-gallagher/living-the-focused-life-is-not-about-trying-to-feel-happy-all-the/) [Winifred Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-gallagher/) > [There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/there-is-nothing-quite-as-potent-as-a-focused-life-one-lived-on/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Also, the more you're not focused on showbiz and instead focused on life, learning about other people, and keeping your eyes open and trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/also-the-more-you-re-not-focused-on-showbiz-and-instead-focused-on/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [At the end of the day, you just have to focus on winning. No one can take a win away from you. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-just-have-to-focus-on-winning-no-one-can/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [“Flow is the ability to be so focused that all of life's obstacles seemingly and smoothly pass you by.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-don-brown/flow-is-the-ability-to-be-so-focused-that-all-of-life-s-obstacles/) [Asa Don Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-don-brown/) > [In our quest for living a pure, focused life that pleases God, we all hit the wall at one time or another. What do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-st-james/in-our-quest-for-living-a-pure-focused-life-that-pleases-god-we-all/) [Rebecca St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-st-james/) > [“Armed with my positive attitude and inherent stubborn nature, I keep my mind focused and my life moving forward. I stop to rest, pout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-b-scher/armed-with-my-positive-attitude-and-inherent-stubborn-nature-i-keep/) Amy B. Scher > [To Stay Focused in Life: You can't know everyone You can't do everything You can't go everywhere We have to pick and choose between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/to-stay-focused-in-life-you-can-t-know-everyone-you-can-t-do/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“Over time, a commitment to challenging, focused work and leisure produces not only better daily experience, but also a more complex, interesting person: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-gallagher/over-time-a-commitment-to-challenging-focused-work-and-leisure/) [Winifred Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-gallagher/) ## More by Cal Newport > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“many software companies now deploy the Scrum project management methodology, which replaces a lot of this ad hoc messaging with regular, highly structured, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/many-software-companies-now-deploy-the-scrum-project-management/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when paying more than $1,000 a day to write the chapter in a suite of an old hotel down the street from a Hogwarts-style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-paying-more-than-1-000-a-day-to-write-the-chapter-in-a-suite-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-deciding-whether-to-follow-an-appealing-pursuit-that-will/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/let-your-mind-become-a-lens-thanks-to-the-converging-rays-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow. 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This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy-to-get-this-insight-brought/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Here’s the routine: Once a week I require myself to summarize in my “bible” a paper I think might be relevant to my research.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/here-s-the-routine-once-a-week-i-require-myself-to-summarize-in-my/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists, like Walter Isaacson, are trained to shift into a writing mode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-journalist-philosophy-this-name-is-a-nod-to-the-fact-that/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Not long into his 2010 TED talk on creativity and leadership, Derek Sivers plays a video clip of a crowd at an outdoor concert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/not-long-into-his-2010-ted-talk-on-creativity-and-leadership-derek/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Kirk’s path to American Treasures was incremental. He didn’t decide out of nowhere that he wanted to host a television show and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/kirk-s-path-to-american-treasures-was-incremental-he-didn-t-decide/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not you’ve found your true calling, the question will be rendered moot when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-you-spend-too-much-time-focusing-on-whether-or-not-you-ve-found/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Their plans were circumspect and small-time. They weren’t dreaming of taking over the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/their-plans-were-circumspect-and-small-time-they-weren-t-dreaming-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“This chain method (as some now call it) soon became a hit among writers and fitness enthusiasts—communities that thrive on the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-chain-method-as-some-now-call-it-soon-became-a-hit-among-writers/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) [Explore all 257 Cal Newport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More Cancer quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world sweetest cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/our-kind-of-love-can-go-into-remission-but-it-s-always-waiting-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Bollywood is a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/bollywood-is-a-cancer/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [When people go get chemo, they're not injecting themselves with will - I have lost various loved ones to cancer, and I certainly don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/when-people-go-get-chemo-they-re-not-injecting-themselves-with-will-i/) [Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/) > [“the doctor hesitated before breaking the news to her. "those aren't stars. it's cancer." - forty years a smoker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lovelace/the-doctor-hesitated-before-breaking-the-news-to-her-those-aren-t/) [Amanda Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lovelace/) > [I loved you to the moon and back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-loved-you-to-the-moon-and-back/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) Richard Doll > [I would do away with super PACs. I think it's a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-conrad/i-would-do-away-with-super-pacs-i-think-it-s-a-cancer/) [Kent Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-conrad/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/) [Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) [Browse all 3,177 Cancer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After running my tough experiment [with cancer]… I have a plan for living the rest of my life,” Gallagher concludes in her book. “I’ll choose my targets with care… then give them my rapt attention. 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