--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes there's a general arc that you…" description: "\"Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and get better the longer you do something.\" — Colin Hay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg" --- # Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and… ![“Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and get better the longer you do something.” quote by Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg) > “Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and get better the longer you do something.” [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improvement often follows a natural curve that becomes steeper with sustained effort. **In simple terms:** Practice creates a measurable growth arc. Key Takeaway Commit to consistent practice. Themes growth skill development perseverance Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - long‑term projects - musical training - language learning - fitness routines Key Concepts learning curves deliberate practice Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure incremental gains? - What habits sustain long‑term effort? A Different Perspective Progress may plateau without reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arc Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arc-want-3578631/) [Arcs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arcs/) [Better Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-longer-712801/) [General Arc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-arc-3578630/) [Get better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-better/) [Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longer/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Try Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-better/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“People who exercise more and sleep better have longer telomeres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-klein/people-who-exercise-more-and-sleep-better-have-longer-telomeres/) [Stefan Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-klein/) > [Better for no longer giving you ammo to shoot me down out the blue. better for finally realizing the truth, that I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/better-for-no-longer-giving-you-ammo-to-shoot-me-down-out-the-blue/) [Ne-yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Laughter made you live better and longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-parent/laughter-made-you-live-better-and-longer/) [Gail Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-parent/) > [Everything I do is for my mom. Every time I step out there and try to get better, it's for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hines-ward/everything-i-do-is-for-my-mom-every-time-i-step-out-there-and-try-to/) [Hines Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hines-ward/) > [I want to try and get better in every facet of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zobrist/i-want-to-try-and-get-better-in-every-facet-of-the-game/) [Ben Zobrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zobrist/) > [I'm going to mess up. But I'm going to get back, you know, and get after it and try to do better the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/i-m-going-to-mess-up-but-i-m-going-to-get-back-you-know-and-get-after/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [I'm not afraid of changing something to try to be better at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-korver/i-m-not-afraid-of-changing-something-to-try-to-be-better-at-it/) [Kyle Korver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-korver/) > [“I don't want to hurt you or anybody so please forget about me. Just try. Find yourself a better friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/i-don-t-want-to-hurt-you-or-anybody-so-please-forget-about-me-just/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [Whatever you do, you want to focus on the little things. Try to get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/whatever-you-do-you-want-to-focus-on-the-little-things-try-to-get/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [I can be shy, but I’m not really. I try to be better at overcoming these things people have said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-can-be-shy-but-i-m-not-really-i-try-to-be-better-at-overcoming/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [“Never be scared of how big your dreams are, work hard to make them true and if you fail it's not the end,try again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neira-bouzgarrou/never-be-scared-of-how-big-your-dreams-are-work-hard-to-make-them/) [Neira Bouzgarrou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neira-bouzgarrou/) > [I'm going to be a better actor, or I'm going to try to be a better actor. I'm going to try to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-kirke/i-m-going-to-be-a-better-actor-or-i-m-going-to-try-to-be-a-better/) [Lola Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-kirke/) > [Dont bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. ¨Try to be better than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-bother-just-to-be-better-than-your-contemporaries-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [None of us is perfect, but the point of our writing is to try to become better, to learn something that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-dumm/none-of-us-is-perfect-but-the-point-of-our-writing-is-to-try-to/) [Thomas L. Dumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-dumm/) > [I would tell kids not be like me, but to try and be better than me. Because I always wanted to be better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/i-would-tell-kids-not-be-like-me-but-to-try-and-be-better-than-me/) [Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/) ## More by Colin Hay > [I don't walk off and come back for encores. I figure I can add four weeks to my life that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-don-t-walk-off-and-come-back-for-encores-i-figure-i-can-add-four/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [In certain ways I still feel like I'm finding my way. I feel pretty comfortable playing acoustic guitar and singing, but then I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/in-certain-ways-i-still-feel-like-i-m-finding-my-way-i-feel-pretty/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I feel pretty comfortable in a lot of different musical styles. I like rhythm, and I like melody and so forth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-feel-pretty-comfortable-in-a-lot-of-different-musical-styles-i-like/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I used to drink a lot. I had to stop drinking because it was getting the better of me, and I replaced that with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-used-to-drink-a-lot-i-had-to-stop-drinking-because-it-was-getting/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I can't remember too much about the '80s, to be honest with you... I wish that weren't true, but it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-can-t-remember-too-much-about-the-80s-to-be-honest-with-you-i-wish/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I don't think I'm going to change jobs at this point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-don-t-think-i-m-going-to-change-jobs-at-this-point/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I'd love to have a hit record. I don't believe anyone that says they wouldn't like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-d-love-to-have-a-hit-record-i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-says-they/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I just want to be a better guitar player, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-just-want-to-be-a-better-guitar-player-really/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [Well, my thoughts about California are kind of mythological. To me, as well as being a real place, it's a place where people go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/well-my-thoughts-about-california-are-kind-of-mythological-to-me-as/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I like to let the songs speak so that they can go through some kind of rebirth as you play them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-like-to-let-the-songs-speak-so-that-they-can-go-through-some-kind/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I sit around and play acoustic guitar - usually acoustic, sometimes electric, occasionally piano, but more often guitar, just trying to come up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-sit-around-and-play-acoustic-guitar-usually-acoustic-sometimes/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I just found over the years that it's very hard to change people's perception of what it is that you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-just-found-over-the-years-that-it-s-very-hard-to-change-people-s/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I was brought up west southwest coast of Scotland and my mother and father had a music shop, and so I was surrounded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-was-brought-up-west-southwest-coast-of-scotland-and-my-mother-and/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [There's a fine line between character building and soul destroying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/there-s-a-fine-line-between-character-building-and-soul-destroying/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I tend to write, either myself, or I sometimes write with a co-writer, my friend that lives up the road. It's usually a relatively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-tend-to-write-either-myself-or-i-sometimes-write-with-a-co-writer/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) [Explore all 39 Colin Hay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) ## More Arcs quotes > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [Through the music I hope to give it an arc that gives it a greater sense of a journey through the set rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/through-the-music-i-hope-to-give-it-an-arc-that-gives-it-a-greater/) [Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/) > [Because we grew up surrounded by big dramatic story arcs in books and movies, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/because-we-grew-up-surrounded-by-big-dramatic-story-arcs-in-books-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Joan of Arc should be played as a "pain in the ass" and how do I know she was a "pain in the ass"?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-clurman/joan-of-arc-should-be-played-as-a-pain-in-the-ass-and-how-do-i-know/) [Harold Clurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-clurman/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [Sanchez looked at me and we locked eyes a second too long. There was nothing I could do about it. The signal went out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/sanchez-looked-at-me-and-we-locked-eyes-a-second-too-long-there-was/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [When we are young, we spend much time and pains in filling our note-books with all definitions of Religion, Love, Poetry, Politics, Art, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/when-we-are-young-we-spend-much-time-and-pains-in-filling-our-note/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I suppose that, for me at least, the biggest difference betweenThe Gunslinger Born and the next two story arcs (The Long Road Home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-furth/i-suppose-that-for-me-at-least-the-biggest-difference-betweenthe/) [Robin Furth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-furth/) > [We've got this arc of instability from North Africa to South Asia, and we have to pay close attention to it. And we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-ve-got-this-arc-of-instability-from-north-africa-to-south-asia-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one. . . . But from what I see I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/i-do-not-pretend-to-understand-the-moral-universe-the-arc-is-a-long/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [I think every woman character, every female character, has her own arc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katheryn-winnick/i-think-every-woman-character-every-female-character-has-her-own-arc/) [Katheryn Winnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katheryn-winnick/) > [I am committed now to one thing: lyric sequences. I want the intensity of lyric, but the scope and arc of narrative. so, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-orr/i-am-committed-now-to-one-thing-lyric-sequences-i-want-the-intensity/) [Gregory Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-orr/) > [We must move forward in the days ahead with audacious faith. The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-move-forward-in-the-days-ahead-with-audacious-faith-the-moral/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Most games follow a real railroad plot, no matter what you want, you're following their storyline to its unavoidable conclusion. I'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/most-games-follow-a-real-railroad-plot-no-matter-what-you-want-you-re/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Arc, amplitude, and curvature sustain a similar relation to each other as time, motion, and velocity, or as volume, mass, and density.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/arc-amplitude-and-curvature-sustain-a-similar-relation-to-each-other/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) [Browse all 250 Arcs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arcs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and get better the longer you do something.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Hay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you-want-to-try-and-get-better/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arcs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you-want-to-try-and-get-better/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb4/colin-hay-16645_arcs_sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you_2009086.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes there's a general arc that you want to try and get better the longer you do something.” — Colin Hay", "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": "Colin Hay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes there's a general arc that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you-want-to-try-and-get-better/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/sometimes-there-s-a-general-arc-that-you-want-to-try-and-get-better/#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 } } ] } ```