--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think positive stress is actually a…" description: "\"I think positive stress is actually a good thing. It's sort of the stretch goal \"Wow, let me see how much faster I can run\" or \"Let me see how many mor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/david-allen-2835_faster_i-think-positive-stress-is-actually-a-go_2559395.png" --- # I think positive stress is actually a good thing. It's… ![“I think positive stress is actually a good thing. It's sort of the stretch goal "Wow, let me see how much faster I can run" or "Let me see how many more ideas I can generate in five minutes."” quote by David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/david-allen-2835_faster_i-think-positive-stress-is-actually-a-go_2559395.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/david-allen-2835_faster_i-think-positive-stress-is-actually-a-go_2559395.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/david-allen-2835_faster_i-think-positive-stress-is-actually-a-go_2559395.png) > “I think positive stress is actually a good thing. It's sort of the stretch goal "Wow, let me see how much faster I can run" or "Let me see how many more ideas I can generate in five minutes."” [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Allen suggests that positive stress can be motivating, turning challenges into stretch goals that boost performance. **In simple terms:** Positive stress can motivate and improve performance. Key Takeaway Embrace stress as a catalyst for growth. Themes productivity motivation psychology performance goal-setting Mood energetic optimistic focused Type motivational self‑help psychological When to use this quote - project planning - exercise routines - creative brainstorming - deadline management - team leadership Key Concepts stress management stretch goals flow state self-improvement Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance positive stress with well‑being? - What stretch goals are realistic for you now? A Different Perspective Too much stress can lead to burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Think positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-positive/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Stress is actually the number one thing that blocks people from their happiness and well-being and from getting what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/stress-is-actually-the-number-one-thing-that-blocks-people-from-their/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [What's taking place during stress is actually much simpler than a transaction between stressful life events and you. There aren't two parties involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-j-bernstein/what-s-taking-place-during-stress-is-actually-much-simpler-than-a/) Andrew J. Bernstein > [“Positive stress, negative stress, - stress no less. It's all in how you manage your energies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-l-tremblay/positive-stress-negative-stress-stress-no-less-it-s-all-in-how-you/) [Jo-Ann L. Tremblay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-l-tremblay/) > [It seems like what happens when we play games is that we go into a psychological state called eustress, or positive stress. It's basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/it-seems-like-what-happens-when-we-play-games-is-that-we-go-into-a/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [More important, you have to stay happy and positive or the stress will kill you - but at least it will make you skinny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joely-fisher/more-important-you-have-to-stay-happy-and-positive-or-the-stress-will/) [Joely Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joely-fisher/) > [The World Cup experience is more than just the game of soccer. It's an event. And it will fly by faster than you think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobi-jones/the-world-cup-experience-is-more-than-just-the-game-of-soccer-it-s-an/) [Cobi Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobi-jones/) > [I'll just do a round around of the house and make sure the rest of the family are fast asleep. We don't want that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/i-ll-just-do-a-round-around-of-the-house-and-make-sure-the-rest-of/) [Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/) > [There can be no Positive result through Negative attitude.Think Positive.Live Positive.-RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/there-can-be-no-positive-result-through-negative-attitude-think/) RVM > [You are what you believe. So stop feeling sorry for yourself, and get up and do something about your problems! Find friends who care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blue-eyes/you-are-what-you-believe-so-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself-and-get/) Blue Eyes > [Think positive, be positive, surround yourself with positive people and positive things will come/happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-positive-be-positive-surround-yourself-with-positive-people-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the challenge is to takedifficult and painful times and turn them into something beneficial, something that makes you grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-akers/i-think-the-challenge-is-to-takedifficult-and-painful-times-and-turn/) [Michelle Akers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-akers/) > [Thinking Positively should become our Habit, Because there is absolutely zero results and in fact, negative results if we think negatively. That's the Law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sham-hinduja/thinking-positively-should-become-our-habit-because-there-is/) [Sham Hinduja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sham-hinduja/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I am incredibly cynical, and I don't think that's something people would guess. People think I'm all positive, but I'm a skeptic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-dutta/i-am-incredibly-cynical-and-i-don-t-think-that-s-something-people/) [Nikita Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-dutta/) > [“Think positive and you will become what you think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/think-positive-and-you-will-become-what-you-think/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) ## More by David Allen > [“Klara Sztucinski, and Elliott Kellman. The administrative”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/klara-sztucinski-and-elliott-kellman-the-administrative/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-ability-to-generate-power-is-directly-proportional-to-your/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“Too much information creates the same result as too little:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/too-much-information-creates-the-same-result-as-too-little/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-don-t-actually-do-a-project-you-can-only-do-action-steps-related/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [You won't see how to do it until you see yourself doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-won-t-see-how-to-do-it-until-you-see-yourself-doing-it/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“It’s the nature of human experience, which is always in some form of motion, to veer off course—sometimes in major, but consistently in minor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/it-s-the-nature-of-human-experience-which-is-always-in-some-form-of/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“The real challenge is to make good communication a handy and well-used tool. 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Frankly, as soon add you have two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/everything-you-ve-told-yourself-you-ought-to-do-your-mind-thinks-you/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“We need ways to validate and support our thinking, no matter how informal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/we-need-ways-to-validate-and-support-our-thinking-no-matter-how/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“The value of goals is not in the future they describe, but the change in perception of reality they foster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-value-of-goals-is-not-in-the-future-they-describe-but-the-change/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“Taking the inventory of your current work at all levels will automatically produce greater focus, alignment, and sense of priorities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/taking-the-inventory-of-your-current-work-at-all-levels-will/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“have discovered that one of the major reasons many people haven’t had a lot of success with getting organized is simply that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/have-discovered-that-one-of-the-major-reasons-many-people-haven-t-had/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Without a gut-level sense that you are ultimately in control of what's happening to you, you won't even consider the option that you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/without-a-gut-level-sense-that-you-are-ultimately-in-control-of-what/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-mind-is-for-having-ideas-not-holding-them/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) [Explore all 147 David Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## More Faster quotes > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Spirituality does not have to be serious. 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Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster. (Or, sometimes known by\] Grove \[the head of Intel\] giveth and Gates \[the head of Microsoft\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-wirth/software-gets-slower-faster-than-hardware-gets-faster-or-sometimes/) [Niklaus Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklaus-wirth/) > [“In fact, living with the mindset “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” may get you there quite a bit faster!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-de-sena/in-fact-living-with-the-mindset-i-ll-sleep-when-i-m-dead-may-get-you/) [Joe De Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-de-sena/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [I think technology advanced faster than anticipated. In that whirlwind, a lot of companies didn't survive. The reason we have done well is because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-technology-advanced-faster-than-anticipated-in-that-whirlwind/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [The machines need to get faster. 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