--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you find yourself in a hole, the first…" description: "\"“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. —WILL ROGERS”\" — David Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png" --- # If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is… ![“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. —WILL ROGERS” quote by David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png) > ““If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. —WILL ROGERS”” [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. When stuck, stop the unproductive action and reassess before proceeding further. **In simple terms:** Stop digging when in a hole. Key Takeaway Pause, evaluate, then act wisely. Themes problem‑solving mindfulness productivity Mood calm focused Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - Project management - personal crisis - habit change Key Concepts Systems thinking Self‑regulation Strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What is the underlying cause of the hole? - How can you prevent digging deeper? A Different Perspective Stopping may feel like giving up. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging/) [Digging Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-rogers-3364521/) [Hole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hole/) [Hole Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hole-thing-1602085/) [Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop/) [Stop Digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-digging-603882/) ## Related quotes > [If you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/church-bulletin-board/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging/) [Church Bulletin Board](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/church-bulletin-board/) > [“When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. —Will Rogers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/when-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-stop-digging-will-rogers/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/when-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging/) [Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/) > [When you are in a hole, the top priority is to stop digging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-easterly/when-you-are-in-a-hole-the-top-priority-is-to-stop-digging/) [William Easterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-easterly/) > [If You're In A Hole, Stop Digging: 'Do Not Create More Trouble For Yourself When You Are Already Facing Some.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/if-you-re-in-a-hole-stop-digging-do-not-create-more-trouble-for/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [“Healey’s First Law Of Holes: When in one, stop digging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/healey-s-first-law-of-holes-when-in-one-stop-digging/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-stop-digging/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in a hole, stop digging!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-in-a-hole-stop-digging/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging … erm, I'm not sure I should have said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/we-do-have-a-saying-in-america-if-you-re-in-a-hole-stop-digging-erm-i/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [“When you find youself in a hole - stop digging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/when-you-find-youself-in-a-hole-stop-digging/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [First law on holes - when you're in one, stop digging!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/first-law-on-holes-when-you-re-in-one-stop-digging/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [The first rule of holes: When you're in one stop digging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-first-rule-of-holes-when-you-re-in-one-stop-digging/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-most-important-thing-to-do-if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-is-to/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Remember what to do when you're at the bottom of a hole? You've got to stop digging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-mackler/remember-what-to-do-when-you-re-at-the-bottom-of-a-hole-you-ve-got-to/) [Carolyn Mackler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-mackler/) > [Now, given the experience that we have had thus far, with our subsequent trade agreements with NAFTA and others, you would think that with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-lynch/now-given-the-experience-that-we-have-had-thus-far-with-our/) [Stephen F. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-lynch/) ## 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. Then you are likely to pick it up and use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-real-challenge-is-to-make-good-communication-a-handy-and-well/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Everything you’ve told yourself you ought to do, your mind thinks you should do right now. 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 Digging quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-a-delightful-garden-sowing-planting-or-digging-are-not-hardship/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-thought-i-knew-a-lot-about-music-then-you-start-digging-and-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [From my image of digging around in the mud like a grunt, I preferred fighting the war from ships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/from-my-image-of-digging-around-in-the-mud-like-a-grunt-i-preferred/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [When you consider the sheer magnitude of investable equities to choose from in the world's emerging markets, you realize that finding one that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/when-you-consider-the-sheer-magnitude-of-investable-equities-to/) [Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [ The Ancient One, as you know, is the master, is the Sorcerer Supreme, and \[Doctor\] Strange comes to learn how to heal himself and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/the-ancient-one-as-you-know-is-the-master-is-the-sorcerer-supreme-and/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [I was a manual labourer. I figured out really early on that the value of my life could be determined by my hourly rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-was-a-manual-labourer-i-figured-out-really-early-on-that-the-value/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [Archaeology, I found, comprehended all manner of excitement and achievement. Adventure is coupled with bookish toil. Romantic excursions go hand in hand with scholarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/archaeology-i-found-comprehended-all-manner-of-excitement-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've never met a girl who thinks like you." "A lot of people tell me that," she said, digging at a cuticle. "But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-ve-never-met-a-girl-who-thinks-like-you-a-lot-of-people-tell-me/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you don't break a hole through the brick wall, don't just start digging a new hole. Keep going until you break through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/if-you-don-t-break-a-hole-through-the-brick-wall-don-t-just-start/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Keep digging, Flynn. Six feet makes a grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-monk/keep-digging-flynn-six-feet-makes-a-grave/) [Devon Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-monk/) [Browse all 487 Digging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. —WILL ROGERS”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Digging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/david-allen-2835_digging_if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first_1166718.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. —WILL ROGERS” — David Allen", "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": "David Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you find yourself in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/if-you-find-yourself-in-a-hole-the-first-thing-to-do-is-stop-digging-2/#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 } } ] } ```