--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great secret about goals and visions…" description: "\"The great secret about goals and visions is not the future they describe but the change in the present they engender.\" — David Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png" --- # The great secret about goals and visions is not the future… ![“The great secret about goals and visions is not the future they describe but the change in the present they engender.” quote by David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png) > “The great secret about goals and visions is not the future they describe but the change in the present they engender.” [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. Goals and visions work by shaping current actions, not just describing a future outcome. **In simple terms:** Ideas influence today’s behavior. Key Takeaway Focus on present changes. Themes productivity goal setting mindset Mood motivational reflective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - project planning - daily routines - team meetings - personal development Key Concepts psychology behavioral change Questions to Reflect On - How can you translate a vision into today’s tasks? - What present actions reflect your long‑term goals? A Different Perspective May overlook practical constraints of the present. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Visions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visions/) ## Related quotes > [Goals are visions and dreams with work clothes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/goals-are-visions-and-dreams-with-work-clothes-on/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [From the subterranean ore of memory we extract the jeweled visions of our future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/from-the-subterranean-ore-of-memory-we-extract-the-jeweled-visions-of/) [Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/) > [My visions of the future are always pretty much standard issue. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and there are flying cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/my-visions-of-the-future-are-always-pretty-much-standard-issue-the/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Your successful past will block your visions of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-a-barker/your-successful-past-will-block-your-visions-of-the-future/) [Joel A. Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-a-barker/) > [I worry when each of us is seduced by visions of the future that have no place for the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-giridharadas/i-worry-when-each-of-us-is-seduced-by-visions-of-the-future-that-have/) [Anand Giridharadas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-giridharadas/) > [Eighty percent of what everyone's talking about never happens. 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A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great secret about goals and visions is not the future they describe but the change in the present they engender.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions-is-not-the-future-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dreams" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions-is-not-the-future-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba7/david-allen-2835_dreams_the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions_2136400.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great secret about goals and visions is not the future they describe but the change in the present they…” — 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": "The great secret about goals and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions-is-not-the-future-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-great-secret-about-goals-and-visions-is-not-the-future-they/#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 } } ] } ```